Women Warriors - Michaela Coel

Coel speaking at the Global Citizen Festival in 2022

     A member of the most deadly group of women warriors, the Dora Milaje, on the screen, and a gender and LGBTQ+ activist off the screen; Michaela Coel is the definition of a woman warrior. At 35 years-old, Coel is a renowned actress, writer, director, producer, and gender activist trailblazing the industry. Coel was born and raised in London by her Ghanaian parents, and had one older sister growing up. Despite her parents never marrying, her father remained committed to raising Michaela. Growing up attending Catholic school in London, Coel has admitted to being a bully during her primary years, citing "her isolation as the only black pupil in her age cohort." 2 Landing her first minor role in 2010, Coel didn't truly reach the big stage until her award-winning part in her series, Chewing Gum, in 2015. Having since exploded onto the scene, Coel now uses her previous experiences and platform to spread messages of self-love as well as love for others. 

Coel as 'Anika' from Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever

    For Michaela Coel, her profession provides her the opportunity to be an activist through story-telling. Telling powerful stories that necessitate emotion from audience members is a valuable way to teach new ideas and incite change in behavior. Coel would agree, as she states in an interview, "it [stories] provides a picture or an idea of what society could potentially look like." 1 Coel spreads her message through the stories she takes part in and creates. In her Emmy award-winning speech, Coel mentions the importance of telling the uncomfortable story, the one everyone is avoiding talking about. 

Watch Michaela Coel's full speech after receiving 

her Emmy here

    Michaela Coel's most critically acclaimed and powerful story comes in the form of her limited HBO series, I May Destroy You. In this award-winning story which she wrote, starred, directed, and produced, Coel's character battles with the aftermath of learning she had been drugged and assaulted as she attempts to put together the pieces in her memory and continue to navigate life. This series brings the issues of sexual assault front and center in an unavoidable and unapologetic way. Coel's mini-series demands the watcher to confront sexual assault to both a black woman and a gay man, as it explores the trauma of being a survivor and highlights the value of consent and the problems with the justice system in handling assault cases. The story is also largely a true story too. Michaela Coel is a victim of sexual assault, and she used her experience as inspiration to share her uncomfortable story with the world. During a lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Coel shared her experience stating, "I was working overnight in the company's office … I took a break and had a drink with a good friend who was nearby. I emerged into consciousness … many hours later. I was lucky -- I had a flashback." 3 It may seem strange to call herself lucky, but Coel brings attention to the many victims of assault who have no recollection that they were ever assaulted, only a strange feeling they can't quite place. While telling her story, Coel was also not afraid to mention the lack of empathy or even belief that was afforded to her by the producers of the show she was working on. When discussing her goals for the show, she said, "part of my heart hopes that people who have had experiences that are traumatic watch this and feel less alone." 3

Michaela Coel on the red carpet
for the Emmy's

    Despite her trauma, Michaela Coel is an active believer in the power of love, and its ability to bring people together. Not only love for others, but also equally as important is love for ourselves. Coel believes that no matter how hard one pushes and strives for change, "without love, love of ourselves, love of our sisters and brothers, we're still crippled." 1 She adds, "I kind of think it is where we should begin with anything and everything." 1 For Coel, love is the root of change. There is no change without trying to love ourselves and those around us, to understand where each other comes from and view others as human-beings. According to Michaela Coel, love is the most powerful tool for change. 

    Coel's belief in both stories and love to incite change resonates strongly with me, and was my main choice for deciding to become a teacher. There is a reason people and society continue to tell powerful and challenging stories throughout history, and it is one of the most lucrative business sectors in the world. Stories resonate within people, and help them gain new understanding and perspective. Stories allow us to fall in love with characters and worlds which we could not previously understand or imagine before. That is exactly what Coel has managed to do with the stories she has shared with the world so far, and I can't wait to see what story she decides to tell the world next. 

Works Cited (Pictures obtained from the same websites): 

1 Banjo, Fadeke. “Storytelling Can Change the World and Other Things I Learned Interviewing Michaela Coel.” Global Citizen, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/storytelling-michaela-coel-interview/.

2 “Ghana Famous People.” Michaela Coel, Biography, https://www.ghanaweb.com/person/Michaela-Coel-5671.

3 Gajewski, Ryan. “The Gripping True Story That Inspired Michaela Coel's 'I May Destroy You'.” NBC Bay Area, NBC Bay Area, 19 Sept. 2021, https://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/the-gripping-true-story-that-inspired-michaela-coels-i-may-destroy-you/2660861/.