Times are a Changin'

Because I’m going through a transition time in my life, I’ve decided to discontinue this blog.  I hope to start blogging again soon but possibly on a different platform that will allow me to express who I am more easily! Keep you posted. Thanks for everything guys!

Nigeria Arising

Abuja at Sun Down

If you’ve been following this blog you know that in June of 2014 I traveled to Nigeria. The trip, which I wrote a lot of blog post about, was absolutely incredible and is still the peak of my life so far.

It has been almost a year since I was in Nigeria and since then, I have been working on the documentary about Nigeria, which I filmed while I was there. And now (drumroll please) it is finally complete!

What inspired the creation of this film started with the innate need to discover a part of me that I proudly claimed but did not fully understand, that being the Nigerian side of me. I knew from experiences such as meeting fellow Nigerian Americans, interacting with my Nigerian family, and even seeing Nigerians like Chimamanda Adichie, David Oyelowo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor rise in America, that there was something special about the culture I was from. But at the same time I was being bombarded by conflicting images of Nigeria; the ones I saw in the news of the slums, terrorist attacks, corruption, and chaos! I knew that I was making a judgment about Nigeria based on fragmented pieces of knowledge but I wanted the full picture so that I could fully understand the place and culture I was from. To do that, I needed to go to Nigeria…and when I did, I found so much more than I could have imagined.

I shot over 100hrs of footage while in Nigeria and I wish my documentary could elucidate every piece of my trip, but a 100hr documentary is not possible (sorry!)…I do hope however, that this 10min documentary allows you to catch a glimpse of the people and country I claim so proudly to be a part of.

Check out my mini documentary called “Nigeria Arising”

 

THANK YOU to all the interviewees, sponsors, friends, and family who made this project possible and have taught me little about NIGERIAN PRIDE. My wish is that you learn something from this film and feel compelled to share it with others.

*Because I had to limit this film to 10min unfortunately not all of the interviews could be included! I do hope to make short follow up videos featuring some of my experiences in Nigeria not shown in this documentary.

Happy Women's Day! 20 Inspirational Quotes From Badass Feminist Trailblazers

It’s March 8th which means…Happy International Women’s Day! But don’t even try to limit us women to just one day of celebration! You may not know this but March is also Women’s History Month, that means you get 31 full days to delve into the history of women! To be honest,  that is by no means enough time, but  it may be just enough for you  to learn something about the women of this world that you didn't know before! 

In honor of today's very important celebration, my friends over at BUST compiled a list of awesome quotes from our favorite feminist trailblazers. You know, the badass ladies who impacted (and are impacting) our history in unforgettable ways. From Jane Austen to Malala Yousafzai, these women have inspired us to stand up and fight for what we believe in. And here’s to many more years of celebrating YOU, lovely readers! Because, well, you rock and are totally inspirational for us as well.

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"At some point I was a happy African feminist who does not hate men and who likes to wear lip gloss and high heels for herself and not for men." 

2. Beyonce

 "We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead."  

3. Cheris Kramarae“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”

4. Malala Yousafzai"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”

5. Annie Lennox“We all fight over what the label 'feminism' means but for me it's about empowerment. It's not about being more powerful than men - it's about having equal rights with protection, support, justice. It's about very basic things. It's not a badge like a fashion item.”

6. Audre Lorde“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

7. Gloria Steinem“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”

8. Hillary Clinton“Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard.”  

9. Maya Angelou“I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now. It’d be stupid not to be on my own side.”

10. Betty Friedan “No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor.”  

11. Mindy Kaling"I always get asked, ‘Where do you get your confidence?’ I think people are well meaning, but it’s pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, ‘You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You’re not skinny, you’re not white, you’re a woman. Why on earth would you feel like you’re worth anything?"

>>> Continue Reading All 20 Quotes at Bust.com 

About BUST: With an attitude that is fierce, funny, and proud to be female, BUST provides an uncensored view on the female experience. BUST tells the truth about women's lives and presents a female perspective on pop culture. BUSTing stereotypes about women since 1993.

The Rise of Ava DuVernay & The Black Female Film Era

Ava DuVernay is the Black female director that has recently received a lot of buzz for directing the critically acclaimed movie Selma. But  way before the bright  lights were cast on her; I looked to her as a role model. I hold her in high esteem because she is one of the only Black females who are making waves in the film industry. She is an example of the type of person many of us Black women I aspire to be.

About four years ago I heard a short segment on National Public Radio about some female African American filmmaker that was receiving attention for a couple of her films. The moment I heard the words Black- Female-Director I was astounded! Never in my life had I heard those words together in one sentence! I did a Google search; I visited her website, her Wikipedia page and viewed the trailers of the few films she had made. I was curious about her story, I continued to repeat “wow this is the first time ever I am hearing about a black… female… director” and it seemed to me as if she would really have a  shot at a successful career.

I was right. The next year (2012) she was interviewed on National Public Radio again, this time to celebrate becoming the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival for her film Middle of Nowhere.

Seeing Ava become the first Black woman to win that award felt amazing but at I was also thinking seriously - it took this long?  I realize that there are not  many black or female filmmakers out there. Let’s be honest, if you ask people to name successful black directors they may only come up with two names Tyler Perry and Spike Lee. Ask them to name females and you might get Kathryn Bigelow (the director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty [yes a woman directed those film]) There should be more out there! I know there are more out there!

Being an artist, creator, someone who likes to lead and wanting a career as an actress and director, Ava is a huge encouragement and guide that it is possible. She is not just influencing African Americans and those within the film industry, she is also  opening the eyes of society and making it acceptable to watch films by black or female filmmakers.

Over my past four years in high school I have watch Ava DuVernay rise. Just as I am getting ready to graduate so is she. As the director of the critically acclaimed movie Selma, nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar, she is headed for the film equivalent of the Ivy’s. It is very exciting! It is like watching a family member win the lottery.

For the first time in film history I have someone that represents me and someone that I see myself in. The fact that society is now able to say, although you don’t look like Steven Spielberg or Quentin  Tarantino you are going to make it, we will support you, you will do great things - it is a huge sign of progress. As Lupita Nyong’o said last year at the Oscars “your dreams are valid” and Ava DuVernay’s success affirms that. We are making amazing progress and I am so excited to be alive at a time like this. I hope to see more women like DuVernay take the lead, and I hope that one day I too can be an example for young black women as she has been for me. 

Like many of you, I am extremely disappointed that DuVernay was not nominated for an Academy Award!!! But With Lupita Nyong’o’s  Oscar win, Uzo Aduba’s Emmy, and the success of Shonda Rhimes I still have hope that we are  not far from an African American Female winning Best Director sometime soon. 

Feminist Music Revival

2014 has been a great year for women in the music industry. We've seen new artists like Meghan Trainor redefine body image and rappers like Iggy Azaela break stereotypes. Women in music are finally pushing beyond what is expected of them. Today they are reflecting the beautiful, flawless, bad-ass, queens and hard working bosses out there  that are much more than any single word (or song for that matter) can define. Here's an empowering playlist showcasing the many faces of women by feminist music revivalists. 

Feminist Music Revival Playlist

The Loss of a Phenomenal Woman

On May 28th 2014 the world lost a beautiful and phenomenal woman. 

With the strength of her words and the depth of her voice Maya Angelou changed the world. 

I feel as if I have lost a mother; her work spoke to me like no other author had. I read her book "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" in 8th grade. I recited "I Know Why The Bird Caged Sings" (the poem)  and placed the text on the last page of my middle school scrap book. In my freshman year of high school I recited "Still I Rise" for a local celebration of black history. I still know all the words today...

"You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise." 

~ my favorite line from "Still I Rise" 

When I became a self proclaimed activist for the feminist movement, who was there at the door with her words... 

"I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me."

~ From poem "Phenomenal Woman"

Today I am listening to an old interview Maya Angelou had with Terry Gross. Her resonant voice reverberates through me. At the moment I feel sad, but I also feel sense of contentment as I feel energy and love from her even though she is gone.

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."

Maya Angelou: A remarkable individual, a phenomenal woman, a spirited writer. She is a light in my heart and a voice in my mind. She will always be remembered.

2 Weeks Until Nigeria – The Best and the Worst

 

Back in March I briefly mentioned a little bit about planning a trip to Nigeria and since then my plans have come very far. I am leaving for Nigeria at the end of this month and I will be there until the middle of July, which is about (let me calculate) a good (long) six weeks!

 

Right now, I’m in the kitchen, with the windows wide open, typing on my laptop and listening to Lauren Hill on Pandora…I should probably be bringing out my suitcases so I can begin packing, but this week I just completed the last of my AP exams and I just feel like doing nothing but reveling in the beautiful spring weather.

 

So yaaaaas, Nigeria! It feels very surreal. I haven’t been to Nigeria since I was three - an experience of which I have no memory of! So basically, I’m going to Nigeria blindly and without any expectations, but I’m very excited because I have finally been given the opportunity to go – something I’ve dreamt of for as long as I can remember.

Even greater than just an opportunity to travel, this trip will serve as my high school senior project for which I will be creating a film. I plan to document all the things I see, do and lean as well as all the people I meet.

 

As this is my senior project, all the effort to make this trip happen rests solely on me (yes they work us hard in school!), including raising the funds to make it happen (part of the senior learning experience).
If you feel inclined to help make this film as great as possible, I have set up a funding raising account where you can sponsor my project by donating as much or as little as you want. If you do, I will be eternally grateful :) and your name will appear in the credits of my film under sponsors! The link bellow will take you to the page where you can support me and learn more.

http://www.gofundme.com/takeme2-Africa

 

 

For those of you that have been listening to the news, you may have noticed that my trip correspond with a time of great difficulty in Nigeria; on April 14th , over 200 school girls were kidnapped by the Boko Haram - an Islamist extremist group, and have still not been returned. My mind can’t even conceive what this  really means because it’s so foreign from anything in have ever experienced, but because these girls are around my age and are from a place I am about to go to,  I feel a bit of the pain that their kidnapping has caused. People have questioned if it’s wise for me to continue my trip to Nigeria at a time like this, but I could think of no better time; when a nation is faced with the worst, people tend come together at their best. If you look around you can already see how this is happening one a global scale as people have started movements such as the #bringbackourgirls campaign. Going to Nigeria  I’m going to have a firsthand look at what people are coming together to do.

 

Nigeria is a place of depth and culture and I am soooo ready to experience it for myself. The countdown has begun, TWO WEEKS… AGHHHH, maybe I should start packing…

 

Love and Light

Oh! How I Love My Della x Vans

At the beginning of 2014 the fashion line Della teamed up with Vans to create line of unique and amazing sneakers.  Since spotting these shoes on africanprintsinfashion.com I’ve been craving a pair, luck for me my wish came true when I received them for my birthday and  I must say, they are soooo dope!!!

Not only are the sneakers cute but they are changing the world! Della the Los Angeles-based fashion line is a women-owned and women-run business that works directly with a community of women in Ghana, West Africa by providing them with jobs in handcrafting each of their products. And as you know, since I’m all for women empowerment,  I highly suggest you grab your own unique pair at vans.com/della and check out many other of their shoes, bags, and accessories over at dellala.com  

“Women in the World of Media” a Documentary

In November I wrote a post  about a little documentary film I was working on, that I would be entering into the Girls Impact the World Film Fest scholarship competition, and now (drum roll please)… I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE the premiere of  my short documentary “Women in the World of Media”!!!

Not only do I hope to win this competition but I also hope that this video has an impact, no matter how modest, in bringing about a change. That is where YOU come in! I NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  Every share makes another aware! So WATCH IT, LIKE, COMMENT and most importantly…SHARE to vote for my video! It’s up to us to be the change!!!

Watch the video below and/or GO TO THIS LINK bit.ly/SHARETWEET to watch and VOTE by sharing and tweeting!

Film Synopsis: The Media influences the way our society views women and how women view themselves. Before starting on this documentary I hadn't been aware of  just how great this  influence was and  I realized that most women are unaware as well. In this documentary I uncover the truth about the portrayal of women in the media,  ask real women how they are affected by this portrayal and, most importantly, reveal how our society can take steps to better represent women as leaders, cultivators, and innovators.  It's up to us  women  to take back control, come forward, and bring about change so that we are being heard and represented honestly. I had a blast making this film! Special thanks to all of those  who participated or contributed something in making it, couldn't have done it without you!!! We are going to make a difference, if you have ant questions or want to know what more you can do to help, leave a comment. xoxo -Summer

Click here to view my previous post on Girls Impact the World.

Girls Impact the World

A few weeks ago I started on a documentary. I am entering it in the Girls Impact the World Film Festival held by an amazing organization called Connecther, which works to raise awareness about issues facing women today such as education, domestic violence, health care, sex trafficking, and many other topics.
 
To be honest, when I started this project I was only thinking about how much fun I would have interviewing and editing. I imagined the cheesy smile I would have on my face when I walked away with the grand cash prize. But as I sat into the project and started researching, I began to see that these issues are real and affect us women everyday more than we are aware. This project became something more.
 
Media: the shows, movies and YouTube videos you watch, music you listen to, games you play, magazines you read; it’s everywhere. If you’re an average person you consume 10hrs of media a day (yeah right, it’s more than that if you carry around your smart phone). In consuming this amount we have come to a time when we are no longer influencing the media, the media is influencing, shaping, and distorting our perceptions of the world.
 
This is when I asked myself – how am I represented in the media, how are women represented in the media? I looked around and absolutely hated what I saw and so my video topic “women and girls in media” was born.
 

“Today 78% of women by the age of 17 are unhappy with their bodies”

Do you realize that 100% of women you see in the media are fake! Look, I am not over exaggerating, if you flip through any magazine the women are stick skinny – but curvy. They are smiling – without smile lines. The only ads I could find that showed untouched/normal looking women were the Dove’s Campaign for Real Women ads and a Clarisonic skin care ad that proudly stated “non-retouched image” at the bottom.
 
As obvious as it may seem that these images are false, in the moment when women are flipping through these magazine pages they can’t help but compare themselves to these images. This is why today 78% of women by the age of 17 are unhappy with their bodies and 90% of all eating disorders are suffered by women. Something needs to change.
 

“The media doesn’t focus on the big speech she gave or the big difference she’s making - oh noooo - they are only concerned about how big her tits looked!”

But this issue of Media, it doesn’t just stop at body image. I watched a documentary called Miss Representation and  I was woken up to the fact that the  media really undermines us women. Women are portrayed as the ditz, bombshell, damsel, or bitch. We are sexualized and objectified, and the few times women are the protagonist or leader they are stone hearted and cold. And have you noticed that when a woman becomes a leader in our society, the media doesn’t focus on the big speech she gave or the big difference she’s making - oh noooo - they are only concerned about how big her tits looked, what she is wearing, what her hair is like, and how good her fashion consciousness is. 

How does this affect the everyday woman? Well from an early age we watch things like The Little Mermaid where Ariel, who is really little (probably a size 000) swims around showing her cleavage in her seashell bra. How about Cinderella, she’s a girl that’s chasing her dreams (except her only goal in life to marry the prince). I’m not trying to hate. I love these movies. However, my point is we girls are conditioned from early on to value prettiness, sexiness, and pleasing others over being a leader, being independent, and reaching our own goals.
 

“Media can be an instrument of change”

As a girl who wants to impact the world, through this video competition I will be working to produce a documentary featuring empowering women and discussing how women are misrepresented in the media. But most importantly I want to make people aware of ways in which our society can work to represent women as we truly are! Katie Couric said “media can be an instrument of change” and it can if we take back control and be the change. 

My documentary will be released here in a couple of weeks! When it is, do your part to make a difference by sharing - every share makes another aware! Also what should I title my video? If you have any ideas leave a comment!
 
For more info on this competition and women in media check out:
www.connecther.org
www.film.missrepresentation.org

A Lesson in Flying High

What do you do when someone takes their own life? How do you react when someone who once roamed the same hallways and went through the same day  is no longer there? I didn't know Alexis, but how is it that I was living my life as someone else's life was getting so bad that they went and ended it?

I want to say sorry, I wish so much that I could have been there, I wish I could have held your hand, I wish I could have cried with you through your pain, instead of through your passing.
 
It was all too surreal. Around me people were feeling pain and loss, but I didn't know how to face it. I couldn't feel. I didn't know what to feel. For a couple days I pretended it hadn't happened. But at some point I completely came undone.
 
I learned that the right response isn't to pretend it didn't happen; it is to prevent something like this from happening again. 

A very brave girl I know taught me this. She stood in front of a room full of people and told us Alexis’s story and with strength and courage she told us her own story too. In those five minutes that she spoke she changed me, she made me realize that the kid with the smile isn't  always the happiest. I cried because I wished  I would have known before. Alexis was gone, but the girl who had a similar story was standing before me and changing my life,  and in seeing how far she'd come, I realized that it's never too late.  From now on I'll be there, I'll listen, and I'll hold even the person that appears to be smiling, because you just never know what someone is going through.

If everyone took the time to look beyond themselves and make the life of someone else a little better we could save so many lives.

    Appreciate the people who are in our lives,
    Be there for them not only at their highest points, but also at their lowest times,
    Tell someone who can get them help,
    and Love them even on the days you think they don't deserve it,
    because that day could make all the difference.

These are the lessons I've learned from Alexis.

Loss can sometimes teach us more than life. I've changed and grown through this along with so many others. I would really like to hear what you have to say, share what you’ve learned and  how you’ve changed  by commenting on this post. It's up to each of us as individuals to prevent things like this from happening again.

Thanks and with love, Summer