Mekdela, Cultural Producer & Social Influencer



Mekdela, Cultural Producer & Social Influencer
(or what I want my legacy to be)

Cultural production

1. The social processes involved in the generation and circulation of cultural forms, practices, values and shared understandings. (Oxford Reference)

2. The work of the culture industry. (Oxford Reference)

Social Influence(r)

1. The change in behavior that one person causes in another, intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of the way the changed person perceives themselves in relation to the influencer, other people and society in general. (ChangingMinds.org)

2. Today's fashion bloggers and Instagram starlets, as defined by The Committee of Advertising Practise's guidelines for social influencers. (British Vogue)


I may not have a large social media following or celebrity status; nevertheless, here is what makes me a cultural producer and social influencer.

I have been a social and racial justice organizer and activist from a young age as a result of my lived experiences. I came of age as the daughter of immigrant refugees in an upper middle class neighborhood that would be classified as white. Not even newly acquired class privilege could protect me from the social exclusion brought about by these circumstances. Little did I know then that my identities (Black African, second-generation immigrant, woman of color), would ensure that social exclusion would become a pattern throughout my life. This has helped shape me into a fierce advocate, organizer, activist and blogger.

I have written about my beginnings as a body positive activist and member of the Plus-Size community. When I was younger, in middle school, I hated my body. I understood from the media and social cues that to be desirable was to be thin and I was devastated that I was overweight. One day, against the chorus of popular opinion, I decided that I would accept myself, because if I didn't believe in myself, no one would (the same goes for love and respect). I began living my life, acting and dressing as if I was beautiful along with a whole host of other plus-size people, and commodified/co-opted or not, we created a movement that has changed our cultural landscape. We collectively began the process to redefine what is socially acceptable and valued in our culture.

My lived experiences have shaped me into a racial/social justice advocate. I advocated for policies like affirmative action which were hotly contested in my middle class area. I have dedicated my life to educating any and everyone who will listen on structural and institutional racism in the United States and around the world or why people of color are not on equal footing with white people. I aspire to use my knowledge and experience to be a leader for my Ethiopian diaspora community, second-generation immigrants and Third Culture people. Since my parents immigrated to the U.S., they did not always have the tools to guide me through the obstacles that were placed in my way. That meant that I had to figure out how to navigate this tricky road myself at times. I write this blog to inspire and help others in similar positions to navigate their own ways though difficulties. 

Through this blog I have created a platform to redefine myself, my communities and struggles that are not biased, Western depictions. Through Black Immigrants, Diaspora Blues, Afrika is Not a Country and many other blog posts I have reclaimed my narrative and influenced the national and global conversation. My lived experiences led me to double major in Legal Studies and Feminist Studies in college. My college degrees do not make me: I took my lived experiences and supplemented this knowledge with academic theory written by people of color that lived through similar things. Much to my delight, I was able to learn critical race and gender theory from women of color, queer and radical professors that I am indebted to up to this day. However, after leaving this safe cocoon and entering the real world I became aware that the mainstream U.S. (and Western) discourse around social justice struggles is still centered on white women. I am proud to be one of the people and women of color working to change that fact. I will forever be grateful for the people and women of color that paved the way. 

Hyphenated Ethiopian third culture kid. Twitter: @moonchereka

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