black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Many people do not know that Jesus did not speak Latin or English or Hebrew; he spoke Aramaic. But nobody knows that language.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Those who strive to build a protective wall around it, and those who wish to pull it down; those who seek to mould it and those committed to breaking it up; those who aim to open our eyes, to make us see the light and look to tomorrow […] and those who wish to lull us into closing our eyes
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Breaking Committee Down Eye Light Mould Open Protective Pull Seek Strive Tomorrow Up Wish
How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go?
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Birder Continent Country Hand Need Outside Outstretched Over Size Time Wealth
They want to be the ones telling people: “This is what we have done in history” but when people begin to say, “No this is what we have done in history” it’s a different thing.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Begin Different Done History One People Say Tell Thing
The same questions are there in Native American languages, they’re there in native Canadian languages, they’re there is some marginalized European languages, like say, Irish.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Language Phenomenon Power Problem Relationship
How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa?
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Arrive Away Best Broken Future Known Leader Price
We can appreciate each other’s languages. And the question of being uncomfortable about our languages would go away.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Appreciate Being Language Other Question Uncomfortable Way
The Pan-Africanism that envisaged the ideal of wholeness was gradually cut down to the size of a continent, then a nation, a region, an ethnos, a clan, and even a village in some instances But Pan-Africanism has not outlived its mission.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Continent Country Down Envisaged Gradually Ideal Nation Pan Problem Region Similar Size Wholeness
If poverty was to be sold three cents today, i can’t buy it.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Buy Cent Poverty Sold Three Today
I’m writing for those people in Kenya, but in Irvine and in New York.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Irvine People People Person Write
The Bible in translation is being read to thousands and thousands in Africa. It is an integral part of their functioning and the way they look at the world.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Being Bible Ciuntrym Integral Function Look Read Thousand Translation Way World
So what I thought was just an African problem or issue is actually a global phenomenon about relationships of power between languages and cultures.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Global Language Power Problem
What’s good about writing is that when you write novels or fiction, people can see that the problems in one region are similar to problems in another region.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Another Fiction Good Novel People Problem Problem Region Similar Writing
Of course it’s very, very important for me to feel Kenya, to feel, every day, this is where images come from. So to be taken away from that by political pressure or other means – one is taken away from the area, which is the basis of inspiration – is difficult.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Come Country Course Feel From Image Important
Why did Africa let Europe cart away millions of Africa’s souls from the continent to the four corners of the wind?
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Away Continent Corner Country Million Soul Wind
There is no way we can survive as a nation in the world without finding unity.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Find Nation Nom Way Survive Unity World
For me, being in prison writing in an African language was a way of saying: “Even if you put me in prison, I will keep on writing in the language which made you put me in prison.”
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Being Country Even Keep Language Prison Put Say Write

Many people do not know that Jesus did not speak Latin or English or Hebrew; he spoke Aramaic. But nobody knows that language.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Many people do not know that Jesus did not speak Latin or English or Hebrew; he spoke Aramaic. But nobody knows that language.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Ngugi wa Thiong'o Quotes