In this episode, I am joined by Isaiah Smalls and Akintunde Ahmad to discuss the similarities and differences between Black British and African American culture, as well the possibility of diaspora solidarity despite these differences.

To what extent does America's cultural hegemony penetrate what it means to be 'black'? To what extent do British and Amercicans' different experiences of blackness come down to different migration patterns? Or even the difference in generational distance from the African continent? We might be different but is the racism universal? Why do African-Americans struggle to relate to grime artists in a way that Black Brits do not in terms of mainstream hip-hop music? Is the American dominance of black culture simply proportional to their larger black population?

References:

"Why I No Longer Talk to White People About Race" by Reni Eddo-Lodge

"A Few Thoughts About British Actors Playing American (And African-American) Roles" - Richard Brody for the New Yorker

"Lose Your Mother" - Sadiya Hartman

In this episode, I am joined by Alexa (of alexajohara.com) to discuss what it really means to be 'woke', how the word has been commercialised, and the challenges that come with the package.

Are you putting your rage to good use or is your wokeness performative? Do you find yourself having to make your 'wokeness' palatable at work? Can you be TOO woke? What do you do when being woke drains you?

References:

- 'Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted' Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker(2010) ('Slacktivism' is discussed here)

- 'Why I Don't Want To Be 'Woke' Gabriel Barton-Singer in Varsity (2018)

- ' Why You Should Want To Be 'Woke' - and it's not for personal gain' Siyang Wei in Varsity (2018)

- @angela_rye on Twitter

In this episode, I am joined by Nina Grossfurthner and Nathalie Holloway to discuss the meaning of mixed-race identity, it's attached privileges and why and how it is seen as a symbol of an increasingly tolerant. 'post-racial' society. Note: both of my guests are mixed black and white and we are aware that they do not represent the whole mixed-race experience.

Is the idea that a growing mixed-race population is a symbol of post-racialism, a myth? Is the idea that we live in a post-racial society itself a myth? How does racism exist in spite of a growing mixed-race population? Are the privileges you benefit from as a mixed-race person different depending on which races you are mixed with, and, further still, depending on whether or not you are white-passing? What does it mean to be 'white-passing'? How do structural power relatons that underline black-white interracial relations affect mixed-race children born into these contexts, if at all.

References:

- 'Displaced Looks: The Lived Experience of Beauty and Racism' Monica Moreno Figueroa (2013)

- 'Animated Borders: Skin, Colour and Tanning' Sara Ahmed (1998)

- Dear White People (Netflix)

- Black-ish (HBO)

- 'Against Race: Imagining Political Culture Beyond the Color Line' Paul Gilroy (2000)

In this episode, I am joined by Busola to discuss British-Nigerian identity, it's complications and how privileges mediate how we connect with our Nigerian identity. We also explore the political potential of Nigeria's diaspora.

To what extent does the fostering of a Nigerian-British identity (based on the mockery of indigenous Nigerians) compromise solidarity within the Nigerian diaspora? What does the future of Nigeria's diaspora look like and could they be, as the Economist suggests, Nigeria's secret weapon? Why do some Nigerians in the UK feel the need to make their Nigerianness palatable? Is it even helpful to speak of a 'Nigerian' diaspora - what does it mean to be 'Nigerian'?

Follow @LMThePodcast on Twitter and Instagram and keep the conversation going with the hashtag #LightUpYourMind !

In this episode, I am joined by Laura Hamilton to discuss the western biases in international law and the institutions that mediate them, particularly, the International Criminal Court (ICC).

What hope do we have to prosecute powerful countries who violate international law? Can African states put their hope in international institutions to protect them given the imperial tendencies and interests of dominant member states within these institutions? Is the African Union a feasible challenge to this?

References/Further Reading:

- Jeremy Scahill - Dirty Wars (book and documentary)

- Marlene Wind - "Challenging sovereignty? The USA and the establishment of the International Criminal Court"

- The Intercept (an online publication)

- Max du Plessis, Tiyanjana Maluwa and Annie O'Reilly - Africa and the International Criminal Court (available on the Chatham House website)

Follow @lmthepodcast on Twitter and Instagram and keep the conversation going with the hashtag #LightUpYourMind !

It's me again! I'm on my own this week, to tell you some weird things I do to stay motivated in exam season! I'm also giving you some goss on Season 2.

I mentioned: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss.

SEASON 2 WILL BE BACK IN THE SUMMER!