Pasadena City College Decolonization of The Mind Discussion
Questions:
For this discussion, I’d like you to really focus on Ngugi’s central claim, as interpreted by me. Here it is in italics below
Ngugi asserts that African authors—to craft “authentically” African literature—must write in an African language.
To answer the following discussion questions, it may be useful to refer back to your E+I log from earlier.
- Today, we discussed colonization in general and the specific history of Kenya’s colonization at some length; however, Ngugi’s treatment of colonization is merely a means to a greater end—the decolonization of the mind. What does it mean to decolonize a mind?
- Making connections: Yosso claims schools are political places and teaching is a political act. How does Ngugi’s concept of the colonized mind help to extend or clarify Yosso’s claim. How would you describe a colonized (figuratively, not literally) classroom? A decolonized classroom?
- How would you classify literature written by an African author—who cannot speak or write in an African language—in a non-African language?
