The Problem, The Solution, The Remaining Feelings

Ifemelu suggests that if white Americans want to learn about race, they should “[t]ry listening” (406).  Read the whole of the blog entry in which Ifemelu’s comment appears (403-406). What do we learn if we listen to Ifemelu?

In Americanah, we learn through one of Ifemulu’s blog posts about her beliefs that the suffering of American Blacks in America is, and has always been uniquely worse than anywhere else in the world, and that being accepting of this idea is a step forward in the right direction to potentially bridging the gap between the oppressed and non-oppressed. Ifemulu is steadfast in her opinion that black people have historically experienced more extreme adversity in America than other racial groups around the world. She claims that although “Everyone in the world has suffered.”, they have “not suffered precisely because you [they] are an American Black.” (Adichie 403). While she acknowledges that other ethnic groups around the world have experienced hardships, none are quite like the obstacles that African Americans have had to go through, as due solely to the color of their skin, black people have had to endure hundreds of years of oppression. This is also a direct portrayal of Ifemulu’s attribution to colorism and African features (a recurring theme throughout the novel) as a cause of adversity for black people, and how we learn her conviction that features such as hair and skin tone alone have made their hardships significantly more extreme than just hierarchical oppression. Throughout the blog post, she refutes every comment that “American Non-Blacks”, specifically white people, would have in opposition to the idea that she presents. In doing so, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses Ifemulu as a platform to express the idea that if white people can be open to her notion instead of formulating reasons as to why it cannot be true, then there is potential for greater understanding between the two parties. Ifemulu suggests to “Try listening”, and to “ask questions” because  “people just want to feel heard.” (Adichi 406). While she believes that this is the first step in bridging the gap between the two groups, she ends her blog with “Here’s to possibilities of friendship and connection and understanding.” (Adichie 406). The use of the word “possibilities” indicates that she will always have a sense of animosity towards white people, as she is not set in having a lasting connection with her American Non-Black audience, rather only offering it as a potential occurrence. In the end, we learn that Ifemulu, despite not being from America, has fully acknowledged the African American struggle. From this blog post, we can also gather that while she believes that there will always be a fundamental misunderstanding between the oppressed and non-oppressed, listening to the struggles of African Americans is the first step to a common understanding among all people, which is her end goal.