BETWEEN OURSELVES

In part 2 of this episode of Between Ourselves on Black Women & Disabilities we continue the conversation with Tumu and Jumoke. We pick up the discussion thinking about how their race and gender might affect how their disability is seen, their experiences visiting African countries, what people think about disabled people and sexuality, having surgery, and the injustices of covid and disability. (Recorded in 2020).

In part 1 of this episode of Between Ourselves on Black Women & Disabilities I am joined by the lovely Tumu Johnson and Jumoke Abdullah. Amongst other things we discuss how they view their identities, what life was like at school and whether they were able to connect then and what the social model of disability means to them. Take a listen to learn more about their experiences (Recorded in 2020).

In Part 2 of Black Men and Black Feminism, we continue the discussion by considering the ways that Black men and women might miss each other, notions of vulnerability in relation to masculinity and we ponder if or how Black men can call themselves Black Feminist allies.

In Part 1 of this episode on Black Men and Black Feminism - Julian Knox, Oz Lupuwana, Jarel Robinson-Brown and Rohan Ayinde join me. We discuss people’s feelings following George Floyd’s murder, definitions of Black Feminism, views on masculinity and their first memories of Black Feminist thought.

In this episode - which was a live recording of a public event - Marly Pierre-Louis and I discuss ideas of rest, slowing down, napping and guilt as they might relate to Black womanhood. The conversation was part of a dialogue held at Hotel Maria Kapel as part of my artist residency there in December 2019 in the Dutch town of Hoorn. 

Rev Jarel Robinson Brown and Alina Jabari join me to speak about faith and religion and its place in the arts, art education and academia. How do those of faith and those in the arts perceive each other? And how do people of more progressive faith think about politics? This was a panel discussion at the graduation show of Sekai Makoni at the Sandberg Institute.

My mother (Pepukai Makoni), Yansie Rolston and her daughter Joelyn Rolston join me to talk about Black Mothering. We have a group discussion filled with LOTS of laughter, truths and vulnerability. The conversation is wide-ranging, we consider if there are particular elements to being raised by a Black mother, what are the challenges and joys and what have we learnt as daughters and mothers?

Amandla Awetu, Jessy de Abreau, Simone Zeefuik and Inez van der Scheer join me at the Black Archives in Amsterdam. We discuss what it is to be a Black woman activist in the Netherlands, what are the challenges? What are the particularities of the Black Dutch experience and how has Black feminism shaped their activist experiences?

What are our experiences with other mixed women? What is the impact of the notion of a post-racial society and how are mixed bodies used in relation to it? How did Brexit impact racism?

What does it mean to be a mixed woman who engages with their black identity? How do we resist being held up as poster children of racial harmony? How are mixed women's bodies marketed to sell products?

What are the similarities and differences in how we view our Zimbabwean identities? What does it mean to say you're Zimbabwean? What are relationships with Zimbabwean men like in family structures?

What are the similarities and differences in how we view Zimbabwe dependant on the moment of migration? Do we speak Shona? How do we maintain connections to 'home'? What was it like first moving here?

What is it to be a Black British, Afro-German or Black French woman? How do we see ourselves, how does society see us and how do we resist negative perceptions?