Why do we still hold onto romanticized myths of colonial history?

History · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Historian Farish Ahmad-Noor explores why the prejudices and narratives of colonial regimes persist today, examining how these internalized mythologies continue to impact the present.

Colonialism acts as an inescapable blight on the present, surviving through toxic, internalized mythologies and stereotypes that outlive the actual regimes. This malignant nostalgia can perpetuate past oppressions if not actively rejected.

By using a multidisciplinary approach, we can examine why these narratives thrive and work to dismantle the cultural obsessions that romanticize historical periods of oppression.

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