The Book Club XL

Conversations About Decolonizing Our Mind

This month, The Book Club in De Nieuwe Liefde will be discussing the deeply personal journey of “Decolonizing Our Mind”.

Living within the heart of an empire can create profound identity crises. Surrounded by colonial histories and perpetuated systems of racism, we are often torn between the identities shaped by neo-/post-colonial mechanisms and the true essence of who we are, rooted in our cultural histories, traditions, and ancestral knowledge. In this session, we will unpack how colonial systems continue to shape not only the societies we live in but also the very way we think, see ourselves, and relate to others.

Decolonizing our minds means critically examining how we internalize colonial narratives—about race, power, and self-worth. It’s about acknowledging how historical oppression continues to shape modern realities and consciously dismantling these beliefs within ourselves. Whether it’s the subtle forms of racism we encounter daily or the deep-rooted impact of colonisation on our ancestral lands, the effects linger in how we perceive ourselves and our place in the world. 

This book club is a space to reflect on how we can confront and begin to heal from the mental shackles imposed by colonialism.

Books

1. How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – Kendi dives into how we can challenge the racist systems ingrained in society, starting from childhood. This book will inspire us to think about how we can raise ourselves, and the next generation, to be aware of and actively resist the pervasive racist ideologies we unknowingly inherit.
2. 1984 by George Orwell – Though a dystopian novel, Orwell’s depiction of control through language and thought speaks volumes about how power structures, including colonial states, manipulate and suppress our individual and collective identities. Despite being written in the 1940s, the book eerily rings true in today’s age! 
3. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates – This is an open letter that Coates wrote to his son, wherein he offers a deeply personal narrative on race and identity in America, specifically addressing how systemic racism shapes the lived experience of Black people.

Whether or not you’ve read the books, your voice and perspectives are essential to this conversation.