Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “Culture does not make people, people make culture.”

I have been meaning to watch the above Ted Talk for forever. The moment I heard Beyoncé’s Flawless, I have been obsessed. The strength within the clip from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech on feminism is both admirable and accurate. Now that I’ve watched the whole talk, I feel empowered.

As someone who is not only a young woman, but someone who believes in gender equality and mutual respect, I wanted to share this with everyone because if you haven’t yet watched this talk, you should. Even if you may not agree with everything that Chimamanda says, there is much to be learned from the words she speaks.

Something that stuck out to me, especially, was when she said, “Culture does not make people, people make culture.” I come from a family where tradition is number one, even when certain traditions, cultures, beliefs, etc. are hurtful. I’ve always been one to say, “It’s just a part of my culture. I can’t change it.” The truth is, though, that I can.

And so you can you.

We have all been there. We have all been hurt or disrespected based on the actions of someone else, actions that may be “excused” because they are just a part of the culture in which we live.

We don’t have to be there any more.

#FLAWLESS