It was great joining Njideka Akunyili Crosby — a gifted Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist — to unveil our first portrait together. This piece reflects so many chapters of Michelle and my story, and we’re thrilled that it will be on display in the Hope and Change lobby at the Obama Presidential Center starting this Juneteenth.
If I was created in Gods image.
In my entire existence in this human journey, what have I created? What would mark my existence here after I’m gone. Thoughts having sleepless nights over….
Witches call it spells.
Christian's call it prayer.
Spiritualists call it manifestation.
Atheists call it the placebo effect.
Scientists call it quantum physics.
Everyone's arguing over its name. No one is denying its existence.
Thank you for giving us meaningful, conscious music . We’ve grown tired of shallow, superficial sounds, real talent will always speak for itself. You’ve just gained a new fan 🙌🏽
Intelligent people struggle with addiction. Their minds need more. They have obsessions nobody around them shares. Philosophy. Astronomy. Dostoevsky. Jazz. Quantum physics. Things they know deeply. Things they've gone so deep into that anything else feel like small talk. And small talk feels like suffocation. So... they drink. Work until 2 am. Doomscroll until they're numb. Because there is a gap. A gap between who you are and the conversations available to you. And it's one of the loneliest places a person can live.
All of you GenZ’s and unlearned millennials that clown Nigeria asking mockingly “why are we even called Giant of Africa, self?” this is why!
In the 60s-90s, Nigeria was literally Africa’s sugar daddy, $20m here, $10m there, and so on and so forth to other African countries! we didn’t only talk about Pan-Africanism we put our money where our mouth was.
Also, at independence, many African countries didn’t have as many educated professionals as Nigeria. In a lot of African countries that gained independence after us from 1963 onwards, the first chief justice, auditor general, surgeon general, vice chancellors of universities were all Nigerians! The first black chief justice of Botswana was Akinola Aguda, the first black chief justice of Gambia was Emmanuel Ayoola, when the portuguese left Mozambique in the 70s Nigerian health care officers (doctors and nurses) were sent to shore up their healthcare system from collapse bcos they just didn’t have enough qualified doctors. after all said and done we sent over 10,000 professionals across africa and the carribeans to help them incubate their newly independent nations
should we even talk about the ECOMOG troops in the 90s that 70% majorly funded (spent over $3b+) and equipped by Nigeria with Nigerian soldiers forming 75% of the peacekeeping force? ECOMOG led by us was highly responsible for ending the Liberian and Sierra Leonean civil wars.
I won’t even go into details of what Nigeria contributed to the South African anti-apartheid efforts!
Nigeria gave and gave and forgot to pay attention to its own development and today we’ve become the pariah amongst nations!
@Ozedikus Like if you know the beginning from the end that means you know who’d go to hell and who who’d go to heaven. So me going to hell is not my choice? Wow
This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write - and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end.