The two instruments of power that allow peoples to commit unspeakable crimes are weapons on the one hand and narratives on the other. The technology to eradicate entire civilisations, and the self-glorifying, other-demonising stories that morally convince the perpetrators that their crimes are in fact great deeds of humanity. What we are seeing in Gaza, sadly, is only the latest genocidal incarnation of Euro-American crimes against humanity that they have been accustomed to implementing around the globe for the past half of a millennium. What is new though is that the crime is not only out in the open for the entire world to see, but that a majority of the people are not buying into the ludicrous justification of the colonial genocider anymore. The Collective West is finally losing narrative control on the outside and—slowly—on the inside, too.
Today I’m talking to an expert on the creation and perpetuation of narratives, the literary-studies scholar Dr. Aghogho Akpome from the University of Zululand, South Africa. Hailing originally from Nigeria, Dr. Akpome obtained his PhD in English literary studies from the University of Johannesburg. He closely studies the nexus between narratives, colonialism, and identity, so today we want to talk a bit about Africa and the global struggle over narratives.
Watch: Here