Coloured. How Classification Became Culture

Title: Coloured
Subtitle: How Classification Became Culture
Authors: Tessa Dooms; Lynsey Ebony Chutel
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Johannesburg, South Africa 2023
ISBN 9781776191499 / ISBN 978-1-77-619149-9
Softcover, 15 x 23 cm, 210 pages, several b/w images

About: Coloured. How Classification Became Culture

In Coloured - How Classification Became Culture, Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel challenge the notion that Coloured people do not have a distinct heritage or culture, that they are neither Black nor White enough, and present a different angle to that narrative. They delve into the history of Coloured people as descendants of indigenous Africans and as a people whose identity has been shaped by colonisation and slavery, and unpack the racial and political hierarchies these forces created. Although Coloured - How Classification Became Culture examines a difficult history, it is also about the culture that Coloured communities have created for themselves through food, music and shared lived experiences. This culture is an act of defiance and resilience. Coloured is a reflection on, and celebration of, Coloured identities as lived experiences. It is a call to Coloured communities to reclaim their identity - and an invitation to understand the history of Coloured people and their place in the making of South Africa's future.

Tessa Dooms is a sociologist, political analyst and development practitioner.
Lynsey Ebony Chutel is a multimedia journalist and a writer. They both grew up in Eldorado Park in Johannesburg.

Content: Coloured. How Classification Became Culture

Foreword
Introduction: #ColouredLivesMatter (Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
Social orphans: Not Black enough, not White enough (Tessa Dooms)
Lucky Coloureds and forgotten ancestors (Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
No, Trevor Noah isn't Coloured (Tessa Dooms)
Musical roots (Tessa Dooms)
Huiskos: Identity on a plate (Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
Awe! Ma se kind: Finding our mother tongues (Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
Kerksuster or straatmeit? (Tessa Dooms)
Of men, manne and 'moffies' (Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
On the margins: Coloured political identity in South Africa (Lynsey Ebony Chutel)
Reclaiming Krotoa (Tessa Dooms)
Reclaiming the past, reinventing the future (Tessa Dooms)
Notes
Acknowledgements
About the authors