The Road to Activism
I AM AFRICAN & I CAN is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.
By Hadiatou Wann | 07/26/2024
Growing up in the Bronx, Fatimata Cham observed her community and noticed that they were not getting equal opportunities. Despite growing up in a community that was lowly funded through joining programs and internships, she discovered that there was “a whole world out there,” and she was going to make the most of it as an activist.
As the second oldest of six, Fatimata juggled school with household chores and picked up her brothers from school. Still, she managed to be an honors student every year. Instead of playing sports in school, she chose to volunteer. In high school, she participated in a women’s march protest, petitioned, ran her own student clubs and fundraisers.
Her father, one of her biggest supporters, would pay for a driver to take her to school because he didn’t own a car at the time. From the 9th grade to the 12th grade, Fatimata attended a private boarding school in New Hemisphere, where some of the students never saw a Black person before.
At the boarding school, she would be asked why her skin is dark, or if there’s something wrong with her skin? Fatimata complained to their leadership about the encounter she had with other students. As a resolution the principal instructed the students to read a book about the different races that exist.
In the early stages of her activism, Fatimata went to Congress and brought awareness to some of the injustices underprivileged girls faced in the African continent. Shortly after, The Girls Count Act got signed into law in 2017. The Bill provides birth registration and resources to girls in underdeveloped countries to reduce their chances of being taken advantage of.
Also In the past, during Domestic Violence Awareness Week, Fatimata hosted a fundraiser to raise funds for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence. She joined hands with an Equity and Inclusion community and raised $20,000 USD in two weeks for George Floid.
“Being an activist is about standing up for others. Everyone is an activist. It’s about knowing what your community’s problems are and trying to solve them,” Fatimata says.
Most of the time, she is quiet. But when it’s time to speak out for others, her voice breaks through ceilings. As an introverted/extroverted hijabi fulfilling her purpose, Fatimata says that “the hijab is not meant to be a burden. It’s meant to be an extension of who you are.”
At 17 years old, while Fatimata interned with a publisher whose client was Emmy-nominated, she learned the ropes of book publishing. Within a few months, Fatimata published her first book of poetry Perfectly Imperfect, a body of work surrounding her Black and Muslim identity.
In 2018, Fatimata attended a women’s march. While at the protest, an old, Caucasian man came up to her and told her to go back to her country (the Irony is that she was born in the United States). Instead of turning their focus to the speaker that was going up the stage, the crowd turned their attention to Fatimata, who had just been humiliated publicly.
Feeling cornered, instantaneously the girl who usually spoke out for others gushed out of the crowd sobbing. The embarrassment she felt from that incident inspired her to pen a poem (What Do Criminals Look Like?) that highlights the injustices and discrimination many Muslims experience in the West.
During her undergraduate studies, Fatimata noticed that during school breaks the dining halls were closed, and some of the students who could not afford to go home struggled with having accessing meals. She introduced the idea of having pantries around campus. The proposal she wrote was approved by student government and a grant was officiated to support the initiative. Fatimata graduated, but the pantries she helped put in place on campus continue to benefit others.
As the founder of Climate 4 Sisterhood, she advocates for climate change. The 23-year-old Human Rights Activist and Poet is a recipient of the 2022 Truman Fellowship, a 30K scholarship to attend any graduate school. She is one of two in her school’s history to earn this opportunity. Her role as an activist entail meeting new people, learning new ways to carry out projects, and forming new partnerships with organizations. She says it’s important for an activist to be informed about world issues, because some may rely on the activist for information.
Jakha Cham, Fatimata’s sister says, “Fatimata is the most selfless person I know. My older sister is a beacon of inspiration and resilience, embodying the perfect blend of professionalism and compassion. With a sharp intellect and an unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to thrive in challenging environments.”
“Often mentoring and guiding those around her with patience and wisdom. Beyond her professional achievements, she is known for her genuine kindness and empathy, her bright smile, always willing to lend a helping hand and support those in need,” Jakha adds.
The road to activism may seem like it is meant for a select few, but Fatimata’s success story proves that anyone can be a changemaker. If we are concerned and/or fed up with what we see around us, we must roll up our sleeves, step in and take matters into our own hands.
Inside the Life of An Activist
“Success is when the people I care about are happy with what I’m doing.”
Watch Fatimata Cham Perform What Do Criminals Look Like?
“A strong woman is someone who is confident in themselves, resilient, and able to express their emotions, and is in tuned with her emotions. ”
“Being an activist is about standing up for others. Everyone is an activist. It’s about knowing what your community’s problems are and trying to solve them.”
Connect with Fatimata:
Facebook: Fatimata Cham
Instagram: @fatimatacham__
LinkedIn: Fatimata Cham
Buy her book: Perfectly Imperfect: Cham, Fatimata
Read other success stories here: www.iamafricanandican.info/blog
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