Writing with Others

On October 8, 2021, I had the pleasure of conversing with Maman Monique Misenga Ngoie Mukuna in Kinshasa on her recently published autobiography, Cradling Abundance: One African Christian's Story of Empowering Women and Fighting Systemic Poverty (2021). We had discussed the nonprofit organization Femme, Berceau de l'Abondance (FEBA), or “Woman, Cradle of Abundance,” founded by Maman Monique, Maman Agnes Anekumba Umadjela, Maman Marie-Jeanne Kapinga Kayuwa, Maman Pauline Mfulu, Maman Jacqueline Ndidila, and Maman Baila. One of FEBA's main programs is its sewing school, which equips girls and women with the skills to become self-sufficient tailors. Thus, FEBA utilizes fashion as an avenue through which girls and women can earn a living to support themselves and their families.When I received the manuscript prior to meeting with Maman Monique, I noticed that she is listed as the primary author on the title page, along with Princeton Theological Seminary professor Elsie Tshimunyi McKee, who was born and grew up in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rather than the book being about Maman Monique, the book was by her. This distinction is crucial, as it reflects Angela Jansen's realization while studying decoloniality: “[R]ather than writing about others, I should be writing with others; I should be using my position to empower other voices” (Jansen 2021; de Greef, Goncalves, and Jansen 2021). In the course of reading the manuscript and later talking with Maman Monique, I learned that the book was based on conversations between her and Professor McKee since their meeting in 2008. In addition, the book includes interviews with other women associated with FEBA. Although Professor McKee translates the conversations from French and Tshiluba for an English-speaking audience, she answers the question, “What does it mean to write with others?” by foregrounding Maman Monique's voice throughout the manuscript. Furthermore, Professor McKee's introduction to the autobiography and insertions of contextual information support and clarify, rather than drown out Maman Monique's voice.Reading Cradling Abundance and conversing with Maman Monique have proven to be timely. As I am writing, I am in Kinshasa conducting doctoral research on members of the Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons (La SAPE), as well as local painters and photographers who portray La SAPE. Often, I dwell on the ethical considerations of my work. As DRC has a centuries-long history of brutal and violent exploitation (which continues today) by outsiders, I am troubled by the thought that conversations with members of La SAPE, painters, and photographers reflects this legacy of one-sided extraction. What does it mean for me, as a doctoral student, to write with others? For now, I think it means that it is necessary for me to acknowledge my positionality, as modeled by de Greef, Goncalves, and Jansen in their First Word (2021).Though I am Filipino-American, I am perceived by members of La SAPE and Kinois (residents of Kinshasa) primarily as “mundele” (White person) or at times, as “chinoise” (Chinese person). While I am neither, it is important to take into account that I am read in this way, as both identities connote degrees of access, privilege, and wealth. The way that I am perceived influences how people might enter into conversations with me. Like Jansen, who also shares experiences of misidentification, the “color of [my] skin is identified as White, and with that color comes responsibility. The responsibility of listening” (de Greef, Goncalves, and Jansen 2021). This leads into the second way to write with others. Besides acknowledging positionality, writing with others means having the courage to listen with care, openness, and humility. It means that my writing should not make the voices of the people I converse with peripheral or secondary; rather it should put them at the forefront so they can be heard first and foremost. Lastly, writing with others means maintaining relationships—being in dedicated contact with one another—such as that modeled by Maman Monique and Professor McKee, who have been in each other's lives for over a decade. Social media platforms, especially WhatsApp and Facebook, make this even more feasible. While navigating cultural and language barriers is difficult at times, as I can attest based on my experiences so far, I think that committing to writing with others and to decoloniality necessitates that extra effort. It ultimately means going beyond talk and putting those commitments into action

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• Listening as a Radical Act Conversations on Decoloniality and Fashion

  Erica de Greef, Shayna Goncalves et al.•African Arts•2021

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