Chasing James Baldwin in Switzerland

Matthew Wilson, a Bajan now living In Switzerland retraces some of James Baldwin’s steps 70 years after him. Leukerbad is the place that inspired ‘Stranger in the Village’ and where Baldwin completed ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Also drawing from Teju Cole’s 2014 essay, Black Body: Rereading James Baldwin’s “Stranger in the Village” and… Read More

The politics of love in If Beale Street Could Talk

In his review of If Beale Street Could Talk, D. H. Alves demonstrates that both Barry Jenkins and James Baldwin articulate love as a political force, placing it at the centre of their work, be it in the format of the novel, or its cinematographic adaptation. He examines the theological nature of Baldwin’s work and how… Read More

Creatives of colour are the Fela Kutis of our time

Media Diversified founder Samantha Asumadu on what feels like a burgeoning movement for black, brown and Asian theatre makers. There are a few perks to being the founder of Media Diversified and this week that perk was getting to see Barry Jenkins’ feature film If Beale Street Could Talk. It is in effect one of… Read More

I’m a Man (Part 1)

by Oivvio Polite Translated by Jennifer Hayashida In our family album, the summer of ’64 stands out. My parents are simply attractive beyond belief in those pictures. Dad always in a suit, Mom in a knee-length dress that hugs her body. They were in Copenhagen that summer. Dad organized an art exhibition at “Den Frie”:… Read More

Diary of a “Tragic” Mulatto – Love Minus Zero Over No Limit

In a vivid and sometimes playful account, cultural critic and ‘master code-switcher’ Désirée Wariaro explores racial mixedness. ‘ Ontological doubt’ is a constant companion for the ‘tragic mulatto’ when ‘much of the world is blind to the inherent genius of the way my body dissects and pollutes tradition.’ “Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.” James… Read More