Plantation Memories – Episodes of Everyday Racism

How does discrimination profoundly affect a person? Grada Kilomba takes a psychoanalytical look at the question, the combination of the words ‘plantation’ and ‘memories’ describing racism not only as the restaging of a colonial past, but also as a traumatic reality. With two main characters, the Afro-German Alicia and the Afro-American Kathleen, she develops short stories dealing with racism, alienation, transformation and empowerment. This staged reading in English makes her erudite book accessible.

Originally published in issue #123, January 2014.