Poetry, Pan Africanism, and the Black Imagination with Nick Makoha

Nick Makoha joins The Teacher’s Forum for a powerful conversation on poetry, exile, identity, and the transformative power of language. Born in Uganda and later settling in London, Makoha reflects on how displacement, memory, and the Black diasporic experience shaped both his life and his art.

Nick discusses why poetry remains one of the most vital forms of human expression and protest, particularly within Black communities around the world. He explores the spiritual nature of writing, the pressures many young people face to pursue conventional success over artistic passion, and the moment he chose authenticity over a corporate career he found unfulfilling.

David and Nick also discuss Makoha’s acclaimed collection The New Carthaginians, examining how mythology, history, and figures like Jean-Michel Basquiat can reimagine the Black experience beyond narratives of suffering alone. Together they explore Pan Africanism, the global Black diaspora, the “white gaze” in literature, and the role teachers play in helping students think critically and see language as a bridge toward deeper understanding.

This is a rich and thought provoking conversation about storytelling, liberation, education, and what it means to create art that speaks honestly to both pain and possibility.

Join the Conversation:

• david@theteachersforum.org
• @theteachersforum.bsky.social
• X (formerly Twitter) @theforum1993

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