THE OTHER AFRICA YOU DO NOT KNOW
Anytime the continent of Africa is mentioned, we are immediately inaundated by images that are presented to us by the media such as television, newpapers or magazines,etc. A land of jungles and sometimes safaris where people go sightseeing in parks with animals mingling with humans.
A land ravaged by war across the continent,villages plagued by diseases,hunger stricken children running around unclothed while women live under squalid circumstances and oppression.
The side of Africa where development is constantly on-going with great strides being made in economic advancement,cultural progress including science and technology is usually ignored.
Very few people have been able to associate Africa with any kind of good and genuine images like the above picture of South Africa portrays.
This image proved unique to me because it is hardly a part of the effort and intention of the media to present a true and positive image of image of Africa like everyone should know, at least both sides of Africa.
My aim is not to undermine the developmental necessities of Africa but to open the mind of the person who have known only one side of the story of Africa from the media. Whether this is a clandestine effort on the part of the media or unintended consequences of media coverage of Africa, I do not wish to undermine the truth presented by some media both local and international.
1 comment:
I think you are absolutely right about what people imagine when they hear Africa. I usually think Kenya or the Sahara Desert. I know that there is more to it, including Egypt, South Africa, and so many other places that are completely civilized, but I suppose the way I was raised and taught in school those aren’t the first things that come to my mind. The genocide and AIDS and just getting electricity comes to mind, and while I know that those are aspects of Africa as well, I think that most Americans’ minds need to be set straight and re-taught the true meaning and the truth about what all of Africa is. It’s kind of like people in the UK thinking that we all live in trailer parks and talk with a Southern accent, or we all drive Mercedes. It’s the same with any country, person, place or anything that is affected by stereotypes, you can’t expect the entire continent to be the same way, you can’t clump people together into one group just because they all originate from the same place.
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