Musings Archives - Page 4 of 20

The House That Sexism Built

Posted on November 13, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

One of the many pleasures of living on the Garden Route is access to miles and miles of gorgeous, pristine coastline. The beauty of the Eden District cannot be adequately described with words. It is exquisite, yet does not come without its flaws. As anyone…

Ancestral Fried Chicken

Posted on October 15, 2018
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

Upon entering the APEX Museum in Atlanta, GA, visitors are exhorted to remember that African/Black American history does not begin with slavery or colonization: these were interruptions to our history. That particular notion should be intuitive enough that it ought not require a reminder or…

The Thrill and Difficulty of Decolonizing my Family’s Diet

Posted on September 25, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I have spent years abusing my body with the types of food I’ve put on my plate (or eaten straight from a box). The typical Western diet is sugary, fried, doused in salt and sprinkled with a powdery sugar finish. Did I mention that we…

Inan and the One Drop Rule: A Theory About ‘Children of Blood and Bone’

Posted on August 30, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Spoiler Alert: This post contains discussions about characters in the fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone. Feel free to return to add your contribution in the comments if you’re one of those people who is angered by spoilers. Any time I am asked…

Black Masquerade: When Feigning Joy Is A Defense Mechanism

Posted on May 10, 2018
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

When I pressed play on Donald Glover’s ‘This Is America’, I was completely unprepared for what was to transpire within the first 45 seconds of the visual masterpiece. There was Glover, shirtless, hair grown longer than usual, clad in nothing more than a pair of…

The Consistence of Casual White Violence

Posted on April 19, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

When I tell you this story, you’re going to swear I’m lying. But I ain’t lying. This really happened. An acquaintance of mine has been having financial difficulty ever since her freelance contract came to an end last year. As a fellow freelancer, my…

Moesha Boduong Isn’t A Disgrace. She Represents An Uncomfortable Reality

Posted on April 12, 2018
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Last year, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour began production of her series Sex and Love Around the World, where she traverses the globe in order to investigate ‘unconventional’ expressions of intimacy and the unspoken rules that govern unorthodox relationships in different societies. I had the opportunity to…

The Dynamism Of Black American Naming

Posted on March 29, 2018
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

What’s in a name? Naming in African communities is an act steeped in tradition and, some say, one that comes with spiritual consequences for the bearer. Children are named to honor an ancestor, to reflect a significant event in a space in time, even to…

Where Do The Poor Fit In the ‘Africa Rising’ Narrative?

Posted on March 3, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Over the past two decades or more, the portrayal of Africa as a continent scabbed over by war, famine, hopelessness and ignorance has given way to depictions of a continent brimming with new and untapped promise. The ‘Africa Rising’ anecdote is now as ubiquitous as…

‘Black Panther’ Touched Me Deeply and Unexpectedly

Posted on February 19, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Black Panther has been in theaters for three days. I have held my tongue and waited for you all to get apprised for long enough. It’s time to discuss the film as a family. Black Panther boasts a lineup of some of the most celebrated…

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