In South Africa it has a very different meaning – and, by claiming her Coloured identity, Tyla has become an inspiration for many Coloured people who have long felt underrepresented in public life.

Moon-sighting ceremonies, street iftars and extravagant horseback parades are ways to mark the fasting month in Africa.

One of the nuances many Americans do not understand is that black and “coloured” people are often at odds, even among Christians, as a sad history shows. Early in 1994, as South Africa was ...