She's Judging You, Houston

As a bookworm at heart, I ironically have not met many authors or attended a reading at a local bookstore. When I found out that the Houston Museum of African American Culture was bringing New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi, I jumped at the opportunity to see her. I had known about her off and on for the last few years, but she mainly caught my attention when her book came out last fall. Her first book, I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, is loosely based on posts on her popular blog, Awesomely Luvvie. She covers a myriad of topics in her book, including how to better handle pop culture, social issues, and technology and social media practices. Her humor was more than enough to convince me to buy a ticket.

 A few days prior to the event, HMAAC had sold so many tickets that they had to change the venue. Originally, it was going to take place at the museum, but instead, they booked the Shrine of the Black Madonna, in South Union. By the day of the event, the countless emails and notifications were heard loud and clear as hundreds of people, majority black women, made their way to the Shrine. Inside the sanctuary, there was an alternative religious feel, almost glorifying the black American experience than any majorly accepted deity.

After a slight delay, Luvvie appeared quietly. Everyone could see her, but there was a breath of silence before the audience round up their applause. I wanted to give a shout of excitement, given her level celebrity, but I decided to blend in with the crowd. Luvvie wasted no time getting into her lecture. She was pleasantly surprised at our warm response, and was thankful that we came to hear her speak.

Though she had a full experience of moving to the States at age 9 from Nigeria, her story started in college, when she was going to school in Chicago. Like most Nigerian kids, she was culturally convinced to pursue a medical profession. It wasn’t until she was in graduate school that she strayed far away from her parents' wishes, considering a career in writing. In her early years, she unknowingly gained traction on her blog, and by the early 2010s, she was gathering attention from Oprah and Shonda Rhimes and landing a major book deal.

The audience was completely captivated by her story, gaining inspiration with each risky step she took. The lecture had the air of a Baptist church service. Anytime she mentioned something that resonated with audience, mms and applause followed, along with hearty laughter at the realities of life. Her authenticity and openness was so relatable to the audience, many of us going through the same things as young, educated black women.

By the end of the lecture, we gave Luvvie a rousing round of applause, hearts filled with great hope that we all are doing great things if we take a couple of risks and a couple of leaps of faith.

Luvvie and I!

To Nigeria, With Love

Greenway Plaza is somewhat like a maze. The fact that a megachurch is part of the area is of no help, either. After I had to navigate myself through the nearby Saturday evening church crowd, I made my way to the Doubletree Hilton. As I took the escalator up from the parking garage, finely dressed melanated people came into view. I had made it to the Nigerian American Multicultural Council’s 6th annual Gala and Awards Show just in time for cocktail hour.

The gala and awards show highlighted the accomplishments the non-profit organization has made in the past year, as well as honored prominent members of the Nigerian community making a notable difference. Having just found out about the event the week before, I was thrilled to join and take a deeper look into an organization I had also found out about the same day. Gala guests donned a mix of formal and traditional Nigerian attire, with its dazzling designs, bright colors, intricate details, and even some sparkle. Local artists and a few other vendors were able to showcase their artwork, offering some up for sale.

My ensemble for the evening.

The theme of this year’s gala: Building Unity. The meaning was twofold, as one could interpret building stronger connections within the Nigerian community, and also, they are raising funds for a brand-new multicultural center, the first of its kind. There is a related predecessor, the Igbo Catholic Community center in southwest Houston. NAMC, however, is focused more on unifying all Nigerians, no matter what tribe. Such a building would be so fitting in Houston, given the overwhelmingly large Nigerian population, the most of any city in the U.S. outside of New York City.

I was beyond excited to discover that the host of the evening was a woman of new celebrity. Nigerian-born actress Yvonne Orji is most famous for her role on the HBO series Insecure, a show that virtually took off instantly. I admire her as an actress and as a woman in real life, so I was looking forward to possibly meeting her.

Ms. Orji and I #instagramfilter

Nigerian jollof rice. Yum.

Nigeria is pretty dense with different groups of people.

I am what you would consider an honorary Nigerian. Since one of my best friends is a first-generation Nigerian-American, I have learned quite a bit about the overall culture and sub-cultures for the last decade. When Yvonne made a cultural joke about the struggles of being a single woman with anxious parents, I was able to understand and laugh about it with everyone else. One highlight of the gala, besides being served Nigerian jollof rice, was the slide show running throughout the dinner, showing the different tribes Nigeria is comprised of. I was so delighted to learn even more about this densely cultural country in west Africa.

The honorees ranged from the founder of Glazed Doughnuts, a doctor who conducted a successful fetal surgery, and Ms. Orji herself, for representing her home country in everything she does. Her acceptance speech was what pulled everything together for me. It’s no secret that the American Dream is the dream of many immigrants that grace our shores. While many people are away from their homeland, that homeland is never far from the heart. According to Yvonne, what keeps her going is “the love of God and country.” I was touched by how Nigerians constantly support each and keep their culture alive and well within another country. My ancestors did not get the chance to pass language, food, and family values down from generation to generation, so I have a deeper appreciation for a people, some away from many loved ones, striving and thriving for the people and country they represent and love so much.

If you would like to learn more about the Nigerian American Multicultural Council, you can visit them online at namchouston.org.