Unveiling the Colonial Paradox

16min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

This chapter explores the paradox of studying English literature as a means of liberation while being born in a colonial village, reflecting on the historical imposition of Englishness as a symbol of civilization in the colonized world. It delves into the interconnectedness of European culture's rise to dominance with the dehumanization of African peoples through slavery and colonization. The narrative emphasizes the importance of challenging colonial ways of thinking and recognizing hidden references to colonization in literary works.

Colonization in Africa was much more than a land grab. It was a project to replace — and even erase — local cultures. To label them inferior. Music, arts, literature and of course language. In other words, it permeated everything. So how do you undo that? How do you unlearn what you’ve been forced to learn?

In this hour, produced in partnership with the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI) and Africa is a Country — we learn what it means to decolonize the mind.

Original Air Date: March 20, 2021

Interviews In This Hour:

Reckon with the Past To Decolonize the Future — Reclaiming the Hidden History of Blackness — Never Write In The Language of the Colonizer

Guests:

Adom Getachew, Simon Gikandi, Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast.

Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.