The Language of Freedom: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Legacy – Between Memory, Decolonisation and Radical Hope

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has shown us that language is far more than just a means of communicating with one another. It is the vessel for memories, identity, dignity and freedom. Through his books, he made it clear that people who rediscover their language and their stories can also reclaim their past, their strength and their future. Drawing on his work, this lecture invites us to reflect together on the significance of decolonisation. What does it mean to retell history? Which voices have long been ignored or rendered invisible? And how can we create spaces in which diverse experiences and perspectives are heard and taken seriously?

The lecture also interprets Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s legacy as one of radical hope. It reminds us that change is possible when people tell their stories. His life’s work continues to inspire discussions about the culture of remembrance, democracy and human rights to this day. The lecture pays tribute to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s extraordinary life and invites us to engage in a conversation about his ideas and their significance for our present and our shared future.

Dr Rahab Njeri studied at the University of Cologne and completed her PhD at the University of Trier. She is a historian whose research interests include postcolonial history, migration history, North American and British history (19th/20th centuries), Africana, gender and diaspora studies. Njeri is also a coach specialising in diversity and intersectionality, anti-discrimination, critical whiteness, decolonisation and gender.

The series is part of the project “„Stories that Take Root“”, in which trees in the garden of the Fritz Bauer Forum are dedicated to people who have championed human rights and democracy and from whom we can learn, particularly in light of the challenges of the present day. At the event, we will dedicate a tree in the Garden of Diversity to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.

The event is supported by ‘Demokratie leben!’

An event organised by the Fritz Bauer Forum