J. Yvette Tostado | Contributing Writer
The voice behind Beyoncé’s “Flawless”: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
You may have wondered about the person speaking in Beyoncé’s song, “Flawless.” Meet Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer wh
o educates people worldwide about feminism. According to Google, feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men. In Adichie’s TED Talk, she explains how 52 percent of the world’s population is female, yet in some countries, women are not being recognized as strong human beings who can do the same things as men, such as become the CEO of a company. She goes into depth into how the world is ruled by men politically and economically. She also talks about how women are expected to look and act a certain way because it is the way the world or men see them. According to Adichie, wearing heels and makeup promotes a stereotypical image of a woman. She embraces equality for men and women and focuses on how to raise children with that mindset. She believes a feminist can be a man or woman who acknowledges inequality and fixes it.
“I Am the Son of a Terrorist”: Zak Ebrahim
Zak Ebrahim is the son of El-Sayyod Nosair, an Egyptian-born American terrorist charged in the assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane. Nosair was convicted for involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as well as carrying firearms and explosives. Ebrahim explains in his TED Talk about growing up around his dad, moving around and getting older and realizing what his father and his uncles were doing. Ebrahim decided to challenge himself during his college life by becoming friends with a Jewish student and working with gay performers at Busch Gardens. With time, Ebrahim changed his name to end any kind of connection with his father. Instead of following in his dad’s footsteps, he chose to go a different way and help victims of terrorism. He chose a path of peace rather than committing hate crimes. He states, “I am not my father.” With that, he encourages people to be good to others without judgment.
“My Philosophy for a Happy Life”: Sam Berns
Sam Berns was a 17-year
-old boy who participated in usual activities such as marching band, like an average high school kid. Unfortunately, he could not do everything most of his peers could do because there was something holding him back. Berns had progeria, an extremely rare genetic disorder with symptoms resembling aging, but at a faster pace. As of May 2014, 114 children around the world were known to have it. In this TED talk, Berns explains that even though he has this rare disorder, he is living a very happy life.
His philosophy contains four simple points:
- Be OK with what you ultimately can’t do, because there is so much you can do.
- Surround yourself with people you want to be around.
- Keep moving forward.
- Never miss a party if you can help it.
Unfortunately, Berns did not get to accomplish his dream of studying biology in college as he died in early January this year. But he made the best of his life, and that is what he encouraged many to do.