"I Was a Walking Illegal Human" | Growing Up Between Botswana & South Africa

"Who gets to decide who you are? And why do systems still shape who you are in the present?"In the first episode of our new Living the Archive series, we are revisiting one of the most significant and debated conversations from Rigour & Flow’s first year: "Are Mixed Race People Properly Black?"A year ago, this topic sparked a viral "storm." Our trailer reached hundreds of thousands, generating intense debate across social media and prompting hundreds of messages from listeners sharing their own experiences of identity, belonging and race across our social channels.But archives shouldn’t gather dust. As we enter Year 2, we are looking back to ask: What has changed, and what do these discussions mean now?Ahead of Nelson Mandela Day, Tamanda reflects on a recent return to South Africa for her postdoctoral research. An unexpected encounter with apartheid-era racial categories on university diversity monitoring forms reopened questions that have followed her since childhood.🎙️In this episode:The Living Archive: Why we’re revisiting our most controversial conversationsCrossing Borders: Growing up mixed race between Botswana, apartheid South Africa, and the UKApartheid’s Legacy: Why institutional systems still use apartheid era categories and racial scripts in 2026The Politics of Belonging: Deconstructing colourism, the "best of both worlds" myth, and competing ideas of Black identityThe Intimacy of Violence: The hidden impact of racism within families and intimate relationshipsWhether you're discovering this conversation for the first time or returning to it with us, this episode is an invitation to think differently about race; not as a fixed category but as an evolving story.🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wMHY_t9Z8e0🔁 Share with someone thinking about systems, power and change ☕ Want to support the show? Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/rigourandflow    👓 Subscribe for more critical deep-dives into history, storytelling and public scholarshipPlease rate, review and subscribe for weekly episodes.Connect with us on:TikTokInstagramLinkedInAiAi StudiosRoots & RigourThis is an AiAi Studios Production©AiAi Studios 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.