Back to my roots, Thanks Beyonce

Throughout each year I add the names of books suggested by friends or people I admire to a running reading list. Lately, this list has become rather long because my thirst for reading has grown while my ability to plan out reading time to read has not. I blame this dilemma on my recent social media addiction. Instead of reading a book before going to sleep, I flip back and forth between Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

When I went home for Christmas, I was reminded that my church was once again participating in the modified Daniel Fast. For 21 days, members of the congregation pledge to give up sweets, alcohol and meat. The point of this fast is to feed your soul, strengthen your spirit and renew your body. I always believe this is a great way to begin the year so here I am participating again in 2014. In addition, I have decided to voluntarily add social media into the mix. By doing this, I know I will be adding more time to my hands seeing as I no longer have cable and rarely go out during the week, especially when temperatures reach below 30 degrees.

While listening to Beyonce's self-titled album (I've had this album on repeat for the last few weeks and you know there's a post about the sexual female empowerment she openly discusses coming), I kept repeating the interlude by Nigerian-born writer and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from the song 'Flawless.' The song excerpts the author’s TED Talk on feminism:

"We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller

We say to girls: “You can have ambition, but not too much

You should aim to be successful, but not too successful

Otherwise, you will threaten the man.”

Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage

I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is most important

Now, marriage can be a source of joy and low and mutual support

But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same?

We raise girls to see each other as competitors

Not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing

But for the attention of men

We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way boys are

Feminist: a person who believes in the social,

Political, and economic equality of the sexes"

I've been meaning to read 'Americanah' written by this author for a while now but Beyonce's latest self-titled album has pushed it to the top of my reading list. 

I just ordered the book and thanks to Amazon it will be here by Friday. 

Thanks Beyonce.