For those who may be unfamiliar with the name, Akala, real name Kingslee James McLean Daley, has been a very vocal public speaker and fierce intellectual for many years. He has been discussing such issues as class, racism, the Wests foreign policy and the legacy of empire through his music. So far so obvious for rap and poetry, but what has made Akala stand out as a voice for this generation has been the statistically watertight, factually driven discussions which have made people stop and think about what is often stated as fact in the media and public domain as a whole. Most recently, his appearances on Question Time and ‘Good Morning Britain’, where he disarmed and impressed the normally bullish Piers Morgan, garnered him much respect and praise. And so the release of his book, ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’, has been hotly anticipated. So, how does it fare? Does it live up to expectations and raise the debate about empire, racism and its legacy?

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire

The book has an interesting structure in that it is part autobiographical with personal events placed in context of key historical facts and data to provide contexts interspersed with polemic, a call to arms to get knowledgeable about key issues and facts. His message is similar to Russell Brand but where Brand often strays into florid flights of fancy with truthiness (things that sound true but without factual basis), Akala is laser focused in breaking down the issues of racism and legacy of Empire with precision facts and documentation to back him up.

Akala speaks about his early life and we learn about the overt racism he experienced at school and at the hands of the police with their racist profiling of stop and search. He breaks down the straw man arguments often used against people who try to discuss race in Britain and I identified many of them from personal experience:

If we don't talk about it (racism) it will go away.
Stop playing the race card.
Why can't you get over it? It's all in the past.
You have a chip on your shoulder.
Why don't you just go back to where you came from?
Well, why don't you go back to Africa then? (even if you are from the Caribbean)
You should be grateful that you have free speech.
You just hate Britain, you are anti-British.
But what about (insert any injustice here)
You're obsessed with identity politics.
You are trying to blame me for what my ancestors did.
Stop making excuses.
You just blame the West for all of the world's problems.
I don't see colour.
It's not about race.

He talks about his 'rise' through the socio-economic classes and how he has still been stopped and searched twice in the last 5 years, because the police don't believe he could drive such an expensive car or live in the 'posh' area that he does now.

In the chapter Linford’s lunchbox, he writes a powerful critique of the British narrative around black sporting achievement. Instead of focusing on Linford Christie's gold medal win at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 the conversation was turned to his impressive package and eugenics. Much was made about how most 100 metre runners who had won were black and there was even a eugenics based video shown before the finals apparently. What does this say about the portrayal of people of colour in British media? The fact that Raheem Sterling is calling out the racist media shows that this is still going on and has never really gone away.

He shows how in our apparently post-colonial society there is a struggle for people to identify what being English or British means. There is historical amnesia in Britain, which is perpetuated by the powers that be and the education system, that the British empire was benevolent and did much good for the world. The fact that it participated and perpetuated the slave trade and theft of people and goods on an industrial scale is ignored to push the idea that it brought democracy and administration across the world and ended slavery through the man of destiny, William Wilberforce.

Akala also confronts the arguments 'for' slavery, the oft stated 'fact' that Africans were selling their “own people” seems to provide a justification for some. He gets particularly pointed with historians like Niall Ferguson, who say that Britain should feel good about its empire and the fact that its historical conduct was better than that of the Belgians or the Nazis. Akala tears this down by arguing, “It’s true, but it’s a shit boast.'' Godwin's Law asserts that if you mention the Nazis in a conversation to make a point then you lose the argument... He's not wrong is he? To say '' Atleast we weren't as bad as the Nazi's'' should not be a badge of honour or a statement of merit.

The fact that over the past few decades the British government have systematically destroyed records, files and any accounts of its atrocities and crimes committed during its empire show that Operation Legacy has tried to purposely keep private the evil things done in the name of empire. They say history is written by the victors and this is certainly the case here; it was written, rewritten and edited by the British government, which is why there is seemingly a historic amnesia about Britain's empire and what it contributed, especially during World War II.

Akala investigates the British foreign policy and discusses how many wars are still being fought by Britain, and this is being supported by propaganda from the British media. In our apparently post-colonial Britain, our foreign policy is sold as us being the policeman of the world alongside the USA and advocates for democracy, yet we have invaded many countries for 'humanitarian' reasons, for citations see Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and much much more.
Akala argues that Britain still feels like it should rule the world, abetted by the USA. The Anglo-American foreign policy is a danger to the world and the constant attacks against China, Russia and India are a reflection on the waning of power in the West.

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire is an eloquent and articulate read, it places in context much of the what has occurred in the past but also its profound impact in the current world. Akala wants people to get armed with facts and move forward but with Brexit and the current wave of populism he isn't too optimistic. The book is an essential read and will impact the way many will see current race relations and foreign policy. It is a high recommend.