Black. British. Feminist.

Although I didn't see her, Angela Davis
was also on campus that same day.

On November 28th 2014, I got paid to attend a talk at my university on which the topic was 'Black British Feminism'.

Okay, it wasn't exactly like that. I was working at the event through my student ambassador job but I would have gone to it anyway. It just so happened that I was asked to work that day. What followed were two hours of inspiring, moving and revolutionary talks from Sara Ahmed, Joan Anim-Addo (who is the professor of Caribbean Women's Writing at my university), Claudia Bernard and Heidi Mirza.

The stage was set. The lights were dimmed. The audience hushed. The heater was a beautiful invention that I stuck to like it was giving me life.

Unfortunately, because I was working I wasn't able to take any notes on the talks, which was disappointing. All I could do was stand in the shadows and listen to these women talk about how they came to understand where they fit in a society that had rejected them. I listened to them talk about stretching the limits of their society, stretching the narrow misconceptions that followed them around like a dark cloud. I listened to them talk about the books that kept them going throughout their childhood, adulthood and day-to-day lives.

I learnt so much from those four strong women, the self-professed feminists, in such a small amount of time. Around me I could feel the aura of respect flowing from the audience towards the stage. In the Q & A portion of the evening, the room became a community of lost souls, all searching for a way to unite and stand together.

Although I had to leave before the event was finished (it ran over time and my supervisor ushered me and the other girl working out of the room in a misguided attempt to "save" us), I like to think they reached some sort of understanding. I like to think everyone there came to an unspoken agreement on how they were going to perceive the world, and what they were going to do about the world's perception of them.

I also like to think I'll have time to read some of the work written by Sara Ahmed, Joan Anim-Addo, Claudia Bernard and Heidi Mirza. Too bad I know I won't have free time until May 2015. Ah well. I'll just keep adding to my ever-growing to-read book list.