Misconceptions of Africa |
| Written by Gboyinde Onijala | Share on Facebook |
| Thursday, 21 February 2008 | |
 “Africa is a continent full of death and destruction,” “The AIDS epidemic is wiping out Africans,” “African people are uncivilized and do not know how to take care of themselves or their countries.” These are only a few of the negative stereotypes of Africa and its people that you might hear on a daily basis. The list goes on and on and one can never seem to escape from the bombardment of negative, grim, biased news of Africa that is presented by the media.There is only slight coverage about Africa and it is usually about devastation and death. When you flip to the History Channel or Discovery Channel you are more likely to see a false representation of Africa that further perpetrates the notion that Africans are uncivilized, primitive and live in underdeveloped, desolate villages. A typical image that you might find on the Discovery or History channel is of African men jumping around in a group with spears wearing a grass leaf skirts and women walking around semi- naked, begging for food with babies tied to their backs. Africa has been epitomized by the image of children with bulging stomachs with tears in their eyes and flies around their mouths and vultures preying on the flesh of dead babies who died of malnutrition. The problem with this is that these views are extremely biased and unrepresentative of Africa in its entirety. The fact of the matter is that not all of Africa’s children are orphans who are malnourished and the majority of people are not dying of AIDS. Yet, these false statistics prevail, we must ask ourselves why? We do not hear the news of the thriving ports and politically stable governments, nor do we hear positive news such as Rwanda becoming the top ICT hub in Africa. The Africa of today that I know includes: skyscrapers, ICT hubs, natural wonders, strong democracies, bustling urban centers, peace, prosperity, entrepreneurship, an abundance of resources such as: oil, gold, diamonds, rubber and minerals. Yet, the media continuously fails to inform the public of this news. The lack of positive representation and information on Africa in the American society I believe reveals the underlying issue of America’s lack of interest in African affairs unless it is for-profit reasons. There should be becoming the top ICT hub in Africa. The Africa of today that I know includes: skyscrapers, ICT hubs, natural wonders, strong democracies, bustling urban centers, peace, prosperity, entrepreneurship, an abundance of resources such as: oil, gold, diamonds, rubber and minerals. Yet, the media continuously fails to inform the public of this news. The lack of positive representation and information on Africa in the American society I believe reveals the underlying issue of America’s lack of interest in African affairs unless it is for-profit reasons. There should be greater appreciation and understanding of the role that Africa plays in world affairs. For example, Nigeria, on the West Coast of Africa is the fifth largest exporter of oil. Many countries around the world receive their oil supply from Nigeria, especially the United States. Botswana is the largest producer of diamonds, and Rwanda’s Lake Kivu has enough underwater methane gas to sustain its needs for more than 200 years. Kenyan and Ugandan farmers produce some of the world’s richest, flavorful coffee that can be found in supermarkets all over the U.S. and in coffee shops such as Starbucks. Without resources from Africa, many countries, especially the Unites States would not have easy access to natural resources such as: oil, gold, diamonds, rubber, minerals, cocoa, cotton, iron and so on. “The main problem is the ugly picture that the media paints of Africa,” Lenny Msiska, vice president of the African Diaspora Club said. “We can’t expect the members of society to know any better if the source from where they get their information does not take the time to provide truthful, unbiased news.” Upon my arrival in the states from Nigeria, I was asked various questions that demonstrated misperceptions of life in Africa such as “did you have a pet elephant or monkey?” “Did you wear shoes?” “Do you know how to use a toilet?” and so on. At first, it was natural to lash out at these individuals for their stupidity, but after some time, I came to the realization that it was not entirely their fault. Their ignorance was a direct result of the images and information they receive from the media, at school and in their communities. There must be a change in the portrayal of Africa in today’s society. A greater appreciation and understanding of Africa’s role in the world will strengthen global inter/intra political relationships. While the responsibility lies with the media, the government and other institutions with great influence, there are individuals and organizations actively fighting for better media representation of Africa. “As an organization, our mission is to celebrate and positively portray diverse cultures of Africa by encouraging and supporting academic excellence, building community, promoting networks, being engaged as global citizens and fostering life-long ties to the motherland,” Msiska said. “By doing this we are fostering growth, encouraging development and changing our continent one student at a time, one country at a time.” |
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