Malaka Grant Archives - Mind of Malaka

Let Me Tell Y’all Why I Hate It When You Send Me Reels

Posted on August 16, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Reels. If you’re on Instagram, you’ve seen them, shared them and even possibly made your fair share of them. Some people (like me) make Reels because they are a handy tool with simple templates for quick updates and storytelling. Other people plan and make Reels…

Motherhood

What I Hope to Teach My Daughters About Desire

Posted on February 14, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

A journalist sent me a message last week, expressing interest in my work on Adventures From the Bedrooms of African Women. When it comes to this project, I have been the force behind the scenes, rather than the face out front for many myriad reasons.…

Musings

It’s Only Luxury For Me in 2023!

Posted on January 4, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Happy new year, dearest Readers and Lurkers! I know I haven't been consistent with keeping up with Mind of Malaka in 2022 - and to be honest that's not likely to change in 2023 if the circumstances that kept me away from this beloved space…

Musings

We Did Not Appropriate Your English. It Was Whipped Into Us.

Posted on September 29, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Mr. Tei loved to whip children. At least, that was the reputation he had earned on the primary school block when I arrived in 1986. Only ‘Brah’ Sammy came in at a close second with a love for attaching cane to tender Class 3 flesh.…

Motherhood

A Father’s Day Lament: When You Need Protection from Your “Protector”

Posted on June 22, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

A man places his phone on selfie mode and begins to record. The lens is angled from the floor up, so that we are able to see his feet advancing towards a child cowering in the corner. Both come into view. The man is hunched…

GH2013

The Reveal: How Photographers Shoot Anyone Who Isn’t Thin, Able Bodied & “Conventionally” Beautiful

Posted on April 24, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I set my beverage down with a gentle thud and smiled generously, grateful to be surrounded by the laughter and reverie of friends I hadn't seen in years...some in over 20. Kwae Terrace, a swanky rooftop spot in Accra, offered all of the elements required…

Madness

My New Filthy Obsession: Carpet Cleaning Videos

Posted on March 21, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Instagram is owned by Facebook, so it's impossible to say with certainty what algorithm the company used to determine just why a 44 year old African woman living in South Africa might be interested in watching someone scrub filth from woven wool and scrape it…

GH2013

My Sole Regret After Appearing on the KSM Show

Posted on October 15, 2019
by Malaka
with 4 Comments

Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM) is an acclaimed actor, comedian and talk show host. Last week he invited me to appear on his long-running TV program, the KSM Show. You’ll be proud to know that I kept my cool and resisted the urge to gush for a…

The South African Series

My Books Are Available on TakeALot.Com, And That’s A Big Deal

Posted on December 8, 2017
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Everyone thinks self-publishing – or any independent creative work – is sexy. There’s this aura of grittiness, the allure of the idea of that you can grind your way to the top, the crowning achievement being that indelible interview on Ellen or Access Hollywood. It’s…

Musings

Success is Coded in Your DNA

Posted on April 15, 2016
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

A year ago, a good friend of mine was going through a course with the aim of becoming a certified life coach. He asked me if I would be willing to be his “guinea pig” and participate in mock coaching sessions. Unfamiliar with the nuances…