Award-winning Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who gained popularity when her speech on feminism was featured in Beyoncé’s “Flawless” music video, will speak at Georgetown on Friday at noon in Gaston Hall. The African Society of Georgetown was the leading organization behind coordinating the event with Adichie.
“We had a variety of people and campus departments who made [Chimamanda’s talk at Georgetown] possible,” said ASG President Zoe Gadegbeku (COL ’16). Gadegbeku said that while the ASG came up with the idea and the issues about which Adichie would speak, many other organizations provided financial and logistical support, including the President’s Office, the Lannan Center, and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, among others.
Adichie writes about the intersection of race, gender, and inequality. She has won numerous awards for her work, including 2007’s Orange Prize for Fiction and a Macarthur Foundation Fellowship in 2008. Her critically acclaimed novel Americanah was named one of New York Times’ 10 best books of 2013.
“Not only has she addressed issues of social justice and inequality in Nigeria and around the continent, but Americanah touches on issues of race and gender equality as seen through the lens of a young Nigerian woman arriving in the states for the first time,” Gadegbeku said.
Adichie, however, is best known for her speech, “We Should All Be Feminists,” which was originally given at TEDXEuston in April 2013, and later featured in Beyoncé’s “Flawless” music video.
Her speech, which emphasizes the ways in which society limits young girls’ choices, forms the second verse of the song. “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller,” Adichie says. “We say to girls, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise you will threaten the man.’”
“The thing about Americanah is that it gives a voice to those who struggle to navigate their identity, […] especially those who have not grown up here,” Gadegbeku said. Another member of ASG, Naa Adeley Kome-Mensah (SFS ’16), also noted the cultural significance of Adichie’s newest work. “Americanah is going to be made into a film starring Lupita [Nyong’o], who is originally Kenyan, so it is really interesting that she will be starring in the movie,” Kome-Mensah said.
Gadegbeku hopes this event will bring further visibility to the experience of women of color at American universities. “Georgetown students should go to her talk because she’s an inspiring example of someone who uses her art to address social issues and to empower her readers and audience.”
Photo by Kelly Writers House
