Trailblazers: Letters to my Younger Self

Feb 7, 2020

Guest

Afua Hirsch

In this captivating discussion, Bonnie Greer, Shappi Khorsandi, Eniola Aluko, and Afua Hirsch share heartfelt letters to their younger selves. They touch on childhood trauma, the struggle with identity, and the importance of authenticity. The speakers reflect on the power of growth and vulnerability, while also addressing societal pressures and imposter syndrome. Their journeys illuminate the unique challenges faced by women of color, emphasizing resilience and empowerment through storytelling and personal experiences.

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ANECDOTE

Childhood in Chicago

Bonnie Greer reflects on her childhood in 1950s Chicago, marked by gang violence and societal pressures on Black women.
She hid her menstruation from her mother due to societal expectations of silence.

ADVICE

Embrace Independence

Greer advises her younger self to embrace independence and question her authenticity.
She emphasizes cutting ties with limiting influences, like family or culture, with gratitude.

ADVICE

Overcoming Childhood Trauma

Clara Amfo advises her younger self to stop negative self-talk and accept that childhood trauma isn't her fault.
She highlights the importance of self-love and recognizing external factors influencing one's perception.

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For the second installment of our Trailblazers series, Intelligence Squared has partnered with gal-dem to bring together a collection of outstanding women – and their letters – to our stage.

If you could offer insight and advice to your younger self, what would you say? Oprah Winfrey, when she was 58, wrote these words to her 19-year-old self:

‘Dear beautiful brown-skinned girl… The truth is, he’s intimidated. You don’t know this, though, because you can see yourself only through his eyes. A lesson you will have to learn again and again: to see yourself with your own eyes, to love yourself from your own heart’.

Maya Angelou, at the age of 85, had this advice for her 15-year old self:

‘Find some beautiful art and admire it, and realize that that was created by human beings just like you, no more human, no less’.

Advice like that has both universal resonance and specific relevance to women of colour. Most people have fallen in love, discovered the power of art and wondered whether they have the capacity to achieve great things. But women of colour have to contend with unique experiences. Many feel the sting of erasure when they are young – not seeing themselves in literature, on TV or occupying positions of power. Growing up can be lonely and even more so if you feel left out of predominantly white or male spaces. Perhaps reading a letter by someone with shared experiences would help you to feel less alone in your struggle and more at home in your joy.

In the second installment of our Trailblazers series, Intelligence Squared has partnered with gal-dem to bring together a collection of outstanding women – and their letters – to our stage. They range from playwright Bonnie Greer and writer Afua Hirsch to footballer Eni Aluko and comedian Shappi Khorsandi. The event will be chaired by BBC Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo.

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