The power of defining yourself | Amma Asante | TEDxBrixton
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Amma Asante is the director of the Hollywood hit movie Belle and found that working in Hollywood where only 0.4% of directors are black females, she has been under pressure to live up to a definition bestowed upon her; one that did not match own own self definition. A passionate speaker, Amma asks us to consider that we are all a combination of many worlds put together and when those worlds meet, progress can follow.
BAFTA award winning writer-director Amma Asante began her career as a child actress, appearing as a regular in the popular British school drama Grange Hill.
She fronted the "Just Say No" campaign of the 1980s and was one of nine Grange Hill children to take it to the Reagan White House.
Asante's 2004 feature film, A Way of Life, was her directorial debut and garnered her 17 international awards for her writing and directing including newcomer awards for writing and directing from the BFI London Film Festival, The Times Breakthrough Artist of the Year and the prestigious South Bank Show Awards. Asante’s second feature film, Belle was released in cinemas in 2014. The film drew widespread acclaim and is the third highest grossing independent film of 2014. In January this year Asante was announced as one of Variety's ‘10 Directors to Watch.’ Follow her on Twitter @AmmaAsante
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Intelligent black queen articulating beautifully.
"When you truly embrace who you are and all of the worlds that you come from, when you bring those sensibilities to a previously closed off world, you move society forward; because when you move into other worlds, you impact people, and when people change, then society has to as well." Insightful, beautiful.. Thank you, Amma!
You need to face your fears in order to overcome them and achieve your dreams. She is good
I can relate to what she said because I am studying to become a high school English teacher and it's so ironic because I struggled with both behavioral and academic problems which led to me being kicked out of high school. I went back to high school and got my diploma and applied to a college that became a university last year. I had been going off and on for 7 years, for most part just getting by and in many cases failing. I was so insecure often feeling like I wasn't good enough or smart enough to make the grades. Many semesters I found myself failing and then fading away. After taking 3 semesters off, I decided to go back once again, still not sure about what this semester will mean for me. But I have faith! I've tried so hard to disguise my past with nice clothes and make up to make myself seem confident on the outside. But deep down I was hurting, ashamed and filled with guilt. But today I decree and declare that my life will be an open book. I will speak in front of thousands, sharinging my story and helping them become the best version of themselves. I will write books that will motivate and inspire and I won't be afraid, ashamed or feel any guilt and my heartache will be filled with happiness!
We have to do the hard, messy, challenging work within ourselves to interpret and embody our definition. Your definition becomes the mission statement you live by for the rest of your life.
know pain kniww game
yyess gatta do the work
love this so much
C. E. Fontenette Was scary defining self, girl in the Army, 40 years ago. Had to start with me, a Woman in the Army. Made good choices and bad choices. I’m still defining me, old lady, physically broken, widow. I’m not finished w me.
Aww you are beautiful queen 👑
I totally can relate to this.... Very inspirational indeed! I am proudly Lezghinka (ethnicity no one's ever heard of before:) Born in Siberia and raised in Turkmenistan. Studied in the UK. Living in UAE right now. My close family members are in Scotland, Azerbaijan & Turkmenistan where I've travelled this year to visit all of them. I am truly a World citizen! : )
I adore her, she's such an inspiration!
she is so beautiful and sounds so genuine in her beliefs. I needed this
Forget what society & people say. What does God say about you? What do you say about yourself? That's all that matters. Great video!👍🏾
The problem is when our own definition is rejected by the others, you're in a constant struggle...
Exactly!!
Her dress is on point
Yes!
Why does that matter?
Ummm, why does it matter that we decided to acknowledge that we like her dress? Cause it's pretty flyyy! ;)
I love it when we compliment each other, that is a beautiful thing. To Uplift one another! ❤️ I agree she is definitely on point!
oh my god...my mind is interpreting your words differently... are you talking about those points that are visible on her chest !!
Her voice is soo beautiful 🙈
I watched this over the weekend and I can relate on my levels as a Ghanaian American. God bless you Ms. Asante for breaking the ceiling and standing in your truth.
"Negociate those obstacles to move society forward!" I love you Amma
Aptly stated. We're all at the junction of many worlds and the ability to touch each gives us more power than we realize.
New fav quote: if you are trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be. Thanks Miz Maya.
"Who defines me?"
Such a monumental & current question to ask oneself. I just love Amma.
Sooooo inspirational! Go Amma go! "Belle" was hands down my favorite movie of last year.
Inspirational, and not only for aspiring film directors. Thank you, Amma.
I LOVE HER, She is so beautiful inside and out.
Amazing. I love Amma Asante. She's such an inspiration and great role model to all forging paths in industries where they don't see many who 'look like them' .
Nothing is wrong with being asked about where you are from... But the point she seems to be making is how we are judged by where we say we are from.. From there on we are placed in boxes..
The thing is asking where people are from is the means by which we start to place them in boxes. I usually avoid talking about my ethnic background not because I'm ashamed but because I refuse to participate in the exercise of putting people in boxes. Of course, I can't control how others think but I refuse to collaborate with them.
Lovebug8779 Well, we are all from somewhere, and all have an ethnic background and thereby are all in a box. Whether we like it or not, or want to admit it or not. We even define ourselves by these said boxes consciously or unconsciously. Our families, the way we were brought up, family size, college we attended, major in college, these are all boxes. It is not limited to just race or ethnicity. The point here is that someone not judge you or prevent you from determining your truth by telling you that you cannot because, A) you came from a large family, B) went to a non-ivy league college etc. the boxes go on and on. So you cannot prevent being put in a box. However, it is your right to be who you want to be despite these boxes.
Sue W The fact is, people will put you in a box regardless of what you do or don't do. For the most part, I just choose not to play along. It might not work for everyone else but it works for me. People seem to get used to me being "different" and don't seem to have the same expectations of me or put the same limitation on me that they do of others from my ethnic background. I have more freedom to be myself and embrace my unique individuality rather than experience the pressure of having to be a cultural and/or racial representative. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of where I come from. I recently did my family tree and discovered some amazing things.
The issue here is not where you are from, but people will ask looking to put you in a box based on general stereotypes, yet every individual has their own unique background.
Her powerful truth echoes.... "Leaning into our identity."
The power of "defining yourself". Powerful! When others "define" you, they really are "defining" themselves. Seeing ourselves without "label", collaboration instead of competition, we expand. Consider the concept of steel. Steel expands whether it is from China, India, Europe or from any other part of the world. So, why can't we just take the "label off the equation" and see ourselves equally without "label"?
+Carissa Carl brilliant conclusion!
+Place Of Abundance Well concluded.
If you are always try to be normal you will never know how amazing you are
Very Inspiring, as a trans woman myself so many challenges but i believe in myself, i know that their are good people around there.
Trans-woman? there's no such thing, just a delusion being embraced
There are. It's so important to embrace your identity and I wish you the best of luck. I have aspects of my identity that intersect and diverge from the norm and it can be so challenging especially when others feel the need to dictate facets of myself that have nothing to do with them. So seeing someone be so strong in their truth is encouraging. More power to you, Fiona!
Empressive Thank you such a kind words, and you are right. embrace identity, differences and uniqueness :)
Friar Newborg I respect you opinion. god bless and hope you have a wonderful time
I too try to believe there are good people around and and i think you are just woman. no need to explain the choices you have made by 'trans'
This is an excellent display of oration. Passionate. Insightful. Authentic. Meaningful. Thank you for being so introspective in your experiences and for your willingness to be vulnerable in sharing your experiences.
I absolutely loooove this talk, and this woman. I haven't encountered her or her work any time before now, but since then I've looked into it, and she's amazing. Also, her accent reminds me heavily of Belle from Once Upon a Time, played by Emilie de Ravin, and I actually imagined Amma in her role for a long moment. That would have been glorious.
Very inspiring and so profound. I absolutely enjoyed it and watched it over and over. Thank you
She spoke my mind!! This is what I've felt al along! Thank you so much.. you are an inspiration Amma Asante
Everyone's talking about race but Fun fact: of the 250 biggest grossing films of last year only 17 were made by women and only one was made by a British women (it was her by the way) So she's doing a lot for British Female directors xx
She's so inspiring! Self-acceptance is powerful.
I wrote an essay explaining how the ideology or race and stereotypes created by society has been an issue. I, as well as everyone else can not be defined by a box. In my paper I wrote:
In today's society, as well as in many periods throughout history, black activism is an important cultural aspect. Within the past few years, the rise of black activism has been documented heavily within the media. This exposure has allowed for more discrimination by blacks within the black community. Based on the content shown in media, black activism entails rioting, protesting, and other activities that highlight the problem of racial inequality. As an introvert, it is difficult to express my moral opinions or engage in conflict. Many of my peers have interpreted this silence as a form of denouncing my cultural standing as an African American woman.
This section of my essay explained how I was written of as an activist in my culture due to my quiet personality. Also as the previous video stated, being brave enough to test what society views as normal is what makes people great.
She is wonderful. Well spoken, honest, and real.
amazing,
definitely in my top 5 from all over 100 TEDx presentations seen so far.....
EXCELLENT!!!!
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Had the same expierience while growing up, 'where are you from'... I belong to the universe
Lucia Vezo
I really want to understand something, I don’t get why asking where you are from has to be based on bigotry. I get how it can be that, but it doesn’t have to be right?
I love her so much.
easily one of my favorite ted talks.
One of the best ted talk ever! Thanks for these inspiring words.
Congrats beautiful soul. I thank God for offering you to the World.
Thembi(South Africa)
Amazing video. Very inspirational. Thank you for this. Brilliant.
Uh... girl..! You so good! A true inspiration indeed!
A very inspiring talk!! Thank you!!
"How will you define you?" Thank you @AmmaAsante
That clicking noise when she talks is all I can focus on. I gotta watch this over.
+John Doe It's awful...I had to stop watching. Sounds like saliva or something in her mouth. Very annoying. Sadly.
+John Doe when people worry- their mouth dry out. This is what you where heard.
+John Doe Sad for you that you can't focus on the content of her speech because it's relevant, smart and inspiring.
Yeah!! i hate that sound
+John Doe Focus
BRAVO! I find value in her talk. Good 4 her. Fee Kin
This is so true, especially as an African woman, if you do not fit into the established template, you are shunned and ostracised. Sometimes what society is so adamant with what it considers you to be it starts sipping in and you feel yourself slowly becoming what you have been defined into being... Recently I learnt how to override this suggestions, even when I really feel like an outsider, even when i am made to feel like one. It doesn't matter.
i found this inspiring on so many levels. Thank you :)
everyday I'm on a mission to define myself, even from family
Wo ho t'sen, dada? Wonderfully said! TRADITION can be quite a barrier to endeavor. When it does, many us know when to abandon TRADITION. Best wishes for you!
her skin is flawless
It's very educational and I admire the way the speakers help the attention of the audiences
I'm proud of you Amma Asante. Very inspiring
she only brought me joy in the ted talk; thanks Amma Asante;
Life isn’t about find yourself, it’s about creating yourself . & until you love what you have created , you will never be happy.
Awwww....Amma i really like you...i believe in you
I love this, this is so well said ❤️
i love this talk. so well spoken
Amazingly inspirational!
so inspiring!
powerful, Inspiring and motivating words
I agree whole heartedly
I can relate to this.....
Shes an inspiration to me! I hope to act in one of her films one day :)
This was such a beautifully articulated speech.
"Belle" is probably my favourite film of Ms. Asante.
This is powerful. This is what inspires me to make video's on a regular basis too!
Inspiration alert.
Anna is elegant and so well spoken
I enjoyed this talk by Amanda Asante, it was informative and insightful
WOW Shes flawless !
For someeone who's been struggling with where to even begin finding herself, I can truly say most of me watched your talk with more determination and realness than I've ever watched anything. Thank you so much.
Beautiful QUEEN THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PROFOUND WISDOM👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠👠
You have the power to define yourself not the sociaety
Very valid points and very well expressed.
Yes, brilliant!
wisdom right there!!
Sorry I'm so late.........brilliant talk! very inspiring and hopefully a real opener to those who deny there's even an issue. Onwards and Upwards xx
Thank you!
Very thought provoking!!!!!!
How can I give two likes on her? OMG she's awesome!
I get this speaker. I don't fit the norm of society. many call me confused, weird and a lot more. I define myself as a universal citizen.
Evolution back in progress..!
love it !!!
I can relate.
What a lovely woman .
beautifully spoken
wow!!!part of me that loves heels ..that loves me being women is the part that makes ...creates movies
What a shift!!
Dont let society define u...dont give this power...keep this power with self
well said .. i really liked that .. many thanks to you
Amazing. 💕
Thank you I loved your talk Amma . You are beautiful and intelligent I have not seen your films but I am going to google you, and see what wikipedia says about you because I am interested in who you are. Keep up the good work of helping people to look outside the box society crams them in. (:
yes!
Every time she says society...triggered. But I loovvee her accent! It sounds like a song.
You are amazing😍
NO ONE defines who I am but me...period!!!
Janet i would like you to show Aaliyah, this British-born Ghanian film director, i found her absolutely fascinating Aaliyah will be inspired by her depth of knowledge and eloquent delivery of speech.
Powerful!
Very intelligent and beautiful woman. I love her video beacause as a woman and foreigner I also tend to define myself with statistics. I recently had a moment where I was so sad because I thought I must definetly choose between family and career... and I would like to think I can have both. Is it impossible? I don't know, after this video I don't think so. I have "to find a way working out what the obstacles.." will be and don't stop believe in me. Thank you Amma.
BEAUTIFUL
That was lovely!!