Confessions of a Fangirl: I can't get enough of Chimamanda & Michelle
It's time that I just got this off of my chest; I'm absolutely infatuated with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Michelle Obama. Honestly, I could write two separate essays on why these two ladies inspire me so much, and maybe I will one day because I believe that are both already legendary and worthy of note from a historical perspective. But for now, I'll settle for just sounding like a fan girl. Both of them embody Black womanhood with a level of dignity, grace, and honesty that I both aspire to and purposefully manifest in my own words and actions.
Chimamanda stole my heart with her novel, Americana. After I wolfed down that 600-page masterpiece like there was hot sauce in the margins, I made it a point to read everything that she had ever written and I was NOT disappointed. I found myself not only identifying strongly with her characters but also with the author as a woman and as a writer.
Her writing catalogs Black womanhood through vivid moments of realization, empowerment, disappointment, learning, and unlearning. The beauty of Black womanhood is on full display throughout her works. Chimamanda is a proud feminist like myself, and although I don't agree with every point that she makes, I do agree with a Black woman having a voice and using her platform to make informed arguments and stir up conversations about feminism and racism.She is constantly creating new and thought-provoking content. It's hard to imagine that somewhere in the world she's sitting at a computer typing just like me, but I bet she is! Her style of writing is so distinct and illuminating that every time I read her work, I fall into a state of awe at her mastery of the craft. She does not inspire me to be like her. She inspires me to continue developing my own distinct voice and use it to champion the causes that I believe in. She makes me want to let my own, unique, Black womanhood shine and let other Black women shine along with me.
Black womanhood is a glorious thing, but if you read this blog, you probably also know that being a Black woman, unfortunately, also means living in a world where the odds are against you; you will be found lacking no matter how intelligent, beautiful or kind you may be. You're put to the task of continuing to prosper when others are ready to write you off as a failure. Keeping this in mind, just look at Michelle Obama.
This is a woman that came from a working class family in Chicago, studied her way to the country's most revered academic institutions, and was incredibly successful in her own right as a lawyer before she met a certain young Barack Obama and subsequently ascended to the highest office in the land. I can't even fathom the levels of overt racism that she must have to face or the immense pressure that she must be under, but somehow she comes out shining like a diamond. She has her own projects and initiatives, mostly involving healthy eating, childhood obesity, female empowerment, poverty, and access to higher education. I can tell that she chooses her words carefully as this country's first Black First Lady because she has to, and although I sometimes wish that both she and Barack were more frank about issues that touch upon their Blackness, I also understand that in their skin they are not granted the privilege of "straight talk" unlike the president-elect. Even so, Michelle is daring in her ordinariness. She's a dedicated mom who tells jokes, dances, and is fearless enough to go off script and be herself, unwilling to let anyone steal her individuality and joy.
Both of these amazing women live life with intention and purpose. They are about something and they use the knowledge that they worked tirelessly to gain in order to further that cause. They reject invisibility; they reject silence. And I was trying to stay away from the superficial, but DAYUUUMMMM do they look good while they're out there influencing politics, public discourse, and culture. So for anyone who wants to know why I post pictures of Michelle Obama daily, it's because she slays on a daily basis, so keep up! If you want to know why Chimamanda got elevated to best-friend-in-my-head status ( I just call her Chimi bc we're cool like that...in my head) then you should read her books and essays and find out. Also, if you want to read Chimi's latest piece in which she writes about her own admiration for Michelle Obama (I know it sounds too good to be true) you can read that here.Phew! Okay, now that I'm done explaining myself, are any of my readers fans of these two extraordinary women? Tell me what you love the most about them in the comments.