Being and becoming African in a nimble-footed world

Abstract This article explores African identity through the lens of incompleteness and motion. By challenging the traditional nation state-centric view of belonging, it offers a nuanced framework for analysing diasporic cultural production. This framework acknowledges the complex realities of individuals with multilayered identities shaped by interconnected geographies and hierarchies at both local and global levels. The discussion expands the concept of diaspora beyond the confines of nation states, recognizing the multiplicity of ‘homes’ and ‘dislocations’ in the contemporary world. It highlights how ongoing conflicts and liberation struggles blur the lines between home and diaspora, demonstrating the fluidity of belonging in an ever shifting global landscape. Ultimately, it encourages a critical reassessment of diasporic experiences and emphasizes the interconnectedness of ‘frontier homes’ and ‘frontier diasporas’ within and beyond the nation state.