As I am thinking of these processes and issues we are encountering, I am very much concern about how to operationalize the thought of Decolonization. If I want to decolonize myself relative to my hair, how do I do that … I just wear my hair natural.
If I want to decolonize myself relative to language, how do I do that … I just speak my own language more.
If want to decolonize myself …
I am very concern about operationalizing, meaning making concrete in my day-to-day practices the things I talk about. Now, one aspect of operationalizing is the concern of economics. How is someone going to make sure they are economically viable, meaning able to put food on their table while also doing the things that we do. It is not always the conflict but some other times we have conflicts. But something you said earlier, you are an English Professor and because of that you don’t have to rely on how much you make on your kikuyu writing.
-Moni Tano
Of course, first of all, writing in general, writing whether in English, French, or Portuguese, is not necessary a viable, economically. They are very few writers, quite friendly, who live sole on their writings. Because, they are writing in English, French or Portuguese. So, for a writer they still must have another occupation that brings bread and butter. In my case, I am a graduate of English literature, I teach, and I am distinguished professor of English and comparative literature at university of California Irvine. And, I have been a professor all my life, and that’s where I earn my living.
But I could easily have been a businessperson, or say a farmer, or carpenter, that is my profession. But that still does not take away a challenge of my facing, my relationship to my African languages. Of course, if I write in English, I sell probably more books. But that’s because of conditioning. Ok, put it this way, if they are 10 million kikuyu language speakers, for instance. If I could sell just a million copies of my books to kikuyu speaking people that will be much more, I would be able to sell in English anywhere in the world in a year, or two years or five years.
- Ngugi wa Thin’go
