“Everything You Are Is on Purpose”, Interview with Njaimeh Njie
On Wednesday, February 17th, the Ellisian Times interviewed recent Black History Month assembly speaker, Njaimeh Njie. Ms. Njie discussed her current work, her focus on diversity, and significant realizations in her life that she hoped to share with the student body. Ms. Njie is a Pittsburgh-based multimedia producer who freelances as a filmmaker, writer, photographer, and curator.
“Doing all those things lets me have my hand in a lot of different areas creatively,” Ms. Njie stated. Her current project, Power(ed) by Grace: Musings on Black Womanhood, explores diversity through photos and narratives of black women living in Pittsburgh. Power(ed) by Grace was inspired by the many strong women of color she grew up around, who she saw as role models.
“What can I do to shed a little bit of light about the people I know, the people who are in my everyday surroundings, with the larger public?” she asked herself, and her project began as a response to this question.
Ms. Njie focuses her project on women of color, asking the question, “What does it mean to be a black woman in America?” It is her belief that there is some misunderstanding about the answer; there is a certain picture of black women reiterated by the media that does not necessarily align with those who we see and interact with every day.
“I thought about those images that I saw growing up, contrasted with the images that are so frequently portrayed in the media… and I said, ‘That’s not the world I know,’” she stated, reflecting on the black women who influenced her youth.
As a young artist, Ms. Njie shared her perspective on the world she knows, offering her own words of wisdom for the Ellis Upper Schoolers. She recognized the struggle of “checking boxes,” as she was in a school environment similar to Ellis’ and understands the culture of a one-way philosophy to success. She valued her rigorous school environment, where she learned resilience and discipline, but also encouraged students to explore other options.
Click here to continue reading this article on the Ellisian Times site.
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“What can I do to shed a little bit of light about the people I know, the people who are in my everyday surroundings, with the larger public?” she asked herself, and her project began as a response to this question.
Ms. Njie focuses her project on women of color, asking the question, “What does it mean to be a black woman in America?” It is her belief that there is some misunderstanding about the answer; there is a certain picture of black women reiterated by the media that does not necessarily align with those who we see and interact with every day.
“I thought about those images that I saw growing up, contrasted with the images that are so frequently portrayed in the media… and I said, ‘That’s not the world I know,’” she stated, reflecting on the black women who influenced her youth.
As a young artist, Ms. Njie shared her perspective on the world she knows, offering her own words of wisdom for the Ellis Upper Schoolers. She recognized the struggle of “checking boxes,” as she was in a school environment similar to Ellis’ and understands the culture of a one-way philosophy to success. She valued her rigorous school environment, where she learned resilience and discipline, but also encouraged students to explore other options.
Click here to continue reading this article on the Ellisian Times site.
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