A Letter to the Young African Girl Who May Feel Overlooked and Undervalued

Dear Young African Queen,

There are times when you just don’t know. You don’t know who you’re meant to be, and you have no clue where life might eventually take you. But if there’s one thing you do know, it’s this: you recognize the feeling of being overlooked, of being undervalued. The little girl inside you, the one who has carried you through so much and worked tirelessly to help you reach this moment, has felt this too. She has pushed, learned, and grown, hoping for a world that would embrace her, recognize her—but no one ever prepared her for how the world might ignore her, no one warned her of the dismissive glances and the invisible weight of being unseen.

But here’s what I want you to know today: none of that truly matters. Not the judgments, not the indifference, not the cold shoulders. None of it reflects who you are, and it’s not your responsibility to mold yourself just to make others see your worth. Their vision is not your burden.

I once wished I had understood sooner why my family, my teachers, my community pushed me so hard to excel, why they drilled in me the need for unshakable confidence, why they made me believe that my mind, my words, my voice—these would be my most powerful allies. Now that I’m here, grown and carrying the strength of every experience, I get it. I understand why they pushed me, why they wanted me to be so strong. I know now that my mind and my pen are the sharpest tools I have to carve my path.

Overlooked. Undervalued. I know those words, and I know that ache. I’ve been there, and each time it stings a little more. So, I’m writing this letter to you, to the young African girl who exists in each of us. The one who must work twice as hard, save a little more, and constantly check in with herself, because the world, despite all her poise, experience, and fire, often fails to see her.

Here’s the truth: in this world, we are all we’ve got. But maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what we need. Because, my dear, take a look at yourself. You are a star! You are a Queen, born of a bloodline that is rich, powerful, and blessed. You carry gifts that are too precious, talents too rare, and a spirit too fierce to be confined by anyone’s small-mindedness. When they overlook you, when they undervalue you, it’s often because they see a light in you that you might not even see in yourself yet.

Take this as your sign: hold close that little African girl within. Tell her she is not alone, that she is loved, and that you are proud of her. Tell her she is enough, just as she is.

With love,

Nadia.