If I were to change the person I am for society, I’d be far from being free.
Why change who you are and everything that makes one unique to fit the criteria of the very same people who ridicule our customs and traditions?
We developed a bad habit of ridiculing those of us who aren’t fluent in English this then resulted in a bogus belief planted in our heads by the very same oppressors so that we do this to our ourselves lessening their job for them- the idea of English being the key determining factor of your level of intelligence and one who speaks it fluently is automatically favored by the society. Instead of encouraging more people to read so we get to communicate and understand each other better perfection is what they seek, in all honesty this is rather pathetic. Why force people to adopt a language that won’t allow them the chance to even make a mistake without the fear of being ridiculed and criticized by the society?
English and being fluent in English also doesn’t necessarily guarantee you the golden ticket to the soft life.
An idea shoved down our throats which opened the doors of bullying leaving people completely damaged/bruised and without a community that appreciated them because of the gap they allowed to form between themselves and the community in the name of fitting in or ticking the boxes of a criteria designed for them to lose themselves and kill what was left of Ubuntu.
“You have to start ahead of the pack to make the climb”
My question is then this, what happens when one makes it without involving the use of English? Do such people have space in the society? What does the media have to say about it?
Classism was something that was planted it has gradually matured over the years, what is likeable about this is the fact that sons and daughters of the soil are starting to wake up – the veil that blinded them is weakening and the myth being that ‘fluent English means you’re intelligent’ has been proven to be nothing but a myth an ugly one at that, flourish in your mother tongue you are allowed to!
-La Nkosi
La Nkosi Writes 