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nicolelloyd
6th November 2018

A true influencer: theslumflower, AKA Chidera Eggerue, takes on society

Chidera Eggerue, or the @theslumflower online, has a message of body positivity, self-love, and care, winning her awards
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A true influencer: theslumflower, AKA Chidera Eggerue, takes on society
Flickr: @loljon981

With Instagram being flooded with so-called ‘influencers’, are there many that can say they use their platform to truly make a difference? Chidera Eggerue, 23, also known as @theslumflower on Instagram, is an activist and all round ‘slayqueen’.

She has used her social media platforms to push her messages of acceptance and self-love, and with 182,000 followers, coverage on the likes of BBC and CNN, it is clear her movement is engaging. She uses her platforms to spread positivity amongst young women, mainly with relatable posts dedicated to loving yourself unapologetically. Chidera is now a bestselling author of the book What A Time To Be Alone and has been featured in countless magazines and media outlets such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Dazed, i-D as well as hosting the MOBO Awards. It’s clear her message is unstoppable. Proclaimed ‘the millennial mastermind’ by ELLE magazine, Chidera’s activism and challenge to conventional body image is a breath of fresh air.

Chidera is most recognised for starting the viral ‘#SAGGYBOOBSMATTER’ movement, which aimed to challenge strict and all-round unrealistic beauty standards created by society. These standards are physically impossible for women to uphold without the help of cosmetic surgery. ThE movement emphasises how biological forces and mother nature work over time, and therefore it’s only natural that women are going to get stretch marks, boobs are going to sag, and our skin is going to wrinkle; frankly, we won’t look young forever!

Chidera herself used to hate her drooping breasts, caused as a result of being a fast developer during her early youth, and growing up she dreamed of the time when she could get a boob job. Now she is helping other women feel at one with their bodies, pushing the rhetoric for self-love. She has become an inspiration for many.

As theslumflower’s posts, tweets and images became viral, and she continued to express her viewpoints on the toxicity of society and promote her activism, sharing views on feminism. Along with empowering notes to young women and her racial activism, she has received some backlash, but this hasn’t stopped her from striving.

Scooping up Cosmopolitan’s highly-commended ‘Disruptor/Change-maker of the Year’ award earlier this year and being placed on the #DAZED100 list are just some recognitions of the positivity Chidera’s work has done, and shows that sparking up conversations to do with body positivity now has never been more relevant. As Chidera has now become a face to many billboards – including staring in Adidas’ most recently campaign – it is a testament to how far she has really come. Standing for all messages of positivity and self-love, as well as being an engaged activist for Black Lives Matter, Chidera’s message of love and acceptance continues to grow, like a rose out of concrete. Long may it continue.


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