Response to "Decolonizing the Mind"

After reading the quotes from Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Decolonizing the Mind, and recalling bits and pieces from previous history lessons regarding colonizers' or slave masters' tactics in demoralizing the culture of their oppressed, it is clear to me that standard forms of discourse, such as Standard American English, is used as a colonizing force. It is probably the most potent and improtant ingredient in the immobilizing, poisonous elixr fed to the oppressed population. As Thiong'o stated, his language was his people's world. They passed on stories and lessons, incited creativity and playfulness, it instilled the values of community and cooperation. I can not imagine living in such a beautiful world and having that which provided such intellectual, cultural, and emotional sustenance turned into a thing of shame, hatred, evil. It would be like having your mother who has loved and cared for you your whole life turning against you and trying to convince you that you are a terrible, disgusting person. I wonder what the colonizing forces are thinking when they impose such a terribole fate on people. Do they know the psychological effects their efforts have, or do they simply despise the people's culture and laguage, looking down on it enough to rationalize their actions? Either way, they seemed to figure out that it worked. Taking away a people's language takes away a huge part, maybe the heart, of its culture. It debilitates them in such a fundamental way- creativity is harder to grasp until the adjustment is made to the dominant language, I suppose.
So, I would maintain that a people in this position should do whatever it can to resist the dominant language. In African countries this might be easier than in others, however, namely in the United States. Many of the languages shunned by colonial forces have still been maintained. However, African Americans lost the languages of their motherlands a long time ago. Although there are differences in the way white and Black people in the U.S. speak, it's more similar than different. Obviously, American Standard English is the only accepted language in the U.S. So should the oppressed use this language? Is it succumbing to the power's authority by doing so? Many wise, creative African American scholars and leaders have been using Standard American English to get their points across for generations. In a way, this becomes the inheritance of Blacks in the U.S. now. So we may go as far as to say it is denying one's ancestors to deny Standard American English. However, I recognize that given the social situation of the African American since the beginning of slavery, these "prominent" African Americans are not necessarily representative of the larger population of their people, at least linguistically. Herein lies the conflict. What is the language of the African American? It differs across classes, regions, generations. We may find some distinct similarities but they are few. Do we take those similarities and try to build on them to create one solid, Black Language? Would this be helpful, empowering, to the opressed Black person? Or, to quote Aneil's question, Can the mind be decolonized using the colonizer's language? It would be so easy for me to say, Yes! Just take on that language and go for yours! It's your causes, not your laguage, that make the difference. However, that would be denying something culturally rich and relevant, even essential, to so many people's lives. I myself would have to reconsider some of my word choices and grammar habits, etc. But for African American people, taking to using only Standard American English would not only be humiliating, but it is not realistic. I guess for now, it is up to the individual to make the choice of which version of the English language to use, and when. The issue of Standard American English being the only one accepted, being the "standard," still confuses me, though. How should we change it, if we should, and toward what aims?
Anyone????
Sorry for the long post. :)
-Carley