Natives cover art

Natives

Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire

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Natives

By: Akala
Narrated by: Akala
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About this listen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE | THE JHALAK PRIZE | THE BREAD AND ROSES AWARD & LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING

From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers - race and class have shaped Akala's life and outlook. In this unique book he takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical and political factors that have left us where we are today.

Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Nativesspeaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain's racialised empire.

Natives is the searing modern polemic and Sunday Times bestseller from the BAFTA and MOBO award-winning musician and political commentator, Akala.

©2018 Akala (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Europe Great Britain Political Science Politics & Government Racism & Discrimination Social Sciences Discrimination England Inspiring Social justice Thought-Provoking Africa

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Critic reviews

"My book of the year. It's personal, historical, political, and it speaks to where we are now. This is the book I've been waiting for - for years." (Benjamin Zephaniah)

"A history lesson of the kind you should get in school, but don't...This is a searing, thought-provoking book." (Stylist)

"A potent combination of autobiography and political history which holds up a mirror to contemporary Britain." (Independent)
All stars
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I simply cannot recommend this more highly. Being narrated by the author added to my enjoyment, but it is a superbly researched, considered articulate account of race and class - both its history and present situation. Perhaps the highest praise I can offer is that it has inspired me to learn more about aspects of history I was either unaware of or had simply accepted at face value. Having listened to this (and I will listen to it again and possibly also buy the book), I will be far more conscious not just of what I am reading, but who it is authored by and what their perspective and bias might be. Illuminating, accessible, fascinating. Simply the best book I have read/listened to in a long time.

Astonishing in every way

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outstanding - worth every minute. great insight and analysis. robust and concise. engaging and though provoking.

outstanding

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This is the kind of education that ought to be taught in schools. Akala is intellectual and authentic. An honest view of colonialism, classism and racism, from a perspective that matters.

Important work

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Good modern day history of Black Britain from a black British perspective. The intersection of race and class and novel and enlightened perspectives upon these from Akala makes this five stars.

Very good and informative

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This book told the story of the relationship between class and race excellently especially in the UK. Akala delves deep into the sections of both the overt & covert racism/classism within Britains history and present. A true eye opener

A Must Read

Brilliant book, very well executed & extremely insightful

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Eloquent and eye-opening on his own experiences, but unfortunately misinformed on some areas outside the UK

worth a read

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My goodness this is going to be long and probably unformulated properly. So reader of this review .. it probably won’t be helpful. Read a more succinct thought process. So , I love Akala. Let me declare - as I think is necessary . I am an older working class , white woman from a poor background. ( you know you are poor when you to school in the middle of council estate and get ripped for how poor you are). So my background with Akala , sadly , as I bet his music is great listening to his verbal abilities, is not through his music ( I am American hip hop , jungle , garage but never liked grime and have missed that whole movement of music - probably to my own musical loss to be fair ) ... but by a lecture he gave at OXford , then interviews he has given. As I went through my YouTube Akala journey I really “ heard” him on so many levels and I felt that he was nuanced , contextual and balanced in his discussions around race and the black experience of race in UK. ( just want to point out this was at least 2 years ago) I have to say though , I was wrong in some respects in that I didn’t get the understanding of the strength and breath of those sound bites which he is able to explore in this book in a foundational way. The layers of his thinking are interesting to me. Certainly if for nothing else than his brief entering into the propaganda and “ whitewashed” history. Loving history , loving books and learning as I do - a trait I admire and share with Akala ( certainly nowhere near as exceptionally clever , well read and travelled) , I have always known that history is subjective and I have always treated MSM , history and the propaganda surrounding that to need to be through a sceptical and critical lens. He has made me realise that scepticism and a divorce from MSM is lazy and not enough. There is so much I don’t know and I found more powerfully than at any of my many navel gazing analysis of my own being and within that the nature of world and the humans within it ... truly the power of socialisation. I really am going though a cognitive dissidence moment. I hear Coleman Huges ,McWorter , Trevor Phillips and other black voices who have objections to CRT - which Akala explores here , absolutely convincingly and in measured thudding of the nail of logic and facts which is persuasive and concludes as no other possibility. And yet those voices tell me it’s utterly patronising , that white people who use terms such as white privilege and whiteness , white supremacy etc are themselves racist. (Blogging heads is the place to visit for those conversations) so I find myself so grateful for Akala but yet left in my own place of round the mulberry bush in trying to listen to black people - of both American and British experience , talk through there polar opposite takes. Listen to this book if you want to hear a working class guy , with a london accent or a particular generation which people my age can absolutely relate to. Listen to this book if you want to hear the story of someone who explores , in an unflinching way , the dynamics of empire and colonialism and the still felt impact but whilst holding sympathy and understanding of poverty and wider sociology economic experiences of white and other racial groups. Listen to this book in the awareness that the deeply saddening conclusions that Akala has come to about the uniquely racist nature of the English as opposed to other UK countries is that England is perhaps the worst of the four. Listen to this book if you are at all interested in truth and being challenged , feeling desperately sad and hopeless for us all , for the pain , for the mess of our society and for the unresolved , unanswerable guilt , shame , powerlessness , despair etc etc you feel as white person , recognising the systems we have lived and continue to live within and feel utterly at a loss as to how we make genuine and authentic progress in any way that has healing. I share Akala’s concern that there will be pain in our future and that it will continue to be racially driven. Perhaps the enevitable reckoning has come as he heavily hints at. It’s not loss of power I fear , though of course , to anyone of colour reading this ( I doubt it ) that could be easily laughed off as utterly false and not in my own interest. It is that this revolution will be so painful and divisive. I would argue that it is not the perceived “ loss of whiteness” though he argues it very well but that the working classes do not recognise any power or influence either historically or future. They remain - as ever - entirely subject to powers outside of their control. The above paragraph seems to be that I care about ME and how this revolution will affect me. Yep I am ... we are all concerned about ourselves , let’s not lie. I am also , as I hope that lots of us are ... concerned about the future of the human family, the world our future generations will inherit. I wonder if the world can ever get to a place where people are not socialised and radicalised from birth and that we can ever truly be in place where unfairness and power imbalance is eradicated. Akala leaves a sad tone by the end of his book tempered with a hope and factual optimism at the continued progression and prosperity of black people around the world. I believe him and it’s an long overude and sadly necessary progress. His sadness speaks of grief of what has happened , what is and I feel what will be in terms of divides , conflict , hatred and resentment. I fear we will go back before we go forwards. In conclusion - thank you for this book Akala. Thank you for your voice and your sincerity , your honesty and your transparency. I hope the world is better Han we think and predict.

Cognitive dissidence

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This is such an important read and impeccably delivered. Akala is a G. Ill definitely read this again.

This is a must listen

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Truly well researched subject matter and opinions are easy to identify facts are clearly separated from the opinions. Really enjoyable to listen and incredibly informative.

Everyone should read/listen

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Extremely Proud of Kingsley aka Akala, from seeing his video to ' roll with us ' to seeing him debate.

Britains Tupac is what I call him.

A book as powerful as the series roots.

A messege as Powerful as the series ' Roots '

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