Bi-racial identity and what it means to be enough | Momoko Mandere | TEDxAfricanLeadershipAcademy

Momoko proposes the idea that there is more than one type of narrative within any society, any culture. That you have to tick-off all the boxes to be considered a whole part of the culture. I challenge the notion that "Africaness" looks a certain way, that "blackness" is defined by certain music and femininity can only be lived in a single way. I want to share the idea that the boxes we do not check, the awkward ways we do not fit into what our culture asks for are important because they add dimension to our societies. By existing outside of the narrative, we add complexity to the stories of our community. Momoko lives for the difficult questions . An aspiring poet and enthusiastic activist, she spends her days brooding and scribbling bad poetry in a battered notebook that has way too many coffee-spills on it. On days when she is not fervently debating political policies and the effects of globalization, she can be seen watching cat videos with the kind of rapt attention usually reserved for things other than balls of fluff and claws. Unflinching in her resolve, Momoko aims to leave the world a bit better than she found it. She dedicates her time to creating better systems to help her do so: whether through health policy within her campus or diplomatic discussions at conferences on the environment and the state of the African Union. Always ready for the next adventure, Momoko looks forward to a future of tackling taxes,Tinder and tyranny. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx