2020 has been a lot.

COVID aside, losing my younger brother in April really derailed me. Through the kindness of friends, family and strangers however , I am finding my feet again. When my alma mater approached me about the possibility of taking part in a virtual event, I figured it might be a good chance to test the waters and get back into the thick of things.

In deciding what to talk about, I only had to look as far as my DMs. As someone who has been teaching about culture and society for about a decade, I have been bombarded with DMs from former students and colleagues, friends and strangers alike over what I think about some of the things that have been dominating the news recently, especially the anti-racism movement that has suddenly gone mainstream and that has already caused so many ripples. I’m no expert but it is always inspiring when the things you teach are deemed relevant and your opinion is sought.

It is a curious thing to be sitting in Africa with African problems watching and thinking about America (and our Diaspora as a whole), and I have quietly watched and listened as many have suggested that we need to focus on our own continental issues.

I have a slightly different take on this however.

If you are interested in hearing that take, please follow this link to sign up for tonight’s talk. I will be joining a greatly-admired peer and friend: Kirstie Kwarteng of The Nana Project (currently a doctoral scholar at SOAS) and the whole thing shouldn’t take more than an hour.

In case you can’t make it, don’t worry: besides the prospect of a recording, I will be releasing details for the online lecture series that I promised GH Twitter last year (thanks to everyone who filled that online survey).

I hope to catch you tonight.

Meanwhile, please mask up, keep physical distancing if you can and stay safe.

More details on the lecture here.