Female Speaker: From the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
[ Silence ]
Mary Jane Deeb: Well, good evening and thank you all for coming
to what promises to be a most exciting program to honor
and celebrate the 78th birthday of Chinua Achebe --
[ applause ]
-- and the 50th anniversary of his great novel, Things Fall Apart.
[ applause ]
I'm Mary Jane Deeb, the chief of the African and Middle-Eastern Division,
here at the Library of Congress,
and this division is co-sponsoring this historical evening
with Chinua Achebe with the Center for the Book, here at the Library
of Congress, and with TransAfrica Forum.
So this evening's program is co-sponsored
by the three organizations --
of course many of you were at the symposium this morning,
and we had absolutely full house and I want to thank our sponsors:
Howard University, the Ralph J. Bunche Center
for International Affairs, and the African Studies Program as well
as the National Summit for Africa,
and they supported that program then.
Now, this evening we also have Red Calabash Catering Services,
which has prepared a very special meal at a reception of Nigerian
and Igbo delicacies in the Mumford room, in which you're all invited.
And we also have a very special program, we have Joseph Ngwa
of Rhaa PaaWaa Drums of Maat, who has volunteered to perform
on the drums in honor of Chinua Achebe.
And I would like to thank you all, all the contributors
for having contributed your time and supported this program.
And I want to especially thank John Cole and Bonnie,
who have done such a wonderful job
in putting this evening program together, and helping us,
and of course Weeza, where are you?   [ Laughs ]
Who has been just fabulous in helping us out.
[ applause ]
Also I would like to recognize my own colleagues
in the African section of the Africa and Middle East Division:
Eve Ferguson, who's our youngest member and the new kid on the block
in the African section, whose drive and initiative brought Mr. Achebe
to the Library today; Angel Batiste,
who has organize the very successful symposium this morning;
Laverne Page, who has designed your souvenir program,
something we'll all treasure for this historical evening;
and Marieta Harper, who brought the young generation high school
students from the Washington area to be part of our program this morning.
So thank you all.   [ applause ]
And I want to take this opportunity to announce something
that we had been planning, we, in the Library of Congress, we,
in the African and Middle East Division,
e have been planning for years.
And we are launching, tonight, for the first time ever,
the African Section Friends Society, and you are all invited to join.
In a few days, on the Library's Web page,
you'll find a site called The African Section Friends Society,
which will have all the information you need on how
to join this friends society.
The purpose of this society is to support and to promote the programs
and activities of the African Section, assist in the developing,
preserving, and enhancing the unique African collections
through donations, gifts, bequests,
but also by letting people know what are --
the wonderful things that we hold and coming to this --
to our division to come and look at some of the materials that we hold.
So, we hope that tonight will hook you and will get you interested
in the work that this wonderful library is doing
and especially the work that it's doing here tonight on Africa.
We hope this morning's symposium and tonight's program will interest you
and will show you what the library does, what it provides in terms
of cultural and scholarly experience on Africa.
And now I want to move on, it is my pleasure to introduce
to you Imani Countess, Senior Public Affairs Office
of TransAfrican Forum, our partner in tonight's program.
John Cole will be introducing our guest of honor, of course.
So Imani, that's right.   [ applause ]
[ pause ]
Imani Countess: Good evening Professor Achebe,
distinguished guests, members of the African Diplomatic Core,
Ms. Deep, Mr. Cole, and Friends.
On behalf of TransAfrica Forum's board of directors,
our Chairmen Danny Glover, and our Executive Director, Nicole Lee,
who could not attend this event tonight due
to circumstances beyond her control,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you
for celebrating with us the 50th anniversary
of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
We were delighted when the Library of Congress's African
and Middle Eastern Division and the Library of Congress Center
for the book approached us to collaborate with them
on this very important event, and we hope that this is the beginning
of future collaborations of our institutions.
As you know, TransAfrica Forum is a social justice organization
dedicated to justice for the African world.
Tonight's important event is part of our mission
through our Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. foreign policy library
of educating U.S. citizens on issues related to Africa, the Caribbean
and Latin America with programs
such as our African World Visions film series,
our Viewpoint lecture series,
Readers' Corner, and Writers' Corner.
There are several members of our staff, including the ever popular
and incredible Lezum Tali   [ spelled phonetically ]
, and they would be delighted to talk with you further about the work
that we do, and of course you can visit our Web
site www.transafricaforum.org.
Things Fall Apart exposes the destruction of African culture,
agency, and governance, in this case the Igbo culture
of Nigeria during the colonial rule.
More than just a study of colonial exploitation,
the novel reveals the authentic voice
of a Nigerian retelling the beauty and trials of colonial period
from the perspective of the colonized.
The characters are alive with the nuances
and the pain of colonization.
The story is African, but also universal,
evidenced by its worldwide appeal for the past fifty years,
becoming the most widely read novel in African Literature.
When released in 1958, it emerged as an important cultural voice
of Africa's independence movement.
Indeed this voice impacted the African Diasporas for freedom
against the vestiges of colonialism.
Things Fall Apart continues to influence today's emerging writers
of the African world and beyond.
Thank you, Chinua Achebe, for this universal African story
and happy birthday.   [ applause ]
[ pause ]   John Cole: And I'm John Cole.
I'm the director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress,
which is the reading promotion arm.
The center was created in 1977 by Daniel Boorstin
when he was the Librarian of Congress, and he wanted the Library
of Congress to do more in our broader culture to promote books
and reading, and that's what we do.
We do it primarily in the states through a network
of affiliated state centers.
Each state has created a center to work with us to promote books
and reading in their states while we do it on the National level.
But we're very proud that in the last fifteen years,
we have an international component,
we have actually stimulated the creation of centers
for the book in several countries.   The two countries I'm going
to mention tonight briefly, one is Russia.
There are over thirty five libraries throughout Russia
that have created centers to help promote book and reading culture
in Russia, and to strengthen the democratic connection
between libraries and reading in Russia.
But one that started even earlier,
a decade earlier was the South African Center for the book,
it's a partnership with the National Library of South Africa,
and it's based in the Cape Town Campus,
and it's especially interesting because rather
than doing the reading promotion in the way
that we have done it traditionally, they've taken a look
at the new democratic South Africa and connected some
of the vernacular languages that have no real written culture,
looked at the need for families and family literacy
and started publishing books for young readers in some
of the vernacular languages --
formally vernacular languages in South Africa.
So the new books are a family reading experience
for younger readers and older readers, and it's turned
out to be a success project supported
by publishers throughout South Africa.
We are so happy to have you here tonight; this is a wonderful,
special kind of reading promotion activity.
We have had so much help, part of our help comes from you,
the audience, being here and being so enthusiastic, not only tonight
but also during today when there was a wonderful symposium
and as Mary Jane had said, a wonderful way for the Library
of Congress to demonstrate that it is truly a world
and an international library.
I, too, would like to thank our co-sponsors.
They have helped make this possible,
and wait until you taste the wonderful treats for you
in the reception for you tonight.
But I am especially glad, of course, and thankful for the achievements
and presence of our special guest, honoree, and our birthday boy --
[ laughter ]
-- the distinguished novelist, poet, and critic, Chinua Achebe.
[ applause ]
Born in 1930, Mr. Achebe was raised by Christian parents in the Ebuke
[ spelled phonetically ]
village of Ogidi, in Southeastern Nigeria.
He excelled in school and won a scholarship
for his undergraduate studies.
He became fascinated with world religions
and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories
when he was a university student.
After graduation and work as a teacher,
he joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Service,
and it was during this period he wrote his first and, of course,
his most famous novel, Things Fall Apart.
It was one of the first African novels written in English
to achieve national acclaim.
Set in the early days of colonization,
Things Fall Apart tells the tragic story of a warrior, Okonkwo,
who rigidly identifies with the values of traditional Igbo culture.
For this reason, he lacks the flexibility of mind and heart
to adapt to the changing conditions
under imminent European colonization.
One of the first works of fiction to present African village life
from an African perspective, Things Fall Apart was published in 1958,
just two years before the end of the Century of British rule in Nigeria.
And of course we are celebrating it as has been mentioned, tonight,
the 50th anniversary of its publication this year.
Written primarily for an African audience,
Mr. Achebe's novels have gained,
as already has been mentioned, universal appeal.
Things Fall Apart is the most widely read African novel
and has become one of the most important books
in African literature.
It has been translated into 50 languages
and has sold well more than 10 million copies.
Through subsequent novels, short stories, poetry, critical essays,
and political commentary, Mr. Achebe has consistently argued
for the right of Africans to tell their own stories in their own ways.
Currently the Charles P. Stevenson Professor of Languages
and Literature at Bard College in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York,
he made a special trip to Washington to be with us tonight.
May I present Mr. Chinua Achebe.   [ applause ]
[ pause ]   Chinua Achebe: Thank you very much.
I appreciate the kindness very much.
When the invitation came to me, it sounded as if the Library
of Congress was going to celebrate my birthday.
[ laughter ]
And I said that was -- "Do they do not that normally?"
[ laughter ]
So, anyway, it seems they do and I've seen a large number
of organizations that have co-sponsored my visit
and I really -- I deeply appreciate this.
All I've been asked to do in return is to read to you.
[ laughter ]
And I hope, you know, it's simply a token --
the reading is simply a token of my appreciation.
It doesn't pay for it.   And what's this?
It's Things Fall Apart we are celebrating, talking about.
Let me read you a short piece from that book.
But I should tell you that I have written other books, as well.
[ laughter ]
Though, we may not be talking about them tonight.
Now, this passage, I would say it's one
of my favorite passages in the book.
Now and again, you know, when you pick up a book you've had
for years -- I don't know whether this happens
to other people but it happens to me.
Sometimes you find something you've not seen before.
And the case of a book that has been knocking around for 50 years,
that is really a surprise.
And it's one of the mysteries, I think,
of literature, of art in general.
I am -- this is one such passage, which I found, no,
I won't tell you what it is because it's difficult to tell other people,
but I suddenly realized that this passage has a meaning
which I had not thought about.
Now I must also, by the way, before I begin I must thank many
of my colleagues who've come from different parts of the United States
and maybe even beyond to attend this event.
Real stars in the literary and the scholarly profession
who have honor, who honored me.
The great thing in my view for when people might call me up --
peers, instead of being jealous of you, or being unhappy about you,
when your peers suddenly show great affection by saying thank you
to you, it's an amazing blessing and so I say thank you very much.
Now, I hope you have read Things Fall Apart but if you haven't --
[ laughter ]
-- if you haven't, there's still time --
[ laughter ]
-- before -- because this is not at the very beginning,
it's towards about the middle.   Yes. Yeah.
Okay. Now the story of Things Fall Apart is a story of a strong man,
that's how one of the publishers described it
when it came out in 1958.
This -- some people have called him a hero.
There is still a lot of discussion about him.
He suddenly was a hero in my view, a hero of these people
for defending the rights of his people, he fought.
He was not a prophet; no hero seems to be perfect.
It seems the heroes have a problem quite often.
We create an interesting situation for the writer,
because here's a man who's honored by his community and yet,
there is this flaw that he doesn't seem to be able to get beyond,
and it's the flaw of single-mindedness.
And so you deal with it as a writer.   It's a very fascinating process.
This human being, and it has to be -- he has to be human.
There's no point writing about a hero who is an angel.
That's not of any value to us because we're not angels,
but we can recognize a hero who has a flaw,
unless we are very, very stupid.   We know we have flaws.
So that's one reason why it's attractive to artists,
Now, I won't say too much more, except that at this point
in the story, Okonkwo has committed what is considered a very big
offense in his community.
He has killed a member of the clan, by accident.
And because it's by accident his punishment is reduced
to exile for seven years.
If it weren't, it would have been for life.
Now Okonkwo is a very ambitious man, and he's very much disturbed
by this turn in his life,
and he goes into exile to his mother's clan.
And he's living there, now.
He's so depressed that his uncle, his mother's younger brother,
who's now Okonkwo's host, looks at his nephew and he's disturbed.
He's troubled because he sees depression and perhaps worse,
and so he decides to do something about it, to do something
to get Okonkwo out of his state of mind.
And that's the piece I'm going to read now.
Okonkwo and his family -- I'm sorry I'll begin again.
Okonkwo and his family worked very hard to plant a new farm.
But it was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm
of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age.
Work no longer had for him the pleasure it used to have,
and when there was no work to do he sat in a silent half-sleep.
His life had been ruled by a great passion:
to become one of the lords of the clan.
That had been his life-spring.   And he had all but achieved it.
Then everything had been broken.
He had been cast out of his clan like a fish
onto a dry, sandy beach, panting.
Clearly his personal god or chi was not made for great things.
A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi.
The saying of the elders was not true,
that if a man said yea his chi also affirmed.
Here was a man whose chi had said no despite his own affirmation.
The old man, Uchendu, saw clearly that Okonkwo had yielded to despair
and was greatly troubled.
He would speak to him after the isa-ifi ceremony.
On the second day Uchendu called together his sons
and daughters and his nephew, Okonkwo.
The men brought their goatskin mats, with which they sat on the floor,
and the women sat on a sisal mat spread on a raised bank of earth.
Uchendu pulled gently at his gray beard and gnashed his teeth.
Then he began to speak, quietly and deliberately, picking his words
with great care: "It is Okonkwo
that I primarily wish to speak to," he began.
"But I want all of you to note what I am going to say.
I am an old man and you are all children.
I know more about the world than any of you.
If there is any one among you
who thinks he knows more let him speak up."
He paused, but no one spoke.   "Why is Okonkwo with us today?
This is not his clan.   We are only his mother's kinsmen.
He does not belong here.
He is an exile, condemned for seven years to live in a strange land.
And so he is bowed with grief.
But there is one question I would like to ask him.
Can you tell me, Okonkwo, why it is that one
of the commonest names we give our children is Nneka,
We all know that a man is the head of the family
and his wives do his bidding.
A child belongs to its father and his family,
not to its mother and her family.
A man belongs to his fatherland, not his motherland.
And yet we say Nneka-'Mother is Supreme.'
Why is that?"   There was silence.
"I want Okonkwo to answer me," said Uchendu.
"I do not know the answer," Okonkwo replied.
"You do not know the answer?   So you see you are a child.
You have many wives and many children, more children than I have.
You are a great man in your clan.
But you are still a child, my child.   Listen to me and I shall tell you.
But first there is one more question I shall ask you.
Why is it that when a woman dies she's taken home
to be buried with her own kinsmen?
She is not buried with her husband's kinsmen.
Why is that?
Your mother was brought home to me, here, and buried with my people.
Why was that?"   Okonkwo shook his head.
"He does not know that either," said Uchendu, "and yet he is full
of sorrow because he has come to live
in his motherland for a few years."
He laughed a mirthless laughter, and turned to his sons and daughters.
"What about you?   Can anyone answer the question?"
They all shook their heads.
"Then listen to me," he said and cleared his throat.
"It's true that a child belongs to its father.
But when a father beats his child,
it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut.
A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet.
But when there is sorrow
and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland.
Your mother is there to protect you.   She is buried there.
And that is why we say that mother is supreme.
Is it right that you, Okonkwo,
should bring to your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted?
Be careful or you may displease the dead.
Your duty is to comfort your wives and children and take them back
to your fatherland after seven years.
But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you,
"These are now your kinsmen."   He waved at his sons and daughters.
"You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world?
Do you know that men are sometimes banished for life?
Do you know that men sometimes lose all their yams
and even their children?   I had six wives once.
I have none now except that young girl
who doesn't know her right from her left.
Do you know how many children I have buried, children I begot
in my youth and strength?   Twenty-two.
I did not hang myself, and I am still alive.
If you think you are the greatest sufferer
in the world ask my daughter, Akueni,
how many twins she has borne and thrown away.
Have you not heard the song they sing when a woman dies?"
'For whom is it well, for whom is it well?
There is no one for whom it is well.'
[ Igbo ]   "I have no more to say to you."
[ applause ]
Obviously I'm going to read one piece more.
Can you take one more?   [ cheers and applause ]
Yeah. The language you use is very crucial.
And so what I thought I should add to the prose, which just had --
is a poem in which I wrote in Igbo, and then ask one of my friends
And so I will read the translation first, the translation done
by my friend, and then I will read the original Igbo version.
If anybody asks you who was the translator, it's Professor Mangate
[ spelled phonetically ]   , he's a poet himself.
And this is a wake, I wrote this for a very close friend of mine,
a very fine poet, some people would say the finest of our poets:
Christopher Okigbo, who was killed fighting in the Biafran War.
And I've sort of based this poem on the form
of a dirge in Igbo tradition.
The Igbo people have the custom, especially among the young people,
that when a member of an age grade dies, the other members will go
down to town, looking for him or her.
They pretend that -- not he or she, I'm sorry -- what gender does.
[ laughter ]
They sing until their age-mate returns.
This is the idea, of chanting, looking for the person.
But it's hide-and-seek.
And "Nzomalizo" is the refrain you will hear frequently,
And they do this until daybreak, and then they go home and accept
that the rumor is in fact true.
Okay, "A Wake For Okigbo"* For whom are we searching?
For whom are we searching?   For Okigbo we are searching.
Nzomalizo Has he gone for firewood?   Let him return.
Has he gone to fetch water?   Let him return.
Has he gone to the marketplace?   Let him return.
For Okigbo we are searching.   Nzomalizo For whom are we searching?
For whom are we searching?   For Okigbo we are searching.
Nzomalizo Has he gone for firewood?   May Ugboko not take him.
Has he gone to the stream?   May Iyi not swallow him.
Has he gone to the market, then keep
from him you Tumult of the marketplace.
Has he gone to battle, please Ogbonuke step aside for him.
For Okigbo we are searching.
Nzomalizo They bring home a dance, who is to dance it for us?
They bring home a war, who will fight it for us?
The one we call repeatedly, there is something he alone can do.
It is Okigbo we are calling Nzomalizo Witness the dance how
it arrives!   And the war how it has broken out!
But the caller of the dance is nowhere to be found The brave one
in battle is nowhere in sight!
Do you not see now that who we call again and again,
there is something he alone can do.
It is Okigbo we are calling Nzomalizo The dance ends abruptly!
The spirit dancers fold their dance and depart in mid-day;
Rain soaks the stalwart, soaks the two-sided drum The flute is broken
that elevates the spirit The music pot shattered
that accompanies the leg in its measure Brave one of my blood!
Brave one of Igboland!
Brave one in the middle of so much blood!
Owner of riches in the dwelling place of spirit!
Okigbo is the one for whom I'm searching.
[ applause ]   The Igbo version seems shorter.
"Uno Onwu Okigbo"*   [ spelled phonetically ]
Obu onye k'ayi nacho?   Obu onye k'ayi nacho?
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Ojelu nku, nya nata!
Ochuli'iyi, nya nata!   Ojel'afia, nya nata!
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Obu onye k'ayi nacho?
Obu onye k'ayi nacho?
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Ojebe nku, Ogboko elinia!
Ochube mmili, Iyi elinia!   Ojebe afia, uzu-afia soolia!
Ojebe agha, Ogbonuke biko chaalia!
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Ezite egwu, onye gagbalayi?
Eseta ogu, onye gagbalayi?   Onye anakpo nwel'ife oneme!
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Ngwa, nee egwu k'onabia!
Ifugo na agha awa?   Ogu egweu choo!
Dike n'ogu chaa!
Ifurozi na onye anakpo nwel' ife oneme!
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Egwu'e bena be' lade Mo'moai elu' buache
naa Midia madica' mau conga Onye naja nema p'arro Unu 'ne dubua wa
're Okoolen 'em, o'kolin bwo Okoolen b' ya no bom'e Ogo iyi na'beno
Okigbo k'ayi nacho Nzomalizo Thank you.
[ applause ]   [ pause ]
John Cole: For the next -- really phase of our program we're going
to have a brief question and answer session,
and our host is going to be Mr. Moali Linos
[ spelled phonetically ]   , sir?
[ pause ]   Moali Linos: Good evening.
Audience: Good evening.   Moali Linos: We don't have much time
so I've been given some questions here,
that I will pose to Professor Achebe.
But I'll take the liberty to ask one that I always wanted to ask.
[ laughter ]
The question is: When you started writing this novel,
Things Fall Apart, I believe you were in your fifties at that time.
Female Speaker: Twenties.   Moali Linos: Twenties.
Chinua Achebe I was 28.
Moali Linos: Did you share with your friends, or with your teachers,
the fifth drafts that you made of that work?
And, secondly, did you have any inclination
after you had submitted the work to the publishers
that this would become a classic book.
[ laughter ]
Chinua Achebe: No, I didn't share the drafts with anybody.
There was nobody to share drafts with.
[ laughter ]
My teachers didn't believe that there was any chance for Africans,
African children, African young men to aspire to be writers.
I say that because when the book was published,
the publisher did this news to some of my teachers
and the university college: Mostly lecturers
from British universities of course.
And they just laughed at the whole idea: Achebe write a novel?
That kind of thing.   [ laughter ]
So this was told by my publisher, but I already knew because I had --
we had an event which the department of English,
the University College Ibadan, they asked us students to compete
if we wanted to, to write a short story and I wrote one, and sent in.
The result, when it came out, was not good.
[ laughter ]
But there was a saving grace, it didn't totally say
that there was no effort that was good enough
to win a prize, didn't only say that.
It had a short note that said that made a comment about my own effort.
It said something like, "it wasn't bad, it wasn't too bad."
[ laughter ]
That kind of thing, and -- so it lacked form, by the way.
The reason is it lacked form.
So I was delighted that I was mentioned these dispatches.
[ laughter ]   But form? What was this form thing?
What was it?   So I said, I know, ask her.
So I stopped her one day and I said, "But this form thing,
can you tell me how -- what I need to do to get form into --
" And she was going to play tennis that day
so she said, "Oh yeah, we'll meet."   You know, "I'll let you know."
So I asked her several times over the -- I think the whole term.
And she always found some reason not to have the meeting.
And then suddenly, one day after months, she stopped me and said,
"you know, I look at that -- at your story again,
So, you know, what that said to me was, there's no point.
Nobody here is going to tell you how you will write your story.
It was made very clear to me I was young, but it was very clear
that you better look for something else to do.
And so that's what I did.
So I wasn't expecting that there was anybody I could show a draft,
in any case I don't work that way.   I keep my work secret.
[ laughter ]   You know, 'till the very end.
[ applause ]
I am -- you become quite authoritarian when you take
on something like writing, you know?   I knew that I was my own judge.
I had to be the judge for what would leave my house.
And onto this day that's the way I work.
Moali Linos: Okay, I have another question, here.
Unfortunately, people who have posed the questions have not written
down their names, so I will just ask the questions.
Okay, this question is, "What is the most profound effect
that writing Things Fall Apart has had on your life?"
Chinua Achebe: Wow.
[ laughter ]   Well, that's a very good question.
Did it change my life?   Yes. In the process -- the process
of writing Things Fall Apart actually changed my life
because I had to invent the language of that story.
It was not something that anybody was teaching anywhere,
the conversation between Igbo and the English.
That had not -- and so I had to make it up as I went along.
And so that meant that when I came to write the second one,
I already had the style, this form of writing, which was created
by the novel itself because the novel was able to say
to me, "No no no, not that.   That's not it."
And so I imagined this conversation
between two equally powerful languages.
Not one language and some pigeon thing.
Which is possible, you could use that.
What I decided this has got to be two languages in their full right.
Talking or attempting to talk to each other,
and that is what I wanted to do.
So there was no point going anywhere for --
so that was a great change
in my whole career, I think, that decision.
Moali Linos: Okay, here's another one:
"Are things really falling apart,
or have they started coming back together in Africa?"
[ laughter ]
Chinua Achebe: Well, actually it's always happened in both of them.
Depends on where you look.
And so in some ways things are coming together,
in some ways they are always falling apart.
Moali Linos: Another question: "Do you think the power of the--
" sorry, "do you think that the power of the tribe can integrate
or reconcile with what is called democracy?"
Chinua Achebe: I don't like the use of the word "tribe."
[ cheers and applause ]
Some people don't know this -- if you take up --
if you check your dictionary,
I don't know which one you use, whichever.
If it's like the one I use you will find, inevitably,
that "tribe" carries a certain   [ unintelligible ]
with it. It's defined always in terms of the primitive.
Yeah. So I wasn't interested in writing about the primitive.
And so that's the first thing, I don't like
[ inaudible ]
, and it's very important if you're going to talk in terms
of two languages in conversation, you mustn't think of one
as primitive and the other as something else,
whatever your ideology may be.
If you want a conversation, not, you know, a governor of -- what is --
somewhere in central Africa was talking about
the horse -- something about the native is like the horse,
or something, and it needs firm handling, kind of language.
And I commented somewhere that if that's how you're going to think
of the Africans and the Europeans in this place in terms
of the Africans being the horses and the Europeans the rider,
you won't get very, very far, because -- you know, anyway.
Let's leave that.
Yeah, it's the -- convey to you, and this is difficult.
My rather strict position on the matter of dialogue between equals,
which is what is useful in the end.
The sense that I'm talking to somebody like me,
no you may even be someone better than me, but not so much better
that you can afford to have something less
than the perfect language for your discourse.
Okay.   [ applause ]
Moali Linos: We would love to continue asking more questions,
but we are running out of time
because we have something else to do here.
So that's all folks.   [ cheers and applause ]
John Cole: We'll have a chance for more questions
at the reception following, which is going to be in the Mumford Room.
In the meantime we have a -- for the next phase of our program,
you've heard us talk about somebody being a birthday boy.
I think over here on my right comes a special treat.
Let's all sing "Happy Birthday."   Happy birthday to you Happy birthday
to you Happy birthday dear Chinua Achebe Happy birthday to you
[ cheers and applause ]   This is Eve.
[ cheers and applause ]
That was Eve Ferguson and Mary Jane who did the honors.
And on behalf of the Library
of Congress we have a small birthday gift, which is a brand new book
about the inscriptions and quotations in the Library
of Congress, all color photographs.
They are very inspiring but not quite
as inspiring sometimes as tonight's speaker.
So thank you so much.   [ applause ]
And Eve is going to take us to the next phase of our program.
Eve Ferguson: And now we have a special performance by Joseph Ngwa
of Rhaa PaaWaa Maat Drummers, and Anna, a little dance.
[ music and chants ]   [ laughter and applause ]
[ music and chants ]   [ applause ]
[ music ]
Female Speaker: They say that I come from the Dark Continent: Africa.
They say that I come from the Dark Continent: Africa.
The last time I checked the word "dark"
in the dictionary it meant evil or wickedness without knowledge
or enlightenment, a state of ignorance,
difficult to understand them, the absence of light.
But I still believe in Africa and proud to be an African
because even though my continent has been marred by civil wars,
ethnic wars, tribal wars, and HIV and AIDS is killing my people in
[ unintelligible ]   shores with no remorse.
Please do not let them eat your food because to them, you
[ unintelligible ]   only when it bleeds
[ unintelligible ]
But at one point you will find my people and I am not going
to disown my ancestors no matter what they say.
I am not going to deny my race.
I have chosen to stand up for Africa.
I have chosen to defend my history from
[ unintelligible ]
and wickedness and declare peace in the name of justice.
Let us not forget that Africa is the richest continent
in natural resources: From gold to diamond, rubber to copper,
timber to oil, Africa is widely known for its tourism industry.
Africa exports tea, coffee, just to name a few.
Africa is beautifully endowed with the grassroots
[ unintelligible ]
. The oceans, the seas and even its people.
[ applause ]
Eighty percent of the world's supply of coltan, a mineral that is used
to manufacture cell phones and computers
in the whole world is found in Africa.
Tell me, what darkness comes from the all of this light?
Yet some of my people want to turn off lessons to
[ unintelligible ]
control their spirits making our brother kill his own brother,
kill his own father, rape his own mother and his own sister
in the name of money, power, riches, and fame.
Why are we failing to see the big picture, that if we stand
up together, we, ourselves will   [ unintelligible ]
the leaders, we can attain riches beyond our imaginations,
for we are already rich.
And if we have to trade, let us not exchange our minerals
for cheap change while the western world reaps all the benefits.
Let us not exchange our minerals for arms to kill our own people.
Who then will stand for us?
If we cannot stand together for ourselves.
Minerals exchanged   [ unintelligible ]
and technology so that we can become self-sufficient and instead
of depending on the worst, we can all work together
for if we left our self-interest controllers,
someone will lead us putting our lives on the line just
to quench their big, fat, bellies, and
[ unintelligible ]
we did not land from colonization and slavery, maybe to be sad to say
that history repeats itself.
Why are we helping to fuel other nations
and continents while we let Africa crumble and fall?
I am   [ unintelligible ]
and I am sent to perform   [ unintelligible ]
I am looking for peaceful neighbors.
And until the world says that there shall be no more blood,
no more rape, no more poverty on my diamonds.
No more blood, no more rape, no more poverty on my diamonds.
No more blood, no more rape, no more poverty on my diamonds.
And no more blood, no more rape, no more poverty on my oil.
We as a people need to stand up together and defend what is ours.
Fight for what is ours.
All of it is ours in peace and not in war,
so just imagine you were King, Jr. I have a dream.
I, too, have a dream:
I have a dream that one day, Africa shall
[ unintelligible ]   and give aid to the world.
Oh yes.
And I have a dream that one day we shall find the cure to HIV and AIDS
and rid our continent of this dreaded disease.
And I have a dream that one day our children shall teach the western
children our culture, instead of   [ unintelligible ]
.
And I have a dream that one day all the African
[ unintelligible ]
will come together, speak in one voice and together form
and create one country, one continent:
The United States of Africa   [ applause ]
[ music ]   [ applause ]
[ unintelligable ]
Male Speaker: Let me say that this is not a happenstance.
I read his book in 1968 in high school.
[ laughter ]
And I'm still citing verses from it today.
And it's an honor, as your African ancestors, that
[ unintelligible ]   how I got here I don't know.
[ cheers and applause ]   Yes. So I said African,
[ unintelligible ]
You have done a lot for Mother Africa.
And the result: We're going to have the seed
of Africa that is going to be the   [ unintelligible ]
I say so.   [ cheers and applause ]
[ unintelligable ]   [ music ]
[ cheers and applause ]   Eve Ferguson: Thank you.
That was Joseph Ngwa and Anna Mulago.
[ spelled phonetically ]
Thank you very much for that special performance.
[ cheers and applause ]   Now you have a choice.
Only a few of you got a book.
If you want to try to get the book signed, we can ask Dr. Achebe
if he would be kind enough to sign a few books,
otherwise we have our reception in the Mumford Room,
in which case you have to leave, so you make the choice now,
and tomorrow make your choice.
Female Speaker: This has been a presentation
of the Library of Congress.
Visit us at loc.gov.   [ end of transcript ]