Because of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye … I realized that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature.

Source: "The Danger of a Single Story." TED Conference. Jul. 2009. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie is from her TedTalk given at TEDGlobal 2009. Adichie is describing how she found her voice and cultural identity as an author -- by reading other African authors. Before reading these authors, Adichie felt left out of the literary world, and to some extent, society at large, because of her race and culture. With this quote, Adichie tells us that literature is an important way to give everyone a voice, including marginalized groups. At the same time, our literary sources must represent diverse cultures in order to include all points of view. Watch the full TEDTalk here: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - The Danger of a Single Story