Summary

The author’s introduction explains that the following essay has been adapted from a public lecture that the author gave in 2012. As her topic, she chose feminism, which she notes has been “limited by stereotypes” (3) in much the same way that stereotypes have limited the way Africa is represented in literature, media and popular culture. She remembers that she expected her talk to be unpopular, and felt surprised and hopeful when she received a standing ovation.

The author begins her essay with an anecdote from an argument she had when she was 14 years old with her friend, Okoloma, who has since died in a plane crash. Okoloma, the author remembers, was the first person to call her a feminist. Though she did not know the word, she knew immediately that the word was “not a compliment” since he said the word in...