Your name is your crown, so wear it | Toluwanimi Obiwole | TEDxMileHigh

What’s in a name? In this captivating performance of “Sugarcane,” poet Toluwanimi Obiwole reveals the origin of her own name, her struggle to embrace it, and her mother’s wisdom. Toluwanimi Oluwafunmilayo Obiwole is a Nigerian-born, Colorado-raised poet, organizer and educator, holding a degree in Ethnic Studies. She was Denver’s first Youth Poet Laureate in 2015-2016 and continually tours/performs nationally. In 2016, she co-wrote and co-starred in a play called How I Got Over which was featured at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. In 2017 she was announced as one of The Root’s 25 Young Futurists. She was a member of Slam Nuba organization from 2015-2017 and now functions as the co-director. She is a previous TEDxMileHigh speaker and is the author of two chapbooks: OMI EBI MI, and How to Become a Lightning Storm. She writes, hoping to cultivate her own black girl magic while creating space and a platform for people who have yet to realize that their voices are necessary. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx