Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is, in my opinion, full of civic spaces where the characters learn, grow, meet new people, share ideas and cultures, and expand their horizons. I could think of several important civic spaces — Ifemelu’s and Obinze’s high school, their university in Nsukka, Ifemelu’s mother’s church, Aunty Uju’s luxurious house, the hair salon outside of Princeton, and even Chief’s house and his parties. However, the first civic space that came to my mind as I reflected upon the prompt for this blog was the kitchen of Obinze’s and his mother’s sabbatical house in Lagos. The first time Ifemelu was invited to lunch with Obinze and his mother, she was timid, insecure, and nervous, unsure of herself and her way of speaking and thinking. She felt small and out of place until her discomfort soon wore off and she began to feel at ease with Obinze’s mother and their home.

Ifemelu experienced a new and different Obinze; it has been said that you don’t truly know a person until you know them in their own home and habitat, and she saw how much more at ease Obinze was with his mother in their home. It took some getting used to, but soon enough, Ifemelu felt at home with them and like a part of the family. It was evident that Obinze’s mother grew to adore Ifemelu like a daughter, and Ifemelu often found herself wishing Obinze’s mother would replace her own. Ifemelu passed countless hours,  cooking, laughing, discussing,  and learning in the presence of Obinze and his mother. They almost always spent time together as a threesome, no one ever left out.

I call Obinze’s mother’s kitchen a civic space because of the exchanges passed within its walls. The growth of the confidence, wisdom, and happiness of Ifemelu from when she first walks into the room, hovering in the doorway, unwelcome to assist in the lunch preparations, to shortly thereafter when she herself makes the cakes in the kitchen, bantering and laughing with Obinze and his mother. Ifemelu learns about the world from Obinze’s mother, and she gains a second family. Obinze’s mother is very wise, and often lectures the two children on important and pressing issues in their lives, from school to safe sex.

I believe that the most valuable attribute of a thriving civic space is the expansion of one’s horizons, both socially and intellectually. Beginning in that fateful kitchen, Ifemelu’s personal journey toward life, love, and learning is catapulted forward.

RCL Blog Post #1 — Response to question #3 on page 41 of the Rhetoric and Civic Life textbook

I returned this past summer from a year of study abroad in Rabat, Morocco on a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program. I witnessed throughout the year much joy and much suffering. I came to know and love people from far across the spectrum of the human experience. I knew people who could not read or write and I knew people finishing up advanced degrees. I knew people who knew not when their next meal would come and I knew people who lived a lives of extravagance.

Throughout my year, I learned an immense amount about not just the world around me, but about myself. I grew strong and confident and I lost the fear that shrouds the inhibition to stand up for something I believe to be right. In Morocco, there exists the huge issue of racism. It stems from the issue of African immigrants into Morocco and the confusion and lack of understanding and empathy of Moroccans towards the plight of the displaced and trapped immigrants.

I heard many racial slurs, jokes, and insults thrown at the Africans living in not just Morocco, but all over the world. I was disheartened by these comments from Moroccans whom I love and consider extremely wise and intellectual. I soon realized that it is a learned cultural behavior passed down from generation to generation. Then it hit me. If it is a learned behavior, it can easily be unlearned. So I made sure that I never missed an opportunity to respond to the slurs in a firm yet patient way. I would calmly explain that a statement like that is not okay, and would share personal examples that debunk the feelings and ideas of the inferiority and superiority of certain races. Some people were more stubborn and less receptive to my responses, but others were open and it took little persuasion. Persistence paid off and in the end, I feel that I made a small dent on the racism in Morocco, and I know that those with whom I spoke and expressed my feelings regarding the issue will spread and share the ideas and like that, with time, I am hopeful that racism will eradicate itself.

On the other hand, many times throughout the year persuasion was used on me by countless individuals. Religion is an enormous part of daily life in Morocco, and it is perhaps what most people feel most passionate about. Religion as a conversational subject is very different in Morocco than it is here. People are open to discuss any and all aspects of their religion, Islam, and few people are too timid to venerate and promote it whenever the opportunity arises. I believe that this stems from the glowing pride Moroccans hold for their religion. Due to the lack of inhibition regarding questioning people about their religious beliefs that is so foreign to Americans, I was frequently asked about my religious denomination and beliefs. I always answered, “I have no religion, but I am open minded to learning.” Upon hearing that, people often eagerly attempted to persuade me to convert to Islam. They were passionate and heartfelt, and used persuasive tactics grounded in what they believed with their entire minds, bodies, and souls. However, as open-minded as I am about learning about religion, I am more than satisfied with my current spiritual beliefs. So no matter how persuasive and inspiring their speeches were, I remained unswayed.

When it comes to persuasion, one can be extremely persuasive and convincing, but it takes two to tango (please excuse the cliche). The person receiving the persuasion must be not only openminded, but at least a bit partial to the cause being delivered. I was touched and enlightened despite being sometimes offended and put-off by the attempts to convert me, but I remained steadfast with my beliefs. It is the same story with my attempts to eradicate racism in the people I interacted with in Morocco who demonstrated racial prejudices. Many people were convinced by my words, but some remained untouched because their minds were closed to the idea. Persuasion is a two-way street.