– or “Ten speakers you could invite once you graduate from the idea that strategies for successful resistance movements, the deconstruction of eurocentric imagery, mental decolonization and/or knowledge of pre-colonial sub-Sahara Africa are best presented by African-American men.”

Haru Mutasa – journalist, one of the Africa correspondents for Al Jazeera English
Dr. Yaba Blay – professor, producer, and publisher
Reni Eddo-Lodge – journalist
Anne Mazimhaka – co-founder and creative director of Illume
Nnedi Okorafor, PhD – novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism
Sean Jacobs – founder of Africa Is A Country
Cecile Emeke – film director, creator of Ackee & Saltfish and Strolling
Teju Cole – writer, art historian, and photographer
Christina Sharpe – associate prof. of English and Director of American Studies at Tufts University
Ava DuVernay – writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film

“No matter where you’re from… your dreams are valid.” I, too, donated many heartbeats to Lupita Nyong’o’s supernova of an acceptance speech and I think this cartoon completely undermines her power and relevance. Personally, I adore Nyong’o  for being Nyong’o and not for not being Minaj.

Why isn’t the trashcan filled with pictures of Chelsea Handler who, among other racist rubbish, Tweeted: “#AngelinaJolie just filed adoption papers #lupitanyongo #Oscars -@chelseahandler.” or with eurocentric magazines that continuously make too many Sisters question if their Black is beautiful? How about a trashcan filled with the faces of (casting) directors who would like to tell the stories of iconic, dark-skinned Black women but only if they can be portrayed by a woman with a much lighter skin tone.

I hope the artist isn’t implying that Nicki Minaj is the biggest bump in our roads towards visibility and representation and I absolutely detest the idea that to truly celebrate the magic of one Sister, we must denounce another. If the cartoon would have showed us an image of a little Black girl drawing dreams under the watchful eye of a Lupita Nyong’o poster like the picture below I’m sure that we wouldn’t only have gotten the point… we would live it.