Why Did the Irish Forget Their History of Race? | Emma Dabiri

How did Ireland's understanding of race change over time? We sit down with Emma Dabiri to uncover the forgotten Irish history and how language and race theory have shaped our modern world. Dive into the complex cultural narratives of Ireland, African studies, and more in this deep-dive conversation. 00:00 🗣️ Emma Dabiri discusses her severe ADHD diagnosis, noting that the diagnostician was surprised she had achieved so much without it being identified earlier. 00:53 📚 Emma Dabiri's background is introduced, highlighting her experience growing up in Dublin in the 80s as a child of Irish and Nigerian descent, and her debut book "Don't Touch My Hair" which explored 6,000 years of African history. 01:39 🖼️ Emma shares a personal story about finding an old family photograph of her Irish grandparents and their friends on a beach in Tobago in the early 1950s, revealing a complex family history involving colonialism and her grandfather's racism. 05:26 🌍 Emma recounts her childhood, moving from Dublin to Atlanta, Georgia, and then back to Ireland, where she faced hostility despite her mother teaching her traditional Irish songs and anti-imperialist poems, leading to a complicated relationship with her Irish identity. 12:25 🧠 Emma explains her difficult relationship with school, attending seven different schools and hating the rigid, fact-based learning environment, which she contrasts with her love for reading and scholarly pursuits. 15:36 🎓 Emma describes how university, particularly studying African studies, was a transformative experience for her, as the free-form nature of learning and supportive teachers allowed her to thrive in a way that school never did. 23:03 ✍️ Emma discusses her book "Don't Touch My Hair," explaining that it uses hair as a populist subject to "smuggle in" philosophical ideas from African traditions, challenging Cartesian binaries and Western concepts of time. 28:09 ⏳ Emma elaborates on a chapter from her book, "Ain't Got the Time," which challenges the notion that natural black hair is "too time-consuming" by exploring pre-colonial African concepts of time, which are not dictated by capitalism but by natural rhythms and community. 33:16 🤝 Emma explains that her work draws strength from both African and Irish traditions, noting parallels between the Irish language and worldview and non-Western philosophies, and expresses her desire to learn more Irish to deepen this exploration. 41:30 📖 Emma introduces her upcoming fourth book, "Born to Be Blue," which explores an Irish language concept where people racialized as black were called "blue dineurum" (blue people) and white people were called "bright," linking these terms to celestial bodies and proposing a planetary consciousness to overcome racial binaries. Exploring how a severe ADHD diagnosis shifts perspectives on societal identity and the concept of planetary consciousness. In this conversation, we examine the intersection of neurodivergence and our broader understanding of self. By looking at the framing of racial identity through a wider lens, we can challenge established norms. This analysis is designed for viewers interested in psychology, sociology, and the ways cognitive differences impact how we perceive our place in the world. We specifically look at historical Irish terms used to describe people racialized as black and white, using these examples to critique modern categorization. You will gain a new framework for considering how a severe ADHD diagnosis influences one's relationship with societal identity and the potential for a planetary consciousness that transcends traditional labels. Subscribe for weekly psychology and identity breakdowns, and comment below if you have ever felt your own neurodivergence changed your view on social constructs. About StoryCo StoryCo is a podcast about the business of story and storytelling, hosted by James Kirkham. New episodes every week from TellTale Industries.About the Guest Listen and Subscribe APPLE : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY : https://open.spotify.com/show/5RiTIoX... LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/storycopodCredits StoryCo is a TellTale Industries production. Host: James Kirkham. Guest: Emma Dabiri. Producer: Jago Lee. Assistant Producer: Nelly Batt. Editor: Nelly Batt. Recorded at TYX Studios, King's Cross. Theme: Doubt Point. #EmmaDabiri, #irish #irishness #history #storytelling #podcast, #africanhistory #storyco #storyco #studies, #race #theory #racetheory #culture, #identity, #documentary, #analysis