Four Amazing Women That Inspire Me

As the lovely Abigail Kwakye posted the video 5 Women That Inspire Me, I too felt compelled to talk about women who inspire me as well.

Tina Dico (Tina Dickow) Singer-songwriter from Denmark. 

Tina Dico is one of my favorite all time singers. It was in the eight grade I discovered her music and I have been entranced ever since. I admire and respect the fact that Dico is an independent artist in every sense being, in that she established her own record company Finest Gramophone and heavily promoted her own music through the internet. Dickow is one of the few artists I genuinely admire because she writes her own lyrics, plays instruments, and commands a quiet but strong presence. In fact I have preference for her live recorded shows to her studio versions, which are great too. It's just something mesmerizing about watching her plucking the guitar strings, her husband's fingers on the piano or blowing the trombone, and her voice serenading me that makes me smile. I love that her inspiration for her music is to "create a breathing space and get to know our selves better,.. to promote kindness and soften everything up a bit"  ^_^

Introduction: In the Red Live
Support: Albums

Magatte Wade  Serial Entrepeneur from Senegal.

I recently came across Magatte Wade thanks to this blog/tumblr
Magatte Wade is a Senegalese entrepreneur with a strong and dominant presence. Wade has set up two companies, Adina World Beverages a soft drink brand started in 2004, and Tiossan a beauty products company started in 2008. I respect and admire Wade's focused drive and strong grasp on her cultural roots. I admire how socially aware of the modern world and for recognizing how cultural branding is a way for nations to have a dominant foothold. Wade is very adamant and vocal about promoting her Senegalese culture which I love. In fact her stance reminds of the quote "Unless we know how to sell our culture, others will sell it for us.” - Pierre Sauvalle

Magatte Wade's vision is powerful and precise. I am constantly excited to hear her thoughts on everything. Wade understands how economics works and why African countries need to focus on manufacturing not just constantly exporting natural resources especially dominant oil exporting countries. She focuses going past surviving but thriving for her self and her people. Might I add that she cites her husband Michael Strong as one of the people that inspires her , which is just ever so lovely ^_^

Introduction: The Power of Unreasonable People
Support: Tiossan 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Nigerian writer/novelist/essayist

It was the Danger of a Single Story, the second Ted Talk I came across in high school. Thankfully that was my second Ted Talk because the first Ted Talk about statistics bored me to tears :(
I became entranced with hearing her speak and her talk sure did capture my attention. I have watched all current interviews on YouTube about Ms. Adichie and I yearn to hear more of her. She speaks with such conviction and such grace, that I am a big fan. Her writing is so wonderful and expressive in such a poetic way, but her interviews capture me even more. She speaks on culture, gender imbalance, power, love, and even natural hair. I have not finished her novel Half of a Yellow Sun but I promise to do so by the end of April. What I have always taken away from Ms.Adiechie is that she too saved me from the danger of having a single story of Africans. I do wish I came across her books and videos earlier in high school, it surely would have saved me from myself much earlier. I honestly feel that Chimamanda Adichie is to be the Honorary Black Girl :)  She proudly wears her natural hair in various cultural styles, proudly wears complimentary makeup, and dresses in such wonderful taste. Did I mention Ms Adichie she is just gorgeous. :)

Introduction: Ted Talk
Support: Books

Melissa Harris-Perry  - columnist, professor, and political scientist

Melissa Harris-Perry is the go to Black woman for me when it comes to Black women in academia.
I loved her talk on Sister Citizen and the politics of being a Black woman here in America. She expresses herself the way I have always wanted to. She speaks on race, gender, and politics in a very professional and academic manner. Her two books Sister Citizen and Barbershops, Bibles, and BET are on my wishlist as of now. Now there are some aspects in which I vehemently disagree with such as certain feminist and LGBQT talks, and I her insistence on calling herself a cisgendered person. But even with the disagreements I still respect and admire her and her work in academia overall.

Introduction: Sister Citizen
Support: Books