There's so much talk of representation in politics and entertainment - it's everywhere - but I didn't realize representation was important until really my senior year of high school.
Interpretation
Representation in politics and entertainment becomes truly significant when one understands its impact on identity and empowerment.
Tomi Adeyemi expresses a personal realization regarding the importance of representation in both politics and entertainment, emphasizing that this awareness often develops through educational experiences. Her statement reflects a journey of understanding how representation influences perceptions, self-image, and the broader societal narrative around identity and diversity, particularly during formative years like high school.
In practice
In a discussion panel about diversity in media, this quote could highlight the need for more authentic representation.
I want a little black girl to pick up my book one day and see herself as the star. I want her to know that she's beautiful, and she matters, and she can have a crazy, magical adventure even if an ignorant part of the world tells her she can never be Hermione Granger.
You're never wasting your time as long as you learn from every single thing you do, whether you feel like those attempts are successful or not.
The power of fantasy is that you can make people understand the deeper realities of our world in a way that they wouldn't normally be able to because of all the things in our world that closes them off.
For readers of color, and especially black readers, black girls, I just want them to feel seen. And not just seen - I want them to feel epic and know that they are epic.
I had a lot of different reasons for writing the book, but at its core was the desire to write for black teenage girls growing up reading books they were absent from. That was my experience as a child. 'Children of Blood and Bone' is a chance to address that. To say you are seen.
What's demanded from us black creatives is both a blessing and a curse, because it pushes you to be your absolute best. You cannot be anything less.
The difference between where you are today and where you'll be five years from now will be found in the quality of books you've read.
The child is truly a miraculous being, and this should be felt deeply by the educator.
All too rarely do I hear people asking just what it is that we've done to make so many children's hearts so hard, or what collectively we might do to right their moral compass - what values we must live by.
If women be educated for dependence; that is, to act according to the will of another fallible being, and submit, right or wrong, to power, where are we to stop?
I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.
Our youth should also be educated with music and physical education.
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