Why can't black women on stage tell stories that can affect white men in the audience?
I work with writers whom I believe to be true storytellers. And because I'm a writer, I pay very keen attention to their vision. I find that so fueling creatively because, in telling those stories, you use everything you've got. You come away with battle scars. It's gratifying and invigorating.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the deep connection and creative energy that comes from collaborating with true storytellers.
Danai Gurira highlights the value of working with talented writers who are genuine storytellers. She discusses the intense creative process involved in bringing stories to life, which can be challenging yet fulfilling. The 'battle scars' she refers to symbolize the struggles and perseverance faced during this creative endeavor, while the invigorating nature of storytelling illustrates the joy and satisfaction derived from artistic collaboration.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, you might use this quote to inspire participants to embrace their creative journeys.
More from Danai Gurira
All quotes →I want to see women of African descent shine.
There’s a saying in Africa, if you give a woman empowerment, you empower a community, you empower men, you empower man. When women become empowered and live in their strength it’s beneficiary to others, and I think as young women today we sometimes forget that we are standing on the struggle of other women. Those women had to stand up to make a change, and they were not popular, and now we’re making them unpopular again.
I often feel like a nutty professor, like I'm going to try this experiment and see if it works. My hypothesis is, people in the West can absorb African women stories without any shaken or stirred mixer. It can come directly from the source.
I'm not only a person of color, I'm also a woman. And I'm not only a woman, I'm also a woman from the Third World. All those elements put together means I have a lot to do.
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