No matter your gender, your sexuality, your race there is an overwhelming level of inspiration radiating from We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I highly recommend watching the TED Talk that Adichie gives before reading the book. It gives you a whole new level of appreciation for the book, while reading the text you can hear the booming voice of Adichie streaming in your head as you soak up every bit of this book. While this book does inspire you to get off your lazy ass and do whatever it is that you were put on this earth to do, it also makes you angry. Angry at the fact that sexism still exists in every crevice of the world. Adichie gives examples from her own life that make you rethink how much we as a people have actually progressed. However, she is very straightforward with her message. She shatters the stereotypes placed upon feminists that are meant to stagger the rise of the woman.
It is the accumulation of the little things in life that can affect women the most. I am beyond blessed to have received an education, while some women aren’t so lucky. However, I can speak from my own experiences. There was a time where I went to a local coffee shop with my father. I was paying. I was ordering. My father was standing next to me. I handed the barista my money, from my hand. I needed change. She gave the change to my father. I was confused. Why would she give the change to him if I was clearly the one paying. Is it that farout to assume that a woman could afford, or even have the money to buy herself and the man she is with coffee? That must be absurd, because a woman is supposed to rely on the man, right? While I was fuming at the fact that the money I busted my ass for was not even deemed as mine, I couldn’t be mad at the barista. It is so ingrained in our minds that men are supposed to be the dominant figures, the providers. This is what has unfortunately been taught since the beginning of time.
I know that I have been personally attacked for being a feminist. I was doing my homework in my college dorm lobby and a boy approached me to stare at my laptop which is home to a sticker that promotes women empowerment/feminism. He asked if I hated men. I looked at him and wanted to flip on this boy. But I knew that if I did that I would only be supporting the idea of the “feminazi” so I gave a nice smile and said, no. Looking back on it now I wish that I set this boy straight. I wish he knew that I was angry, because you know what? I have every right to be angry, and so does every other woman. I would have men and women demonize me for, at times, expressing my anger. I completely understand how when not used properly anger can be destructive, but in over cases it can fuel people to enact change. Don’t expect me to smile and sit pretty instead of speaking up, that is simply not an option as the injustices of the world continue to blossom. Sorry; actually no I’m not sorry. I won’t apologize for being strong. I won’t apologize because I’m a woman and that what's I’m “supposed” to do.
