Mariama Njie

Mariama Njie is a junior from Douglasville, Georgia double majoring in Communications and Africana Studies. This semester, she’ll travel to the Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat, India through a Penn Global Seminar to examine non-violent social and political movements and the immense power of compassionate leadership.

On campus, Mariama serves as the Political Chair for UMOJA, the umbrella organization representing 41+ Black constituent groups through a shared political voice. Influenced by her Senegalese and Gambian culture, she joined Faces of Black Penn: first writing in the opinion and culture sections then transitioning into Co-Editor-in-Chief for the magazine. FOBP is a diasporic magazine focused on storytelling, cultural trends in society, and spotlighting incredible stories written by Black students to bring visibility to their impact on Penn’s campus. Outside of the classroom you’ll likely find her working at Platt House Center for Performing Arts during the weekdays. As an avid media enthusiast, Mariama enjoys her position as Events Lead for the Communications Major Association, working directly with the Annenberg School for Communication to host close-knit events for students seeking community within their major. Her hobbies include hair-braiding, sight-seeing in new countries, and painting random sunsets, watching dystopian movies, and spending time with her family.

During her upcoming trip, she is particularly looking forward to…  

• Sharing chai with her PGS Family during their first few nights in India
• Fully immersing herself into the stories of Ghandi’s simplistic living, while touring the Ashram and all its wonderful artifacts
• Taking long walks across the Sabarmati River, a place of deep reflection and centering for Gandhi during his life
• Enjoying the incredible dishes Gujarat has to offer as an avid lover of Indian Cuisine
• Photographing impromptu pictures of her classmates and professors during adventures so that they have plenty of memories to hold onto once they return