This article is a part of our ‘Woman of the Week’ series, which highlights the work of cool contemporary women and ways in which we can support them!
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Basics:
Born 15 September 1977 in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Who She Is:
Adichie is a famous author known for her novels Half of a Yellow Sun, The Thing Around Your Neck, Americanah, and Purple Hibiscus. Awarded the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2008, Adichie is a prominent author and an outspoken feminist.
Adichie grew up the daughter of a university professor (and her mother was the first female registrar at the University of Nigeria). At 19, she left Nigeria to study in the United States and graduated Summa Cum Laude, because she kicks ass.
Then she got a masters in creative writer at John’s Hopkins, and a Master of Arts in African Studies from Yale, five years later because, again, she kicks ass. Oh, and she’s also won a ton of awards for her writing.
Why You Should Love Her:
Adichie is famous for her Ted Talk, “Why We Should All Be Feminists.” She is a huge advocate for educating young women and broadcasting her ideas on feminism. She is also extremely intelligent, speaks beautifully, and is constantly questioning and breaking down gender and race barriers.
She has also spoken about “The Danger of a Single Story” and how our biases are often reflections of single stories (and our failure to educate ourselves about the world).
If you needed another reason, one of her publishers once told her that publishers “Can’t sell you because you’re not like anybody” but she thought her novels deserved to be published.
Featured Quote:
“You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man…your life belongs to you and you alone.” – from Half of a Yellow Sun
How To Support Her:
BUY AND READ HER BOOKS (they’re amazing)! Download Flawless by Beyoncé (where lines of her famous feminist speech are featured) from iTunes, and podcasts she has been featured in.