Chimamanda Adichie's TED Talks

There is something motherly about her. The way she stood, impeccably dressed with smooth dark skin, reminded me of my mother. She was so articulate, her Nigerian accent accentuated with (what seemed to me) an English one. Her just being an articulate writer who was interested in "the process" just reminded me completely and utterly of my mother.

Her roommate really struck a chord with me. It was astounding that someone could be so ignorant to someone else's face. I know that it is something that happens often, but it was weird that it should happen to someone so cultured and intellectual. The other moment that was particularly appalling was her professor, someone who should be knowledgeable, saying that her novel was not "authentically African". Um, excuse me, SHE IS AFRICAN. I am really appalled at what people allow to exit their mouths.

It seems that whenever writers attempt to illustrate what it is really like in their home countries, they are always met with ignorance. It is a strange idea, that someone bringing truth would be met with such audacious and brash stupidity, but it seems to happen frequently. Perhaps I just have an extreme aversion to stupidity (not perhaps, I do), but it just seemed to be so unforgivable, how would someone let you open your mouth?

Her point about writing about what she sees resonated with me. When I was younger, I wasn't allowed to buy dolls with pale skin and blue eyes, because I wasn't like them. In our house, we have lots of art and literature of African origin, and I grew up hearing about the struggles of the African people. In a way, I got a more beneficial upbringing for someone of color than Ms. Adichie did. She read books with white characters and English personalizations that were so completely inapplicable to her life. Even though she was directly linked with her past by being in Nigeria, her identity as a Nigerian/African was stifled by the remnants of colonialism. As a young writer, I never wrote stories with Caucasian protagonists. It wasn't shocking when she talked about this, but I was a little surprised that she had become so proud of who she is in later life. However, when in situations like this, you have to do what must be done.