On this episode our guest, Congolese American Salem Soni, recounts his experience fleeing The Congo with his family as political refugees and settling in America. He gives us some cliff notes on Congolese history and politics, tells us about his struggles fitting into his new home, talks about how erasing one’s identity is often a form of survival, and describes how being in community with other Africans helped revive that identity and pride.
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Reading:
- Donna Tartt’s Secret History
- Roxan Gay’s Bad Feminist, especially the essay “When We All Lose”
- Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist
- Cal Newport’s So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Watching:
- Video of Jidenna, Major Lazer, Ice Prince’s Particula
- DJ Cuppy and Techno’s Green Light
- Netflix’s Master of None
- YouTube Series Shop Talk
- YouTube Series, Hot Ones
Listening To:
- Johnnyswim’s Albums
- Podcast The Afropreneur