#RememberingOurselves - Mayowa Omogbenigun

picture sent by Mayowa 

Describe yourself in three words

African. Woman. Feminist

 What are you afraid of?

I’m afraid that I’ll sell my sense of self for money, success and popularity. To me there is nothing more important than being the truest possible version of yourself, no matter what that is. 

What is love to you?

Love is acceptance, understanding, support and most of all, respect. 

What is freedom to you?

For me freedom is of course being able to exercise your human rights but it is also being able to educate yourself, be aware of your environment and your current situation and of course, being able to ‘be yourself’.

What are you passionate about?

I think I have quite an obsessive personality so I’m passionate about a number of different things all the time but; I think constant passions in my life are writing, feminism, conversations around racial equality and African literature. 

What is happiness to you?

Happiness is so abstract and difficult to define exactly. For me happiness is a feeling not of complacency but of satisfaction. So in that sense it’s not like you’re happy one day and sad the next. For me, happiness is a period of time in your life when you’re in a state of satisfaction.

 What is beautiful to you?

This might sound really silly and untrue but to me everything is beautiful. There’s beauty in everything from anger, dirt and decay to women, babies and love. Everything on earth was created (even the bad stuff) and why create something ugly? Most of the time, even in the ‘ugliest’ things I can see something beautiful.

Who are you?

I know people say who you are is not your name but I think for me it is. I am so attached to my name and what I’ve built up my identity to be.  With my name comes a woman who is still trying to figure out her place in life, her opinions, goals and things she loves. Mayowa is passionate and eager to live life and learn.

 Any favourite quotes and why?

I’m not a ‘quotes’ person. I see a cool quote and I think wow that’s really cool but then I forget about it in an instant. I read a lot but I don’t remember any quotes, even the ones I swore to live by. 

Favourite food?

I’m not a person with favourites. One day I love something and the next I forget all about it. I love food and it’s just seems unfair to have to come up with a favourite. 

 Favourite film?

I know I said I didn’t have favourites but my favourite movie has to be Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2. I find a woman avenging her killers and the death of her child oddly empowering. 

 What ethnicity are you?

African, Nigerian, Yoruba?

Where are you from?

I’m Nigerian and my father is from Ekiti State so I guess so am I as well. 

What does this mean to you?

I really do respect Aramide and the work she does so this means a lot to me. I love answering personal questions that I rarely allow myself to think about.