Writing from a decolonial feminist perspective, Oluwatobiloba reflects in this article on current practices within the philanthropic sector and the role of critical consciousness in the discourse on decolonial philanthropy.
I learnt about Theory when I read Bell Hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I learnt about Theory when I read bell hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I learnt about Theory when I read bell hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I have developed three habits to humanise Theory. And I share these habits as my learnings in becoming the feminist scholar I want to be. My childhood was filled with unquestioned rules and structures. While my childhood environment expected nothing from me but obedience to the elders and seniors, It was difficult not to ask questions. Even now, living in a system that forces subservience, it has become daring to ask questions. But, as a child, I will ask my questions anyways. In his book The Significance of Theory, Terry Eagleton said, ‘Children make the best theorists since they have not yet been educated into accepting our routine social practices as natural. Since they do not yet grasp our social practices as inevitable, they do not see why we might not do things differently’ To theorise as young African feminists is to remember childlikeness. As children, we questioned patriarchal structures at home, school, religious institutions, and social gatherings. Even though we did not describe the process of questioning and critiquing as ‘theorising’. We need more of us even now. Our liberation lies in the awakening of our dreams. The audacity to disrupt cannot come from a place of fear and shame. In this world, shame is the consequence of being born female. From birth, a daily dose of shame is provided that reminds us of our subservient place in the world. To stifle our voice, to bleak our dreams, to force us to accept what is known and to stop us from dreaming about what is unknown but possible. In Nigeria, we have a famous phrase, ‘You cannot shame the shameless’. How can we be shameless? Unlearning shame is like flipping the switch. So pause, imagine the shame switch and turn it off! Every day, when you wake up, let that be the first thing you do. Unlearning shame will liberate our minds and awaken our inner child. Because without shame, we can breathe in new air, a new reality. The audacity to disrupt cannot come from a place of fear and shame. Storytelling is the only way we can contribute to immortalising feminist epistemology. In the concluding section of her essay, bell hooks inquired where the scholarship of feminist Theory and practice can be found. Knowing that the personal is political and the political is personal, we must cultivate the art of theorising through storytelling. In her book Decolonization and Afro-Feminism, Sylvia Tamale stressed
We did not come to our Name by chance. After a period of dreaming and reflecting on what liberation means to us, we realised the importance of organising in the fashion of our feminist ancestors who centred on kinship, the passing down of knowledge and insisted on freedom from sexism and coloniality. Liberation Alliance Africa recognises consciousness-raising is at the heart of individual and collective liberation. What our Name means Liberation allows for exploring one’s consciousness in the pursuit of possibilities. It is the intentional and continuous release from colonial ways of living — largely antithetical to one’s history, reality and future; it is freedom from the colonial, capitalist and patriarchal matrix of power and the re-imagining of power as strength in community, kinship and accountability. Alliance to us means community. We are bound by collective ideology, experience and the pursuit of liberation. We bask in shared joy and solidarity. We work to unearth histories and consciousness erased in Africa. We are committed to nurturing the consciousness that Africaness is an opportunity for connection, kinship and solidarity. “The audacity to dream in colours usher us into dimensions of unbridled creativity. We become strengthened to raise our consciousness and create our futures. This conviction helps us to create the world we want, the world of our dreams.” — Itunu Omolara Oriye What Our Colours Represent To us, Violet signifies Spirituality. It inspires us to dream and to remain connected to our ancestors who began this journey of liberation on the African continent. We are empowered to reflect artistically, called to reflect on historical wrongs and build the blocks of individual and collective liberation. Spirituality for us means connecting to our history, our present and lived experiences while dreaming and organising for the righting of historical wrongs. Mustard Yellow inspires us to be audacious in our Joy. In a system that benefits from our despair, Joy is a practice of liberation. Mustard Yellow allows us to be bold in claiming space for feminist joy. Revolutionary joy and rest are at the core of our liberation practice — we seek to inspire a generation of Africans who believe that our collective consciousness is important, rest is political, and joy is revolutionary. Join us on this pilgrimage as we explore new frontiers of disruption against colonial and racial legacies that perpetuate oppression, exploitation and exclusion. Thank you, and welcome to Liberation Alliance Africa. In Solidarity!
