United Kingdom
A Family’s African Secret
I was caught off guard when a relative asked me if I knew that my grandfather was a hero during the Mau Mau uprising, infiltrating enemy gangs, sometimes in blackface. Investigating further was a source of shame, but felt like an opportunity to draw a line between us.
Batman vs. the British Empire
From Batman’s reliance on his English butler Alfred to Gotham City’s origin in a legend from medieval Nottinghamshire, the Batman mythos offers a window into the bloody, gothic substrate of the Anglo-American relationship and the American appetite for British advice and encouragement.
Indians Celebrate UK’s First PM of Indian Origin
Indians the world over have been celebrating the first person of color and British Indian to take office as the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Rishi Sunak is also the first Hindu to hold the top job. Many have highlighted how he has raised the bar of achievement in the Indian diaspora.
Britain Risks Danger in Flirting With Putin’s Friends
The 2018 attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal represented a grievous assault on Britain’s sovereignty, but if you were to look at the position of Putin’s cronies in Britain today, you might think the Skripal incident had never occurred. Russia’s influence complicates Britain’s preparation of sanctions over Putin’s threatened invasion of Ukraine.
Governments Try to Fight Crime via Google Ads
Pervasive use of strategic communications in preventing radicalization has been adopted wholesale by other areas of law enforcement, despite a lack of evidence or understanding of potential harm.
The Untold Life of Royal England’s Margaret Beaufort
Despite having founded the Tudor dynasty, amassed a fortune, and successfully navigated the shark-infested waters of 15th century English royal politics, Margaret Beaufort remains unknown for the same reason she accomplished so much: women were undervalued and thus seemingly inconsequential.
The Invisible Lines that Break Our Hearts
Five years, three countries, and a pile of immigration paperwork later, I can honestly say that borders have shaped, challenged, and strengthened our love for one another. Still, I know that borders could have just as easily broken us.