Akala is an author, political activist, rapper and so much more. Making a name for himself through his socially conscious rap style and unapologetic views and criticisms of the majorly broken system we live in. Akala has given lectures all over the UK including the prestigious Oxford Union. This man is well versed in all kinds of history, particularly the true, unspoken history of black people.
Visit to LSBU
Akala tells it like it is at London South Bank University. Students and staff had the pleasure of meeting Akala, as part of the Social Justice and Global responsibility speaker series. We walk through his new book, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, where he lays out his past and the history of black Britain.
Akala makes a point of explaining the difference between race and ethnicity, as these terms impacted many people post war. Ethnicities were racialised to fit certain groups all to benefit the government agenda at the time.
The next topic of discussion was class. Class status is less about wealth and more about relationships and who you know. He recalls his own experiences growing up and how this shaped his world view. Contemplating things from his younger years, him becoming a rapper, to becoming a house hold name. This had a huge impact on how he was and is now treated by police and the general public.
Growing up in London
Growing up Akala faced many difficulties, partly due to ignorant teachers and the preconceptions people make about black and mixed children. Luckily for Akala he attended a Pan African Saturday School which helped him stay in touch with his roots. It was this Saturday school that noticed a problem stemming from his regular school. A teacher placed him in a special needs group, even though he was an overachiever. Another teacher told him “the KKK stopped crime by killing black people”.
The headmaster did nothing about except hand him a Malcom X book and swept it under the rug. He knew from a young age that this country is not comfortable with the idea of young, intelligent black people – especially men. This gave him a clear image of how society saw him, and other black people based on ignorant ideas and beliefs. He also realised how often society will also dilute the problem.
Event Q&A
One very impactful question during the Q&A was “Does the media have an agenda to portray young black men in a negative way?” The answer was yes. The black race is over represented in the media and stories are told to sell a certain narrative. In the UK more men killed their wives than black teenagers killed each other, but we aren’t discussing that. There are 1.5 Million black people in London and in a bad year 50 may kill someone. There is too much focus on negatively portraying the youth, especially black youths in London. Why is this?
Akala is a humble, well-educated force to be reckoned with, he has so much to offer our generation on multiple levels. The work he is doing now in prisons, youth clubs, universities and other workshops is extremely commendable and everyone who knows him is patiently waiting, looking forward to future projects he has in the pipeline. Check out his project with the Hip-hop Shakespeare Company at akalamusic.com