Having previously left women’s month, we have just been in the month that celebrates Heritage in South Africa. When most of us think about what the word heritage means, we consider culture, tradition and identity. That is: what it means to be you, what influenced you into becoming who you are and keeping true to yourself. Merriam Webster describes heritage as something that is transmitted or obtained from one’s predecessor – legacy, inheritance or something that has been possessed as a result of one’s natural situation or birth. My definition of African Heritage goes beyond the nits and grits of tradition. Rather, it has a lot to do with identity blended with tradition and culture. So, in honour of this heritage month, allow me (a fervent African contemporary reader) to dedicate this piece to the femxle writers who I believe are impressive people who have come from African soil. These are people who have taken ownership of sharing our African identity, tradition and culture with the world through their renowned creative art.
1. Mariama Bâ
Mariama Bâ has used her creative genius to show the world the will of African womxn. She has been named one of the most influential femxle African novelists and the first African feminist writer. Some of her most notable pieces of work include the novel So Long a Letter and her posthumously published novel Scarlet Song. Her work depicts the power of an African womxn as she struggles to defy the patriarchal and institutional discrimination with which she is faced. Bâ was a passionate advocate of womxn’s rights and the revival of African culture. Her book, La Fonction politique des littératures africaines écrites, has been instrumental in arguing the importance of Africans embracing Arican culture and achievements.
Buchi Emecheta is an author known for narrating African myths. She has written novels which portray the roles that African womxn are expected to play and the struggles which accompany those roles. Her work also juxtaposes African and Western tradition in stories that have been grounded from her own experiences. Her work not only reflects on cultural facts, but it also shows African people’s identities, attitudes and social beliefs. Previously, she has stated that her role in telling stories is directed at telling the world the African story through African voices. (Yes Queen!)
Ngcobo’s book, And They Didn’t Die, celebrates our heritage by reflecting on the legacy of African womxn’s spirit of resilience. This can be seen through the characters of the black rural womxn who joined arms in the fight against the South African Apartheid Land Acts. Her work shows the struggles that African womxn face in rural life and how they continue to attempt to triumph the adversity in their lives. Her work speaks largely of tradition and how it joins forces with institutional barriers to discriminate against womxn. Ngcobo teaches the importance of tradition and culture and how it should be favourable to both womxn and men.
Her world-famous book Nervous Conditions shows Zimbabwean culture at a time when the country had just attained its independence from colonial rule. The book has been considered as one of the most significant African novels of the 20th century. Her book, Dangarembga has illustrated the religious beliefs of Africans and their attempt to balance tradition with Western culture. She shows the dilemma Africans go through when they have to choose between Western culture and African tradition – especially during a time when the Western way of life had just begun permeating African society.
5. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Amongst many others, her accolades include the Common Wealth Writers prize and the National Book Critic’s Circle for her contribution to literature. Chimamanda Adichie has written novels which speak about the life of Nigerians: their beliefs and identities in a contemporary world. She not only focuses on the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of Africans in her work, but also on perceptions of Africans, as seen in her book Americanah. Adichie has also presented Tedtalks where she speaks about Africans, their way of life and the importance of paying attention to other people’s stories.