Did Toke Makinwa’s ‘’On Becoming’’ inspired Michelle Obama’s ‘’Becoming’’?
Mr Rights
Nigeria’s celebrity vblogger and media personality, Toke Makinwa published a tell all story on 28th November 2016. The book titled ‘’On Becoming’’ not only took over the social media space for weeks, virtually every media organizations in Nigeria also reported different excerpt from its content.
Almost 2 years later, former United States First Lady, Michelle Obama also published an autobiographical memoir in November 2018 titled ‘’Becoming’’ and many have been asking if Toke Makinwa’s book, which sold out almost immediately inspired the title of Michelle Obama’s book title.
On Becoming is the real Toke Makinwa telling us what it is like to be one of the most talked about celebrities in Nigeria. She reveals the truth behind her 14-year relationship with the man she finally married, Maje Ayinde, a marriage that ended in an atrocious scandal that nearly brought her to her knees. In the wake of the peaks that characterised Toke’s experiences, she shares her struggle with blinding betrayal, finding forgiveness and drawing strength from her faith in God. ‘’On Becoming’’ was said to be Toke’s journey through pain to victory. Although, Toke’s ex-husband, Maje Ayida sued the media personality over the book, it appeared they have both decided to settle out of court.
‘’Becoming’’ on the other hand is the autobiographical memoir of former United States First Lady Michelle Obama published in November 2018. The book was described by the author as a deeply personal experience, talking about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother.
While it is obvious that the narrative in both books are personal to both women, the similarity in their title have made many observer wonder if Toke Makinwa’s book title inspired that of Michelle Obama.
It is very easy to argue that the names ‘’On Becoming’’ and ‘’Becoming’’ are not the same, but even those that will make this argument cannot in all sincereity, ignore the similarity, knowing fully well that one was published almost 2 years ago and the other just a month ago.
Some people may also want to claim that Michelle Obama might not have read Toke’s book, which is a possibility. However, in this global world, where Toke Makinwa’s ‘’Onbecoming’’ is available on Amazon and virtually took over the Nigerian media space when it was released, it would be almost impossible to say that Michelle Obama couldn’t have come across it. This is apart from the fact that Toke had gone to U.S to market the book and a lot of audience also embraced it.
So, do you think Toke Makinwa’s ‘’On Becoming’’ inspired Michelle Obama’s ‘’Becoming’’?
Mr Rights wants to know your view
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