Divide and conquer isn't just history — it's muscle memory. But dialogue disrupts it, and love reimagines it.
Being grilled about my relationship by airport passport control wasn’t exactly how I imagined starting my Kampala adventure. But as I stood there at Entebbe airport, faced with the blunt question, “Wamusanga wa Omuyindi?”—“Where’d you meet the Indian?”—I realized this moment wasn’t just about me. It was about a history pressing its weight into the present, demanding reckoning.
1972 didn’t just exile 80,000 South Asians from Uganda; it fractured communities and left silences that still linger. Those silences show up everywhere—in the whispers at wedding tables, the hesitation in business deals, and sometimes, in the wary glances exchanged in markets and streets. These fractures didn’t happen in isolation; they’re the remnants of colonization’s divide-and-conquer playbook.
Yet fractures aren’t static. Through the BlindianProject, we’re stitching them into something new: bridges of dialogue, spaces of resistance, and moments of healing that redefine Black x Brown connections. What was once divided by history can be reimagined through love and collaboration.
Friends in Kenya tell me plainly, “Talking Black x Brown relationships openly like in the West? Not here. The risks are real.” Fear often locks the room, leaving honest conversations behind closed doors.
In Kampala, I felt that weight too. While the smiles and curiosity were familiar, the history was palpable. While shopping, a Ugandan storekeeper looked at my family and paused, saying, “I’ve never seen a Ugandan-Indian family before,” referencing our two mixed-race children. It wasn’t judgment; it was a quiet mirror held up to history—a reminder that the past doesn’t just vanish. It lingers, shaping what we consider exceptional.
But history isn’t all we inherit. Beneath those scars, something stronger emerges: curiosity. It begins with the bold stare or the offhand comment and unfurls into a quiet shift. These micro-moments may not rewrite the past, but they do unravel silence, creating new spaces for dialogue and imagination.
In East Africa, these rhythms are knotted and complex, but within those knots, there’s beauty and connection. This trip reminded me why sharing these stories matters. Black x Brown relationships aren’t just about connection; they’re about rewriting what was fractured into something extraordinary, one step at a time.
Voices Shaping Black x Brown Stories in East Africa
These themes aren’t just found in personal stories—they’re brought to life through art by visionaries across East Africa.
The creators of Pani Puri, a daring musical set at an Indian wedding in Mombasa, boldly tackle issues of racism and classism within the Indian-Kenyan community. Aleya Kassam, Eric Wainaina, Rushab Nandha, and Karishma Bhagani,blend Asian-Kenyan and African-Kenyan sounds to create something transcendent—a dialogue that resonates far beyond Kenya.
Amil Shivji of Kijiweni Productions, the director of Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War), offers a cinematic masterpiece set in 1950s Zanzibar. The film intertwines love and liberation during the independence movement, following Denge, a Soviet-trained freedom fighter, and Yasmin, a runaway bride from a privileged Indian-Zanzibari family. Together, their connection challenges societal divides, creating a powerful metaphor for resistance.
These creators are carving paths that resist, redefine, and reclaim. Their work celebrates East Africa’s layered, interconnected stories while inviting us to listen more deeply and think more broadly.
An Invitation to Build Bridges
These stories remind us of the importance of dialogue and collaboration in healing the fractures of the past. These stories aren’t just about us—they’re about all of us. Through dialogue, love, and courage, we can rebuild what was broken. Let’s start by listening, sharing, and breaking the silences together. Join us at the BlindianProject to help rewrite these histories into a future we create, hand in hand.
So here’s the challenge: How can we amplify these voices? How can we weave curiosity into collective action and bridge the gaps history left behind?
Let’s start by sharing, listening, and breaking silences together. Because rewriting these histories isn’t just about understanding the past—it’s about shaping a future where love and solidarity have the loudest voice.
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