Danai Gurira, a playwright and actress, is a champion for the stories and experiences of African women, weaving narratives that challenge societal norms and illuminate overlooked traumas. On Friday (Nov. 17), her work was honored with a TIME100 Impact Award at TIME’s inaugural Africa Summit and Gala in Kigali, Rwanda.
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00:00 I had a dream last night.
00:04 LeBron James was in it.
00:09 Never met him in my life.
00:11 I'm pretty much a tennis girl when it comes to sports that I follow, but I digress.
00:16 I had a dream last night.
00:18 LeBron James berating me.
00:22 I can't remember exactly what he said.
00:24 I really wish I did.
00:26 But he was telling me an exact strategy of how to up my game.
00:33 I wish I remembered it because I'm sure it would have helped me immensely.
00:37 But the message was more than received.
00:40 And it simply compounded what I've really been feeling lately, which is there is so
00:45 much work to be done, and it's got to start with me.
00:52 To whom much is given, much is expected.
00:56 That is a scripture that I live by.
00:58 There's one more in the book of Esther.
01:00 Perhaps you were created for such a time as this.
01:07 I believe we all were.
01:09 There is a piece of the puzzle that can only be fulfilled by me.
01:14 Only by you.
01:17 This year, I have connected with such incredible African women across the globe who are certainly
01:24 fulfilling their piece of the puzzle.
01:27 A young woman from here in Rwanda who's taking on Western governments and holding them accountable
01:32 for their carbon footprint.
01:34 And another who seeks to intersect mental health with tech.
01:39 A young woman from Cameroon spearheading midwifery and saving young mothers' lives and that of
01:45 their children, diminishing the high infant mortality rate as she does.
01:51 A young woman from Kenya seeking to take high positions in government in the future and
01:56 openly defying sexist social norms, both in professional and personal spaces.
02:01 A young Maasai woman also in Kenya who is defying deeply entrenched traditional norms
02:08 in her community, including fighting against FGM while excelling in the conservation space
02:16 as tour guide and also an agronomist.
02:21 There's a beauty to these women, an innocence too.
02:25 So unaware of how spectacular their accomplishments are, just seeking to make their people's lives
02:32 better.
02:34 This year has filled me with even more hope for the African woman and the impact her power
02:40 will have on the continent and its future.
02:44 And it has further fueled my ambition to advocate.
02:48 I have to show up for them.
02:52 And for the countless other women who hold solutions in their hands but are unable to
02:56 reach their full potential.
02:58 As we say in my native tongue, Shawna, Panebasa, there is work to be done.
03:06 This award stands as a reminder as all that I must keep doing and to make sure more voices
03:14 are amplified, more barriers are broken.
03:19 As I continue to create narratives that amplify the voice of African women, as I continue
03:24 to seek to bring African storytellers onto global stages, to dispel stereotype, to disrupt
03:30 status quo, to reach the goal of performance programs across Africa so our narrative never
03:39 goes unheard.
03:41 Panebasa, there is work to be done.
03:48 Even LeBron had to be solicited by God and my subconscious to tell me so.
03:55 Thank you for this award today, Time 100.
03:58 There are so many amazing women in this room, my heroes included, and some who I've had
04:05 the honor of spending time with today.
04:08 I share this with you, and I look forward to the work I hope to do with you.
04:15 Panebasa, but there is power, there are solutions, and Pane-tah-ree-ro, there is hope.
04:27 Thank you.
04:28 I'll see you all on the battlefield.
04:29 [APPLAUSE]