Akala grew up in north London during the 80s and the 90s and probably us with a narrative which spans a uniquely British experience. His is described as a successful rapper, journalist, author, activist and poet according to Wikipedia.

However, for me, his calm presence with the spoken word has always moved me. I have often been described as aggressive, where I have seen my counterparts behaving in more pronounced fashions as being describes as passionate. It difficult some times keep calm even if you know what time it is.

This book reads like a polemic. At times you could say an argumentative rant, but this is told through an academic lens. Akala expertly interweaves narratives from his lived-in experience of living as a ‘mulatto’ (self-ascribed) in the UK.

I found myself nodded a lot when I read this book and relating to much of the contents. I would be remiss here is I did not include a warning, Akala writes a chapter on education which I would urge every person of colour to read but read with caution the content is not only relative to many of us but so is the damage.

The book is called ‘Natives – Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’; When talking about oppression, distraction is often used to negate from either or both arguments. Natives expertly navigates both topics simultaneously unapologetically and seamlessly tackles issues such as Media (Linford’s Lunchbox), education, white saviour and his experiences of growing up with his white mother.

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UK: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/MrPranPatel  

US: www.amazon.com/shop/MrPranPatel

The book is available here or below.