201: Keeping it Real with Ayishat Akanbi

What It Covers

Writer and fashion stylist Ayishat Akanbi discusses her journey from learning disabilities to creative work, examining how identity politics, group membership, and buzzwords limit authentic self-expression. She challenges intersectionality theory, explores productive approaches to discussing race and discrimination, and advocates for treating individuals as complex humans rather than representatives of identity categories.

Key Questions Answered

• •Self-honesty over group conformity: Membership in political, social, or identity groups often requires minimizing parts of yourself to maintain comfortable admission. Fear of deviating from cultural scripts attached to race, gender, or sexuality prevents people from exploring their full potential. Self-reflection requires accepting what exists without immediately labeling experiences as good or bad.
• •Avoiding buzzwords for precision: Terms like virtue signaling or snowflakes immediately attach political associations that prevent listeners from engaging with actual content. Speaking without relying on scripted language forces clearer thinking about what you truly mean. Using personal language rather than borrowed terminology demonstrates genuine care about a topic and prevents audiences from reacting to their preconceptions.
• •Individual experience over identity theory: Intersectionality functions as an interpretation of reality rather than reality itself. Two black women in the same city can have radically different experiences with discrimination based on class, location, and social circles. Assuming all members of an identity group share identical experiences reinforces the problematic idea that people of specific races are fundamentally the same.
• •Disagreement without hatred: Religious background, cultural upbringing, and personal values create legitimate reasons for disagreement that have nothing to do with hate. Labeling all disagreement as hatred functions as manipulative tactic in reputation economies where smearing someone can threaten their employment. Conflating ignorance with hatred prevents productive conversations since most people lack knowledge about experiences outside their own worldview.
• •Style as psychological communication: Clothing choices function as your hello before speaking, opening or closing doors based on presentation. Working with artists and clients involves pulling out naturally existing style rather than imposing external identities. Personal presentation can create universal appeal and facilitate connections across different backgrounds, professions, and demographics that might not otherwise occur.