In this episode of Yurt Jurt, Aidai Aidarova speaks with Terrell J. Starr, journalist, podcaster, and political commentator. Aidai and Terrell discuss how conversations about colonialism and decolonization often remain trapped within African or Western frameworks, overlooking former Soviet and Central Asian experiences. Together, they explore how these global narratives are shifting and what it means to live, write, and think decolonially beyond borders and geography.
Terrell shares how living in Ukraine reshaped his understanding of race, identity, and decoloniality. He reflects on his realization that in the U.S., “Caucasian” is synonymous with “white,” while in reality, the peoples of the Caucasus are the true Caucasians – a revelation that challenged his perception of race and belonging.
More content from this blog
- For Those Who Meet the Conditions, by Eli Friedman – 2 June 2026
- Incapable of Sustaining Weeds, by Tom Stevenson – 25 January 2024
- The Red-Brown “Zombie Plague”: How Fascist Ideas Are Becoming Popular on the Left – Part 1, by Daphne Lawless – May 2018
- Birth Control, Bathrooms & Biblical Patriarchy. Interview with Sarah Jones – 5 March 2026
- Mussolini in Beijing, by Ho-fung Hung – 15 February 2023