Educating white folks has been a wonderful byproduct of the column, but it has not been my main focus

Racism is more than simple prejudice in thought and action – it occurs when that prejudice is accompanied by real and actual power, writes Sisonke Msimang

Focus on how different your orchestra might sound rather than look, writes Sisonke Msimang, so get out there and connect with musicians from multiple communities

Your nine-year-old has a right to be nurtured but her dreams are being stifled by a system that underestimates Indigenous people. It is deeply unfair

Having an own-race bias in perception is more about habituation than racism, but it can certainly have highly problematic effects

People have dealt with being differet in many ways, but the key is to remember your own humanity. You aren’t someone else’s idea of you – you are you

We all see colour, writes Sisonke Msimang. But instead of being seduced by the superficiality of exoticism, why not look for points of familiarity instead?

The sooner you start talking to children about history and race, the better, Sisonke Msimang writes

Your question sits at the heart of what it means to live with and against injustice, writes Sisonke Msimang. But you don’t have to bear the burden of history alone

Firstly, congratulations for raising a politically aware young person. You have been entrusted with a wonderful and frightening task

‘Allyship’ can often be used to hold us hostage, writes Sisonke Msimang, and ironically when real racism rears its head, it can be hard to find allies

You are in an excellent position to push back on stereotypes, says Sisonke Msimang. Racism isn’t just offensive to people of colour, it’s offensive period

Dismissing a whole group of people is unfair, says Sisonke Msimang, but people of colour aren’t that concerned about one person’s dating life

Your feelings are valid, says Sisonke Msimang, but the burden shouldn’t be on you to create a professional workplace

Just be cool, says Sisonke Msimang. Racism can take up far too much of our time and energy but it doesn’t define our every waking moment

Being liked is fine, but for Sisonke Msimang, being treated fairly and compensated appropriately is far more important

It sucks to be confronted with racism when taking care of a child, writes Sisonke Msimang. But it’s important to leave these situations with your self-respect intact