Last week, I had a great time at this women's conference at Spelman College. I had conversations with women about the effects of Coca-Cola setting up shop in Africa, and the role of the historically Black college/university. Not only did I get to network, but I got to have meaningful conversations, which have been on the decline in my life since I graduated college.
So recently, I had a conversation with a friend. She was talking about how she loved fashion. I explained to her that I did too, and that I have become very excited about the fair trade opportunities that have made it possible for women in tribal Africa to make clothes to sell worldwide in order to better financially sustain their communities. As I transitioned into a quote from Diane Von Furstenburg about how fashion was an outlet that helped her to become the woman she wanted to be, hoping to transition it to how I hoped African fair trade would help African woman be able to make independent choices on education and marriage, I look at my friend and she is looking at me confused and annoyed, like 'What are you talking about?'
This is not the first time that a friend outside of my college circle has looked at me like this. Admittedly, I do get excited about world issues, but am I a snob? I mean, who would want to talk to someone who talks about things you have never heard of? Does this make me hard to talk to an unapproachable? I don't want to be seen as a know it all, but at times, I do catch myself frowning at women buying clothes at the mall. I mean really, how could they support outsourcing and sweat shop labor?
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