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Chimamanda Adichie Reveals She Thinks US First Lady Is ‘Racist’

By Akinwale Akinyoade
23 October 2018   |   7:49 am
Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie has described United States First Lady, Melania Trump as racist. The award-winning writer revealed her sentiment during a recent interview with international magazine, Esquire UK where she talked about her stance on feminism, Melania Trump’s visit to Africa and racism. When asked if she thought Melania Trump was racist, she…

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie has described United States First Lady, Melania Trump as racist.

The award-winning writer revealed her sentiment during a recent interview with international magazine, Esquire UK where she talked about her stance on feminism, Melania Trump’s visit to Africa and racism.

When asked if she thought Melania Trump was racist, she answered in the positive with reference to Melania’s recent visit to Africa. She said:

“Had you asked me this question yesterday, I would have said ‘yes’ and my evidence would be that she supported her husband when he was being incredibly racist to Barack Obama. But I just watched an interview that she gave and I was just appalled by it.

She sort of stepped out of a colonial 1750 guidebook about how to be in Africa. There’s a pith helmet and then I am thinking maybe this is supposed to be ironic? Maybe it is a critique of colonialism. She really thought this is what you do when you go to Africa and it says something about someone who is so removed from reality”.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 5, 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump talks with students during a visit with Jordan’s queen to the Excel Academy Public Charter School in Washington, DC.<br /> US First Lady Melania Trump will not accompany the president to the Group of Seven summit in Canada, nor to planned North Korea nuclear talks in Singapore, her spokeswoman said on June 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB

Adichie went on to reference a jacket Melania wore to one of the US children immigration camps which read “I really don’t care: Do you?” and caused a media frenzy. She said,

“And I remember when the media made a lot of noise about that jacket. I remember actually kind of being on her side when all that noise was happening. I thought she doesn’t know, she couldn’t possibly do this knowingly. She did, so the answer to your question is ‘yes’. I think she is racist”.

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