February 18, 2025
Q & A with Hummingbird Feminist Disability Coalition member Blessing Nwodo
How do you stay motivated and resilient in the face of systemic barriers and challenges?
"Resilient" is becoming a dirty word because of how often it’s used to describe struggling Black women, instead of offering them the assistance they sorely need. I have no cookie-cutter answer. I too am devastated by the state of the world, and actively seeking power sources. However, what has worked for me is showing up for my friends, and community. We are going to need each other in these times. Lean into your anger, especially if you’re a woman. Anger has been branded as bitterness for women, but your anger is justified. Seek justice in little ways, like reaching out to a newcomer. Create and support art whenever you can.
How does your cultural heritage influence the way you approach advocacy and activism?
In hard times, Africans never forget to sing and dance together. I use this in my advocacy and activism in so many ways. One is creating short, rhythmic chants for kids when I teach them about feminism. I have also used this to render the Chilean feminist chant to Pidgin English, for a nationwide protest against Rape in Nigeria.
What systemic changes do you hope to see in Canada to support Black individuals with Disabilities?
We need to take actionable steps to rectify different kinds of socio-economic imbalances. For instance, finding employment in Canada is already hard if you’re racialized and marginalized, without factoring in the additional difficulty of doors remaining closed if you have no connections, or what people with connections like to call social capital and relationships. Financial stability influences everything. Health–both physical and mental, the quality of care you have access to, access to life-changing opportunities, the ability to leave harmful situations, and more.
