We were lucky to catch up with Hadiatou Wann recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hadiatou, appreciate you joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
I identify as a Black, Muslim woman. Which means that I always have to go the extra mile to prove that I qualify for anything good and productive. Or that I’m not here to harm anyone, I’m here to be my best self. I’m sure many people who look like me can relate. For generations, people of color have been the minority and experienced all types of discrimination in the West. And, Muslims are portrayed negatively. Our beliefs and lifestyle are misunderstood by many. As an author and blogger who’s learnt to embrace her Islamic identity and race, it became a duty to write stories that humanize us. The stories I share not only help Muslims embrace who they are, but they also allow non-Muslims to get a glimpse into our world. Our thoughts and beliefs. As a blogger, the stories I share showcase that Black women can be successful, vulnerable, and lead in different spaces.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m an adult and children’s book author. I write nonfiction and realistic fiction. I am also the founder of the women’s empowerment blog “I am African & I Can.” My blog highlights stories of Black women’s struggles and successes. Since I launched the women’s empowerment blog, I’ve interviewed and featured over 100 Black women (Africans and African descendants) who excel(ed) in different professions. I got the opportunity to interview lawyers, entrepreneurs, engineers, accountants, educators, healthcare professionals. The list goes on. I get so excited when I see a woman excel (whether she’s Black or White), but since Black women are not always recognized for their accomplishments, I wanted to go out there, scout and pen their stories. It brings me joy knowing that these women (Muslims and non-Muslims) trust me enough to help them write and publish their personal stories on my platform. I truly enjoy featuring them on my blog because the world gets to learn from their struggles and successes, and in the process I get to improve my listening, interviewing, writing and people skills.
My first book was for adults–a relationship book. But once I decided that I also wanted to impact the next generation, I began writing for children. I wanted to teach children what I’ve learned throughout my life in a simple and creative way. In school, classes where I could express myself through the written word were always my favorite. I also had better grades in those subjects. When I began writing for the opinions section of my college’s newspaper, I knew I had to continue finding ways to share my perspective with the world. I enjoyed it! It was liberating having the opportunity to share my views with people who didn’t look or think like me. So, I began publishing books because I felt I could say more, do more, and reach more.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
When it comes to creativity, there’s no right or wrong way of doing things, which gives me the flexibility to explore until I figure out what suits me. I can grow on my own terms. Being able to impact people across the globe through words is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer. When I wrote my first book, I thought that it would be the only book I’d write. Then a few people asked me when’s my next one coming out. I thought, “wow, they want more?” The process of writing a book and putting it out into the world can be overwhelming, but when the book is published and people share how much they enjoyed reading my work and the impact it’s had on them and/or their children, that warms my heart. It motivates me to keep improving my craft so I can keep serving them.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve always been a deep thinker and very sensitive. I used to think that being sensitive was not cool. But I’ve learned to use the personality God gave me to benefit the world, because successfully communicating a message to the world requires being sensible in some way. As I grow spiritually, there is so much I want to share with the world. Although I was born into Islam, I learned to embrace it more as an adult. When I noticed that in the West, there weren’t enough authentic stories shared by Muslims, I decided to use my experiences and storytelling to fill that gap. The work I put out would help Muslims embrace their identity and also give non-Muslims a chance to understand our beliefs and way of life. Now that I am an adult and children’s author, I want to introduce authentic and creative ways to teach about the beauty of Islam. Also, there are so many talented and hardworking Black women out there who deserve recognition. Through my blog, I intend to continue promoting Black women and building a positive image for them.
What’s nice about the written word is that someone who may not want to interact with me or people who look like me, can just read the text and try to learn instead of assume. It’s unfortunate that Muslims are viewed in a negative light because of past events that don’t represent Islam. But that’s not who I am, and that’s not who the majority of Muslims are. So my job when I pick up a pen or start typing, is to be a voice for those who can not or may not have the opportunity to share the beauty of Islam.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hadiatouwann.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhadiatouwann/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorhadiatouwann
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadiatou-wann/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-MAo9acvt1jf2uqH_LSBQ/videos
- Other: https://www.iamafricanandican.info/blog
Image Credits
Beth Brown