The Critical Political Africanist

From February 25 to March 7, my friend Melika and I blitzed through a good chunk of Kenya; from the "organized chaos" of Nairobi to its third highest peak on Mount Kenya. The short visit rushed me with fond memories and pure escape. Though I’d never been to the East African country, it was immediately reminiscent of my unforgettable time in Tanzania exploring language, culture, and, of course, being out of place. It began and finished at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, a short Uber f

"The painting has lived in the archive for at least 7 years. Past efforts to find its meaning were halted. Now it's come into the light."

"From intellectuality, to ice rinks, to interviews, here’s how it turned out for me."

"I unexpectedly found great enthusiasm for my project, but also an equally debilitating sensation of being out of place, once more."

"Jumping off the ferry in Tangier didn’t strike the same chord in me as walking the tarmac in Kilimanjaro"

“When I smoked it, eight people held me down. If they had not, I could have murdered someone. They [the police] need to crush the cartels.”

"Not everything is meant to be shared, but sometimes it really is all about your company."

"Senegal and the DRC share a common ‘relic’ from their colonial pasts: French. Today, it is the official language in both countries"

"Though, in our quest for mass social equity, we sometimes forget the value of a single story."

"The urge to critically consider concepts vanished."

"Alone, we can't solve these riddles and their political baggage, but alone, we can start the fight."

"...as long as we insist on judging it from a Western perspective, we will be the outsiders -- we will be forever baffled by it."

"It takes people like Mary to demonstrate young girls can break out of the cycle by challenging prescribed day-to-day activities."

"They weave through stalled cars like snakes in the grass, hissing and calling to get your attention."

"I've traded my season's pass for another plane ticket."

"...the privilege plagued lottery ticket that let him be where he is instead of where they are. A chasm of immeasurable difference."

"The majority of smallholder farmers live below the poverty line of US$1.90 per day – or, an annual income of less than $300 per year."

"I have no idea what will happen..."

"Sometimes you need to be critical of your own values to fully understand others."