Wole Soyinka on Race (II)

The interview with Wole Soyinka was conducted by MO* journalist Stefaan Anrys as part of the BOZAR 'Meet The Writer' series.
BOZAR, Wednesday 21 September 2016
www.mo.be
Photos © Brecht Goris

[@taz-on-the-looseyusef5526]

wole Soyinka's and Chinua Achebe's books were the best loved Prescribed Literature books for all secondary schools in Botswana, for many years, that's why I am proud of these men they belong to all of us real africans

[@WorldIn360channel]

Kenya as well

[@african-history-fountain]

Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, and Arrow of God among other great novels. Soyinka wrote Ake - The Years of Childhood, The Man Died, The Interpreters, and a host of plays including The Lion and the Jewel, The Trials of Brother Jero, and A Dance of the Forests.

[@joyjoy5689]

We ought to bring back our heritage

[@sweetflower570]

Ghana as well

[@damilolaowolabi6716]

Wow he sounds just like Morgan Freeman. But I love Wole Soyinka. He's a true legend.

[@hermantsoenyane1969]

He kind of looks like him as well.

[@olajong2315]

Hell naw y'all ass tripping like a mofo lol Morgan Freeman is American and sounds American WS sounds like an African Brit They both have a low voice so i'm guessing thats what you heard

[@Elizabethomo]

They look alike too, sound alike as well

[@ayinstrumentals7731]

He sounds more like Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) to me.

[@ralphrichardralphrichard4235]

A very wise and intelligent man and i like his response to all questions.

[@messiahameh3790]

This is Legendary... I love the way he said "...the British stank".

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

Some not all of them really smells....

[@gloriannamani1123]

They certainly did..those public baths monthly 😁

[@gloriannamani1123]

ovie onojeghuo most of them both women and men

[@henryjoelmakaveli]

Our Kings are walking on the face of the earth again.

[@tosinrichtea5501]

I love integrity, self esteem and nationality upliftment.

[@ainaademola1013]

Great African, he never forgets his heritage

[@johntogo8608]

A brilliant man .

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

Am Proud Of You Prof, Proudly Nigerian....

[@mzwamadodasamuelmondi255]

One of many African giants!!

[@richman9116]

Pros Wole Soyinka is a man of integrity and principles , he has refused to join the Criminals Cabal in Nigeria, and he really hates injustice around the globe, long life Daddy ,

[@mosesm6040]

He said the British stank but not stink! This was something in the past. Before the war practically no British homes had running hot water (taps)! After the war in the late 1940's to early 1950's half of London households had no hot water taps! Almost everybody was living on edge due to extreme poverty caused by the wars. Bathing was optional. Bathing even once a week was a luxury some people couldn't afford! Europeans didn't take to slavery and colonisation because they were evil but only because of necessity and easy means to survival. Living in a hostile environment where one has to pay for ever changing environmental conditions with hard labour has always been a challenge. Europeans had to accumulate enough food and coal( no gas at the time) in order to survive the yearly unbearable winter! Those people in the warm climate never experienced such environmental hostility! I wonder how often the colonials would have bathed if it was the other way around with similar economic strains! Environment shapes human behaviour! I don't condone to what Europeans did back then but I understand. What pisses me off is racism and hostility of this present Western generation living in luxury refusing to accept that we in the West have to stand on the shoulders of others to become what we are today!

[@EmdeeTiamiyu]

What a brilliant response. Well done.

[@osariemenefosa4569]

British imperialism and white supremacy has finished Nigeria. Wole soyinka 💪.

[@atamadi8551]

Incisive, brilliant and hilarious

[@julianavonblittersdorff961]

I'm proud to be African and we are all one and that is all what he is saying if we stop pointing fingers on ourselves we are love.

[@daphnesmith1686]

AWESOMENESS! Great DELIGHT.

[@mjelombilinijames89]

I like that sentiment about, Jamaica being the most resistant of them all, yes I agree, africa should take leaf from Jamaica since they champion identity heritage and uphold african roots.

[@Ni9atron300]

Tribe of Ben the youngest

[@thestream1]

Nigeria & South Africa should work together. We both can make Africa way better than it is.

[@randybridgeman5050]

You would have to root out corruption at all levels of both societies before this can happen.

[@farhatfatma12]

Nigeria and south Africa make Africa better?! You not serious.

[@freddymello3227]

News Update A whole Africa should unite

[@lordsway7190]

Of course Jamaicans won't take crap from anyone till this day

[@tristabenton9266]

Really.

[@bonecrusherhenriques7260]

No we don't !!

[@randybridgeman5050]

Chinese jukkin out yuh eyes like they do all over the world and you spewing rubbish. All of your politicians are beholden to them and the drug lords. Man doan mekmuh laff.

[@carolyngraham1407]

@elijah Xbib What Jamaicans are you talking about? How many do you know? You should perhaps qualify what you are saying by being more specific. I am Jamaican and I don't recognise your description of Jamaicans.

[@JediJide2]

I love Jamaicans, Nigerians that came to the UK in the 50's, 60's and 70's were upper class, very highly educated and soft, I am one myself. I found protection and solace in the Jamaican community, the Yardies don't take shit and will f**k you up if you mess with them. I hung with them in the 70's/80's when I was in the UK and will run round Fulham road fighting pitch battles with the skinheads and NF (National Front) crews. I am still good friends with many today, I seek them out anytime I go to the UK for visits.

[@ZZ90755]

Highly respected gentlemen

[@travissteele4557]

Beautiful

[@osariemenefosa4569]

Britain!!!. 😯😯.the nile valley ancestors live's. African's are humble people.

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

They Really Ask Stupid And Ignorant Question...

[@taumohlodi5875]

The white audience are so uncomfortable with this conversation, look how tense they are...

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

Cameron Mohlodi , Greetings My Brother, There are no white human beings please, they are simply caucasians, short and simple....

[@musical_lolu4811]

I don't think so, my friend. When you strip away any form of possible projection on your part into the situation here, you'll simply find in this an enjoyable conversation wherein a man simply recounts some of the interesting points of his life.

[@Bigbaby071]

@@musical_lolu4811 - You're extremely naive if that's all you took away.. The original post was as correct as you were.. The irony is he recounts anecdotes of his life and puts the racist experience he lived through bare before the majority of the white audience, who were nervous and neurotic in the extreme. Read their body language its plain and obvious.

[@musical_lolu4811]

Why must I take away more than what I care to? What is the body language of the audience, or your interpretation of it, gonna do for my well-being? We all have a lens through which we see the world. To each his own.

[@ianmwaf]

I feel both your conversations elicit the present African worldview, well at least in my eyes. One is a need for alertness and at times enforced redress for those who have done us wrong in the past ( or presently), whereas the other is a kind of nonchalant view of gripes held or atrocities committed in the past, with a more optimistic outlook of the future. To be honest, I'm quite torn between the two.

[@constancejackson9074]

What an inspirational speaker.

[@Miss_Cele]

Awesome

[@Ignite2Transform]

Colonial oppressors is a better depiction of who they were and are.

[@jaybee4577]

@@User-qh3eg Yeah Africans had slaves but slavery in Africa was not the Chattel slavery practiced in western countries. The fact that Europeans also included race and skin color to slavery made slavery even worse. Europeans viewed Africans and dark skin people as the only group of people who should be enslaved. Also saying Africans sold each other is actually vague considering back in the days, Africans didn't see themselves as Africans or Black people. They were divided by tribes. Even today, some Africans don't see themselves as Africans or Black people but recognize themselves by tribal group.

[@shirleyr714]

A very wise woman. MAY GOD BLESSINGS BE UPON HER ALWAYS...

[@bwanawemujungle2947]

He is a man please!

[@daphnesmith1686]

It's VERY True the CAUCASIAN has a very DISTINCTIVE smell 4rm any other human being. It's an ABSOLUTE!!!

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

Daphne Smith , Distinctive How My Friend, They Have Terrible Smell Period....

[@daphnesmith1686]

ovie onojeghuo. INDEED CHIEF! It is a great pleasure 2b communicating with u and hoping that u hv a VERY Successful LIFE. PEACE BROTHER. LOL

[@island2mainland615]

they do but good thing they have body spray et all. Plus Africans dont discriminate against other races. We embrace.

[@thepresence2095]

The funny truth is white people are the ones that say blacks have a smell but every group of blacks think whites have a rather disgusting smell, even our African ancestors said about the white merchants and slave traders having a rather disgusting odour.

[@josephodiase174]

That Not a generalised thing about them.. Or that about any group or race.. Clearly Swiss, nordic people are not same.. Or Ghanaian, Nigerian.. Racist stereotypes..

[@malusingcobo4767]

they still do, after a night out a girl comes yours and want to get in bed without a shower after dancing half the night and in the morning slaps make up on and go work with dirty knickers

[@skylink2184]

Very true and hilarious

[@queenie8122]

Wole & Akala should have a conversation.

[@josymarwyclife205]

🔥🔥🔥❤❤❤

[@petermahimbo9450]

He became a wise men early..

[@gloriannamani1123]

Prof Wale Soyinka aHero our HERO..Jamaicans our beloved brothers /Sisters /Champions who saved us from so called teddy boys with their knuckle dusters chains knife culture ,were cowards

[@akinsiroyemicheal9159]

Professor Wole Soyinka. 🇳🇬🇳🇬🔊❤

[@poosnip]

I remember that smell... i cam at the end of the 80’s and the smell to me was unwashed rancid skin... add a slightly sour milk odour and that was it. In the end WHEN discovered that my class mates and other PEOPLE DID NOT WASH EVERYDAY.... i was not so Shocked as i would have otherwise have been if they didn’t stink so awful. I was 11 then and even now every so often i get that wiff. It must be all the dairy that they consume ! I have also read that that smell is es uk chinese who do not consume that much dairy

[@samuelramzie9127]

We just need our mothers the black women in power politically to Free as a RACE or AFRICANS or HUMANS

[@ritasimon6472]

Happy birthday daddy.

[@lionheart6087]

Gotta Respect Jamaicans, they gave the black man back their pride.

[@ajayioluwasegun1449]

Nice one

[@stevelawrence5268]

Prof : Please accept my humble apology as i am a Trinidadian

[@dt6706]

Well talk it over, over tea!

[@dky_1353]

@@dt6706 Hahahaha you ain't right! 😂

[@pfxcampus]

Wise man

[@dreday14]

Jamaican here or West Indian?

[@jarelleamade6112]

Dread Ras Grenada 🇬🇩

[@blairbrujita]

Trini :)

[@adrianude5189]

I smell them every day

[@glynmwiya6175]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@himynameiscandle7002]

🤣🤣🤣

[@JediJide2]

The Chinese complain about the Brits too, the Chinese reckons is because of the amount of dairy food they consume.

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

The British They Stunk 😂😂😂😂

[@ovieonojeghuo8347]

Dem Dey Vindee "

[@kolawaleojomo6817]

@3:57 The white guy looks so uncomfortable.

[@riverbankfisher]

Enoch Powell and not Collin Powell

[@towoawawaboofficial]

The HAITIANS wouldn't have either.

[@chineduakunne9007]

It's time we start focusing our attention on regulating the military industrial complex government issued contracts. I say, do background checks on company leaders, owners and funders, make them available for public view. They should be considered as government workers since they get funded by tax dollars and sell their ideas with the said intention of protection for the country they are dealing with. Have you ever thought how that company leader thinks? Have you ever wanted to know how they view people and what their beliefs are? I guarantee you if we knew that we would not be "test subjects". We would be able to link what ever ill issue we are facing and put a face on a criminal, a terrorist and a murderer. You see people like Jeffery Epstein, they died because these are the people who needed to get protected. I want you to ask your self "If a criminal like this can get a contract from the government, then WHY CAN'T I" ask yourself "why these people pocket their CEO's billions". Don't you want that money? Don't you want the people representing you in defense of your country to know and have compassion for the people they are defending? These people should be known like you know your president and if you don't like them "impeach" them.✌️

[@peanut20002001]

I hear Honorable Nelson Mandela voice

[@restlessnative3818]

Yaad TUFF!

[@kolawaleojomo6817]

They stank!😆😆

[@samuelflomo5490]

They are stank

[@ritasimon6472]

That's the truth sir.I prefer to be with the Jamaicans than our fellow Nigerians. At least they are real and not fake.happy birthday again sir.at least we both love Jamaicans and we love nature.daddy you are my hero.

[@incognittoh]

Intellectuals see things different.....🤔...

[@asafaridwan2320]

Noble laureate good of you.

[@tonyjeffers2606]

We owe a lot to Jamaicans

[@blairbrujita]

Dam right. We West Indians don't take bullshit. Yes we Trinidadians will invite you in but by the time we are done you wouldn't know your elbow from your knee.

[@benjaminely2968]

The gospel of questions of the Bible equal Eli must restore all things of God without question is of the world of titles of the world and Bible

[@sammyluciano1924]

“The British stank”

[@TheRoxyB]

Not us Jamaicans lol

[@arlenedrakes3620]

Yes i know about that smell you talk about i worked in the hotel industry and it was awful in some parts of the hotel really stank??? They didnt like to take a bath and they talk about us smelling check yaself!

[@t-blaze007]

Lol

[@moricejames2060]

Aaaaaa

[@glynmwiya6175]

They stunk

[@emraldgypsum1739]

You made a fatal mistake when mess with a Jamaican

[@onelove6971]

Love kills hate all the time. We may be different shades but LOVE wins daily. Jesus Christ is the TRUE LOVE and only way to eternal salvation. Study the bible and see for yourself. Hallelujah

[@tonyjeffers2606]

Talking about racism and they cannot even give a black microphone

[@davedon260]

Not true. The Yorubas were racist towards other tribes that came to Lagos back in the days. Don’t know if they still are now. There’s an element of racism in humans. However there are good people and bad people. My partner is white. She has always shown ultimate unconditional love.

[@AristoDosSantosTV]

to do with tribe, not race.

[@doyinak6939]

You're lie. Lagos is full of different tribes

[@Autho-ress_fave-stories.]

if a whiteman has used the word STANG. we will all say racism

[@mizyoung5647]

Are u a bot

[@dky_1353]

It's not shade if it's true.

[@isaqlid4289]

Awesome

[@constancejackson9074]

What an inspirational speaker.

[@malusingcobo4767]

they still do, after a night out a girl comes yours and want to get in bed without a shower after dancing half the night and in the morning slaps make up on and go work with dirty knickers