Sisonke Msimang
The Guardian
Edmonds, WA, United States
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Past articles by Sisonke:
My white friends trivialise racism by labelling everything racist. How do I tell them to stop?
‘Allyship’ can often be used to hold us hostage, writes Sisonke Msimang, and ironically when real racism rears its head, it can be hard to find allies → Read More
My wife is Thai and I’m white. How can I stop people from making racist assumptions about our relationship?
You are in an excellent position to push back on stereotypes, says Sisonke Msimang. Racism isn’t just offensive to people of colour, it’s offensive period → Read More
How can I help my white friend understand his dating preferences are racist?
Dismissing a whole group of people is unfair, says Sisonke Msimang, but people of colour aren’t that concerned about one person’s dating life → Read More
My white colleagues keep asking to touch my braided hair. How do I tell them it’s not OK?
Your feelings are valid, says Sisonke Msimang, but the burden shouldn’t be on you to create a professional workplace → Read More
I’m a white man who wants to signal allyship with people of colour. What should I do?
Just be cool, says Sisonke Msimang. Racism can take up far too much of our time and energy but it doesn’t define our every waking moment → Read More
There are lessons in South Africa’s historic referendum. We have the power to change Australia
The outcomes of the referendum to move away from apartheid were undeniably positive – voting Yes to the voice will reaffirm this spirit → Read More
I think my boss is racist. What should I do?
Being liked is fine, but for Sisonke Msimang, being treated fairly and compensated appropriately is far more important → Read More
Some temporary distance brought me and my daughter closer – and taught me that love is quietly joyful
I was too bound up in the administrative duties of motherhood to appreciate our shared time. It took distance to close the gap → Read More
Rising costs, insecure work and the stage-three tax cuts make Australia’s class system even starker
The sorts of long-term jobs we used to take for granted are now only available to a diminishing pool of established elites → Read More
My latest worry as a parent is headphones: they’ve become a tool in the generation wars in my house
I grew up listening to my parent’s music and learning the lessons that came with it. These days kids can tune out for hours on end and never run out of content → Read More
Do not pretend celebrity princess Meghan Markle can meaningfully advance the cause of racial justice
It’s difficult to criticise the politics of someone who has been on receiving end of so much racist vitriol, but there isn’t much substance to the Duchess → Read More
Australia needs mask mandates again – they’re based on science, not populism
We were told distancing, vaccines and masks would see us through the worst of the pandemic. That was true – and still is → Read More
We must not teach our children a ‘thanks for the land’ version of Australian history
Addressing racism begins with facts, not fables that make non-Indigenous people feel good → Read More
The Rebel Wilson uproar shows that gossip columns belong in a bygone era
Times have changed, and in a reversal of roles, the rich and famous are often seen as more relatable than the media writing about them → Read More
Will the hateful army who bullied Yassmin Abdel-Magied come after Australia’s diverse new parliamentarians?
Anyone unlucky enough to have the combination of confidence and ‘difference’ will be in for a rough ride → Read More
I’m excited by the teal independents – but where’s the racial and ethnic diversity?
No one can seriously think the only people who care about climate change are white → Read More
Australia, we need to talk about politics: history beckons at this election, and keeping your head down just won’t do
At this pivotal moment, Australia must learn something from my home country of South Africa: there are times you dare not be silent → Read More
Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins are supremely admirable, and the acceptable white faces of Australian feminism
Anger expressed by black women activists is seen as toxic, divisive and polarising → Read More
How Apartheid Endures
South Africa’s multiracial, left-wing government has failed to transform the apartheid economy. → Read More
Grief Is Another Word For Love – Guernica
Ultimately, we do not want to love only the dead. → Read More