Saturday, April 25, 2015

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
One Of The Worlds Top 100 Influential



Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has two of the most popular Ted Talks (educational online videos). "The Danger Of A Single Story" is on racism and stereotypes. I'm almost reluctant to say the the title of the other one, "We Should All Be Feminists" because feminism has such a bad reputation among black people. Even though sexism is crushing on us just as hard or harder from the inside as racism is from the outside, racism (mostly affecting men in the eyes of too many) is seen as more important.

It's not. And her talk on feminism is funny and entertaining and speaks to building men up, and building men up directly too - not just through making women stronger. A few women that have heard her speak have changed their minds about feminism. Who'd have thought Beyonce would join Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kerry Washington, and Shonda Rhimes in declaring herself as interested in feminism as a result of listening to Adichie


Adichie's award winning book "Americanah" reveals through new eyes White America, Black America, and Black Nigeria through the eyes of Ifemelu who moves from Nigeria to the U.S.  Ifemelu talks about about hair, love, Africans, African Americans, and love again. 

"Americanah" is one of those books that I know I'll read more than once. Lupita Nyong'o must feel the same way about it. She's gotten Brad Pitt to commit to producing a movie based on it.


click here for CHIMIMANDA INTERVIEW
On Writing, black life in the U.S. and Nigeria, and "Americanah"










click here for THE BBC STORY ON HER ADDITION TO THE LIST

No comments:

Post a Comment