The publisher of Trish Lorenz’s “Soro Soke: The Young Disruptors of an African Megacity” Cambridge University Press has offered a public apology over controversial interview in which the author claimed she invented ‘Soro Soke’ leading to the Nine Dotz Prize that gave her an award for the book have.
“It’s Unintended” Says Cambridge University Press
Cambridge Press maintained that, “There was no intention by Trish Lorenz or anyone involved with the book to suggest that Trish invented the phrase ‘Soro Soke Generation.”
In part, the statement read: “No such claim was made in the book. Rather, it was an unintentional turn of phrase in a single interview, the text of which has now been corrected.”
The publishers added that “Soro Soke was chosen as its title due to its use as a rallying cry and call for change among young protestors in Nigeria, something which is made clear in the book.”
It would be recalled that the Berlin-based journalist was petitioned for laying claims “to being the originator of the ‘Soro Soke’ movement” with calls for a public apology.
In a petition titled “Recall ‘Soro Soke’ from Publication- Author cannot CO-OPT and steal a Nigerian Movement” trending on Change.org, the petitioners regretted that the author “has appropriated stories she’s not in a position to tell authentically.”
They clarified that “Soro Soke is a Nigerian movement – One that came with our blood, sweat and tears. We are yet to recover from the aftermath.
“Soro Soke,” speak up, as a Nigerian movement
“Soro Soke means Speak Up/ Do not be Silent in the Yoruba language of West Africa. It was a cry, a battle chant, a movement used in the #EndSARS campaign by Nigerian protesters fighting against police brutality from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in October of 2020.”
The whistleblowers reminded the public that “The phrase indicated that the Nigerian people would no longer put up with bad governance and they would speak out boldly. Protests and community gatherings were held to ‘Soro Soke’ Speak out)
“Unfortunately, in the course of the protests, the authorities responded with the military and over 50 Nigerians’ lives were lost. Many protesters and activists are still in jail, some in exile. Nigerians have not recovered from the aftermath.”
They wondered why, Trish Lorenz, “a white woman from Germany” would decide “to expropriate and abuse the name of the struggle reminiscent of the actions of her ancestors in the Berlin Conference of 1884/5” insisting that “She has no connection to the struggle yet she capitalizes, benefits and profits off the trauma of Nigerians.”
The petitioners’ claims
The petitioners claimed that “This is evidenced by her winnings from TheNineDotsPrize which comes with a remuneration of about $100,000” plus the fact that “She has also received book deals with Cambridge university press and has her books in global bookstores and universities such as Harvard University library.”
They emphatically stated that “This is a Nigerian story to tell and we have Nigerians who are qualified to tell it. We have already told it without support or visibility. African stories must be told by African people.
“This is not the colonial era. We have our voice, our language, and our words and we will use it to Soro Soke.”
The group emphasized that “This book is intellectual property theft and gross disrespect to Nigerians.”
Describing this academic fraud as “pouring salt on our open wound,” they demanded that “publishing [this book] must be halted and it should be pulled from all bookstores.”
Demand for “public and written apology to Nigerians
They argued that “This is the right and responsible thing to do. Anything less is complicity in theft erasure and racialised neocolonial violence” they maintained while demanding a “public and written apology to Nigerians from Trish Lorenz.”
As a matter of importance, they noted, “Please ‘Soro soke’ by dropping a comment below, to share your reasons for signing the petition.
“Also, leave a review for Trish Lorenz book on Google book review so that people know not to support this violence and intellectual property theft.”
It would be recalled that the book “Bad and Boujee: Toward a Trap Feminist Theology” authored by one Jennifer M Buck was “pulled for cultural appropriation and intellectual property theft.”
“Soro Soke is a movement that began two years ago on Nigerian soil, calling for an end to police brutality in Nigeria” the petitioners insisted.
The recent public apology by Cambridge University Press has finally put to rest the hullabaloo about the plagiarism case involving the German journalist.
Fr. Dyikuk is a Lecturer of Mass Communication, University of Jos, Editor – Caritas Newspaper and Convener, Media Team Network Initiative (MTNI), Nigeria. Email: justinejohndyikuk@gmail.com. Mobile: 08036232232.
you are ridiculous with your thought. We need to understand some stuff about this propaganda used by white folks to degrade us, profit of us and even kill us Africans. They said already, it was jealousy that made them steal, enslave and till now killing us. If you research into any war in Africa right now, you will realize it was fueled by the usa, france, russia, germany or uk, by them either getting involved and choosing one side or funding them. We need o open our eyes stop fighting ourselves and face the real enemies.