Latest Essays

“Amuga! Amuuuuga!” This is what the children would shout after school during our long treks homeward in the blistering Accra heat. When emboldened, I would sometimes shout the word with them, and if the spirit – or whatever force guided the actions of the intended target – moved that day, a man would emerge from […]

Hello and greetings. Welcome to my new project! The Western Cape of South Africa boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. From azure blue ocean waters to mountains that rise suddenly from the planes like plumes hewn from ancient rock, there is a seemingly endless stream of visual delights for the eye. […]

“Mom? Do you have a minute?” Please ask me for help getting juice out of the fridge. Please as me to pour you a bowl of cereal… Of course, the voice asking me for my attention was many years past the need for such assistance. My Lord, I long for the days when the primary […]

The mystery of religion is its mercurial nature, its plurality. It is a tool that both harbors and wields incredible power. Religion has inspired the pursuit of scientific knowledge and been used as a mechanism to demonize that same pursuit. Religion has been used to dehumanize and marginalize, and has also been relied on to […]

I’m just going start this post off by professing my love for T. You make my world a livelier place and you bring animation to already colorful days. You are a gift and I love you. Speaking of gifts… During a recent two-hour long catch up wherein we discussed myriad topics, the subject of gift-giving […]

Romans, friends, countrymen, lurkers and M.O.M readers; I come to you this day with the heat of blue flame coursing through my veins and the resolute determination of the water bear. Fear not! I come not with corona in my throat, but a question: Is there a fiscal cap on the expression of your devotion […]

Valentine’s Day doth approacheth! *cue ominous theatrical score* Every year right around this time, an abundance of articles and think pieces appear on different corners of the Internet exploring the increasingly negative feelings people associate with Valentine’s Day. Mind of Malaka is no exception. I have been a longtime (and loud) hater where this holiday […]

The Wax “What brings you in here today?” I gazed into the green eyes of the svelte brunette, barely visible above her mask as she snapped a pair of plastic gloves on her delicate porcelain hands. Hands that were soon about to deliver a peculiar sort of pain on my own delicate flesh. I thought […]

Forgive me if this is clumsily expressed. I have been misty eyed all morning, reflecting on the life of Ms. Tyson. The first time I ever saw a Black woman give birth on screen was in the movie The Color Purple. I was 8 years old and spending the summer in the Detroit with my […]