ọmọbinrin akọkọ means “First Daughter-Child” in Yoruba- a language native to the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria. This piece is an ode to the experience of first daughters and the weight of responsibility and neglect they bear. 

As a child of the African Diaspora, Being the eldest daughter means everyone’s problems become prioritized and your plate becomes so full that you are left drained, lifeless to even cope with your own problems.

Dedicated to my sister, Z, ọmọbinrin akọkọ gives voice to the muted cries of the eldest daughter as she bears on the traumas of her mother, her siblings and everything else the family is going through. It is my wish to hold space and acknowledge these realities.