We are delighted to invite you to the next talk in the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group (GCYFRG) online speaker series. Launched in October 2023, GCYFRG Online Speaker Series provides a platform to scholars based in the Global South. The details of the next talk are below:

Speaker: Dr Ziyanda Majombozi (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Date and time: Wednesday, 26^th March 2025 at 2pm UK time (GMT)
Platform: MS Teams
Registration Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7956feb4-928e-4750-89c6-bb6660681874@4cad97b1-5935-4103-a866-57ad98a1517e

Title: The Mother Tongue: Language as a Pathway to Blackness and Relationship

Abstract:
Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o’s (1981)  Decolonising the mind: The politics of language in African literature is seminal in writings about the politics of language and the importance of literature that African children can identify with, written in their languages. Wa Thiong’o argues that language is not just about communication and that instead, language carries culture. This paper explores the stories of seven mothers in the affluent suburbs of Johannesburg as they teach their children African Languages. These mothers’ social lives are primarily conducted in English, but they have a deep desire for their children to speak African Languages, particularly their mother tongue. I argue that ensuring that their children speak an African language served as an outward expression of having instilled Black pride in them. Additionally, the mothers saw language as access to relationships that could only be richer when facilitated in an African language and/or the mother tongue. 

About the Speaker:
Dr Ziyanda Majombozi is a Lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where her research spans a range of topics including infant feeding practices, the care routines of working-class Black mothers, experiences of mothers affected by Tuberculosis, and teaching and learning experiences. Her current work focuses on contemporary birthing practices, mothering, and care among middle-class Black mothers. Her broader research interests include reproductive, maternal, and child health; childbearing; care practices; motherhood (s); Black mothering, and the politics of reproduction. In addition to her academic roles, Ziyanda Majombozi is dedicated to supporting and advocating for children, young women, and mothers. She serves on the Courage Child Protection board and is a co-founder of the Braids Initiative – a mentorship program for young women. As a committed friend of Embrace: The Movement for Mothers, Ziyanda actively contributes to celebrating and supporting mothers in South Africa.

The event is open to all but you need to pre-register by using the link above to receive Teams link and joining instructions.

If you have any queries about the event, please direct them to Utsa Mukherjee (utsa.mukherjee@brunel.ac.uk). Hope you can join us on 26^th March and please share the link in your networks.