Zambian-Malawian theater artist Mbene Mwambene has spent his career travelling and performing internationally. His piece “The Whispers” charts the impact of colonialism on his family history. Here, he talks to scholar and dramaturg Michel Büch about their collaboration on the piece, the concept of “white promise,” and awkward audience discussions.

White public apologies for racist words or deeds are often moralizing gestures that tend to aggravate the very wrongs they are meant to recognize.