Zambia likes to pride itself as being at the forefront of African nationalism and the fight against colonial rule, however several Zambians have told the BBC that racism remains a problem in the country more than 60 years after independence from the UK.
Although it is rarely overt, they say that subtle everyday discrimination can make it feel like they are second-class citizens in their own country.
They give accounts of black people being passed over for certain jobs, snubbed at restaurants and disregarded by landlords. But there was also an element of optimism, with some Zambians pleased that conversations about race were slowly becoming more common. Zambia's government denies that racism is a problem in the country.
Alexander Bwalya, a black Zambian who asked us not to use his real name, says he finds it very strange that people can live in an African country and be racist to black people.
He recounts visiting a wine bar with his friends in the capital, Lusaka, where they attempted to order relatively expensive bottles of wine. However, the waiters at the bar explained that they were out of stock, he recalls.
And then came a white family who they were being very friendly with. And then they kept on offering them [the bottles that were supposedly out of stock], Bwalya says.
When we complained to the manager, we were told: 'If you don't appreciate the service, you're more than welcome to leave.'
A heated argument ensued and during the altercation, the white manager allegedly directed a racial slur towards Bwalya's black friend.
This is six decades after Kenneth Kaunda - a central figure in the fight against colonialism in Africa - became the country's first president.
Prior to independence in 1964, black Zambians had to carry passes that restricted their movement, schools and hospitals were segregated and skilled, high-paid mining jobs in the copper-rich country were reserved for white workers.
As president, one of Kaunda's missions was to empower the black majority. He imposed a Zambianisation policy, which saw white executives in key industries replaced with black ones.
Kaunda's message was clear - black Africans must no longer be subjugated.
However, in 2019 a report from a UN human rights committee found that like other post-colonial societies, Zambia had struggled with how to prevent and eliminate the racial and class inequalities left by the colonialists.
At the height of colonisation, white people made up less than 2% of the population. Many left after independence and there are no specific figures for the numbers of white people in the country today but ethnic minorities, also including Indians, Chinese and Arabs, make up roughly 9% of the population.
There is no public official data on racial inequality in Zambia, but anecdotes and discussions on the topic abound on social media.
In January, a Zambia-based worker from employment firm Recruitment Matters posted an opening for a sales and marketing manager, writing in capital letters, THIS ROLE IS CURRENTLY NOT OPEN TO ZAMBIAN NATIONALS; WE ARE LOOKING FOR EXPATS OR FOREIGN RESIDENTS IN ZAMBIA.
The advert was widely shared on social media, angering many, who felt it was discriminatory.
Omar Chanshi, a 37-year-old who works in marketing, expressed that "there are contracts and systems and a lot of opportunities that we just don't have access to as locals."
The Recruitment Matters employee apologised following the backlash and deleted their post. The company later acknowledged the concern caused, stating, the wording did not meet our standards and did not reflect our approach to recruitment. Recruitment Matters operates a non-discriminatory, skills-based recruitment policy.
Victoria Phiri Chitungu, a historian, notes that Kaunda’s message may have only pushed racial issues underground. The acceptance of blatant racism was not welcome anymore, but it did not mean it had vanished altogether.
Historian Chanda Penda acknowledges that while Zambia has issues with racism, it is far from alone, seeing much worse discrimination in neighboring South Africa.
Malama Muleba, a Lusaka-based property manager, suggests that many landlords have biases when it comes to renting houses based on skin color. If a person's skin colour is white, people look at it, they see stability, he explains.
For numerous establishments, many Zambians note that service can be preferential towards non-black customers, as they often witness faster services being afforded to members of ethnic minorities.
However, some argue this isn't necessarily rooted in racism, attributing it instead to perceived affluence, as people feel wealthier individuals might expect better service.
Zambia's spokesperson vehemently denied claims of racism existing, urging citizens to challenge anyone who says otherwise: Everyone is living harmoniously.
Despite these persistent issues, Zambians like Bwalya view the evolving dialogue around race as a positive sign, emphasizing the need for honest conversations about these matters in order to pave the way for a reconciliatory approach towards their nation’s ideals.
