Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is considered to be one of the most influential writers of our generation. Most recently she wrote the novel, Americanah, which has been recognized as One of The New York Times’s Ten Best Books of the Year and also has won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Throughout her writing, Adichie will center around themes on identity, race, and gender creating a platform to spark conversations on these topics. She is articulate and remarkably poised. She incorportates charming witty anecdotes into her speeches on global issues. She is a leader and her words and writing make people think.
Her TED Talk, “We should all be feminists” is featured below.
In this talk Adiche defines feminism as “a man or a woman who says ‘Yes there is a problem with gender and we must fix it. We must do better’.” She also describes that her anger on the inequality and the manner in which anger can bring forth change. Her statements made me reflect, what am I angry about?
I am angry that I cannot travel the world alone safely.
I am angry that I fear walking home along at night.
I am angry that when I go out to dinner with my boyfriend they give the check.
I am angry that some conversations about my future involve questions about marriage and children instead of my passion for science and research.
Adiche closes this part of her speech with, “I am angry but I have hope”. She does not let her anger dampen her. She lets it inspire and empower her to make a difference.
Throughout her TED talk, she discusses the manner in which we teach young males and females to fit their roles.
She explains, “We stifle the humanity of boys…We teach boys to be afraid of vulnerability.” In parallel she describes how “We teach girls to shrink themselves.” telling them “You can have ambition but not too much“.
Adiche makes it understood that sometimes people are not aware of the different manners in which we limit gender roles. She has continuously worked to spark conversations on how to improve the future.
As a part of the Penn State Reads Program, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will speak tomorrow at 7:30 pm in the Schwabb Auditorium. Any one who has the time should come listen.