Mnyamane

My name is Kholeka Shange and I was raised to believe that people that look like me are inferior. I know better now. 'Mnyamane' (blackie) has historically been used as a derogatory term to dehumanize people of a darker hue. This is my way of subverting its meaning and every assumption that comes with being this colour.

[mnyamane]

Mzulu ngenkani✊ 📷: Sipho Gongxeka. #siphogongxeka #blackmamasbelike #umblaselo

[mnyamane]

Remember Marikana. Ndiyabulela to sis' Sima for sharing👌 #remembermarikana

[mnyamane]

Illustration by Ngqiqo. Zwe✋ #izwelethu #iafrika

[mnyamane]

Never forget. Never forget. Never forget✊ #womandla #womansday #morepowerfulthantwocleopatras

[mnyamane]

Stop killing blacks. Stop killing us. Stop✋ Illustration by Kernyboy. #charleskinsey #blacklivesmatter #stopkillingus🙌👮🚔🚔🚨

[mnyamane]

A couple of days ago, a high school friend shared this poster with me and my mind couldn't quite comprehend it at the time. I've had a thorough look at it in relation to D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" which was released in 1915. Point blank, Griffith's version is a glorification of the Ku Klux Klan. What this film does is to normalise the idea that blacks should be violated, lynched, subjugated,... (insert whatever verb that is basically the equivalent of treating a people like shit). To say that I cannot wait to see Nate Parker's remake is an understatement. What I know for sure is that I will not watch this film alone. Trust that I will gather a whole army of brothas and sistas to share this moment nami. And because I have a projector, I will buy the film and have i-bioscope endlini. I am beyond moved by this poster. The English language is actually failing me lana. I cannot describe what this poster does to me. Basically, ngizizwa ngithintekile endaweni ejulile yilomfanekiso. That. Is. All. I honestly never thought someone would take up this daunting task in my lifetime. * I really gotta give props to the Wits School of Arts for incorporating Griffith's film into the curriculum. Back in my second year, our drama and film lecturer tore Griffith's depiction of blackness apart in front of us. That class was basically like learning kung fu to fight white supremacy. That is where I got my best moves from. That was back in 2007 ya'll. And of course, some white students didn't see value in being taught this part of film history. In actual fact, to them being taught this history was a racist act😏 There was a lot of "That was a long time ago. Black people are free now. We are all equals"😞 Siyabonga Nate Parker✊ #thebirthofanation #nateparker #reimaginingourselves #washa #everythingiseverything #dwgriffithsemoer #ibetgriffithdidntseethiscoming

[mnyamane]

Wawa umuthi omkhulu. Lala kahle Ndabezitha✊ #guguzulu #restinpower #amightytreehasfallen

[mnyamane]

Driving in the same car that they killed Pac in...hands up, we're just doing what the cops told us. Hands up, hands up, then the cops shot us- Kanye West😢 In 2014, I wrote a short opinion piece on hip hop and what it meant (and continues to mean) to me. I titled the piece "Hip-hop: It’s bigger than pimps, ‘hoes’ and 20-inch rims". Here I argued that hip hop is a movement. I still stand by this. For me, hip hop is a way of speaking b(l)ack to dominant powers that serve to silence and oppress. It is with this idea in mind that I chant "I am hip hop, spice and then some". It's sad that for many, hip hop is solely rap, which is a predominantly commercialised component of hip hop as a culture. Many people don't even know that one of the key elements of hip hop is the knowledge of self. That means that hip hop is life because the search for self is eternal. Have a young read lana http://women.mg.co.za/hip-hop-its-bigger-than-pimps-hoes-and-20-inch-rims/. #hiphop #wakeupmrwest #whereareyouyeezy #lifeofpablo #blacklivesmatter #biggerthanpimpsandhoes #itoodreamincolourandinrhyme #thisisfamilybusiness #thiscantbelife

[mnyamane]

Mood😄 Work by @brothas_n_sistas 💕 #beardganging #washa #brothasnsistas #incognito

[mnyamane]

Looking at blacks that laugh at other blacks for not speaking so called "proper English" like are you sure your khokho isn't an 1820's settler?😕 Hayi ngeke. Before we decolonise institutions, we need to decolonise ourselves kuqala. Buka esbukweni and chant "Black is magic. Black is beautiful". Do this until ulashwe😉

[mnyamane]

Because black lives matter. Work by Felix Caballero.

[mnyamane]

It's safe to say that this film has made it into my list of favourite films. The part where Malcolm (the guy in the middle) asks "So why do I want to go to Harvard? If I was white, would you even have to ask me that question?" moved me😢 Daai tyd he directly gazes at the camera and then walks away with his hoodie on✊ What a powerful moment yo🙏 I couldn't stop thinking of Trayvon. Also the entire film is an ode to hip hop. The sountrack is ludicrous💕 I need to spend time just listening to it. Aaaaand the sneaker game is out of this world. Did I mention that Pharrell Williams is the Executive Producer, Forest Whitaker is the Producer and Sean Combs is the Co-Executive Producer?😍 That time Zoë Kravitz and A$ap Rocky are featuring👌 Basically dope shit nje. #dope #itsbiggerthanhiphop #washa

[mnyamane]

It's been 62 years since Frida's passing. It's no secret that she inspires me eeeeerday😌 Who knew that this young girl would one day have a major impact emhlabeni? Point is, you just never know ukuthi uNkulu Nkulu ukudaleleni. Keep going. Uza kahle🙌 #frida #muse #mexicanpantsula

[mnyamane]

Ayashisa amateki😍 When I'm no longer a broke PhD student, I will rock air forces painted by umama u-Esther Mahlangu🙋 #lifeofaphdstudent #ayashisaamateki #esthermahlangu

[mnyamane]

Calm down, get back, ghetto people got this- Yasiin Bey🙌 Two words is one of my favourite tracks on Kanye's College Dropout. Yasiin always gets me with this line👌 #yasiinbey #mosdef #twowords #collegedropout #kanyewest #freeway

[mnyamane]

Rhini on my mind✌ Until we hlangana again ma-comrade✊ That anonymous genius brotha of mine created this work. #streetart #rhini #biko #sobukwe #izwe

[mnyamane]

Ngoba singamapantsula👌 #audrelorde #morepowerfulthantwocleopatras #fede #ekasilakhowomenbelike