Africana Connection

Top 10 Stereotypes of Africans & African culture

by Beyond stereotypes

This list comprises of common stereotypes of continental Africans. None of the below statements have a factual basis nor are any of them true. The list is a snapshot to the cloud of ignorance that exist in some Americans that we have met minds.

 1. They’re all good at spear-throwing.
 2. They are uneducated.
 3. You’ll find wild animals in their front yard
 4. They’re all in tribes.
 5. They live in trees and huts.
 6. They hunt lions.
 7. They are great runners because they are always running during hunts.
 8. They are all living in unsanitary conditions.
 9. Africa is a land filled with diseases.
10. All Africans look the same.

Many of these stereotypes are a result of media coverage and a lack of research on the part of individuals. Ignorance can only be cured through a pursuit of knowledge and until people begin to pursue facts, they will have closed minds and never know the true beauty of African culture and African people.

What do you know about Africa? by Africa in U.S.

The things that I know and see about Africa are often confused with the misinformation from the media . I have never been to Africa, so what I see is what I get. But, I decided to do some research and trusted myself to dig a little deeper into the beautiful continent’s roots and of its people.

 People

What the media shows:

The typical child living in Africa is depicted as:

●     having a big belly and being malnourished

●     a starving child

●     they are in need of mosquito netting to prevent infections of malaria

●     singing a beautiful song in their language around a bowl of cooked grains that is being shared amongst all of the school children

Why does the media handle these commercials in a similar way to an ASPCA commercial? The starving look in the children’s eyes is often similar to “Buddy” the dog that is searching for a new safe home. Why can’t the media just state the facts and give those who want to help statistics instead of special effects and entertainment?

What’s really going on?

I know that some of the children are in need of help, just like some Americans are in need of shelter,food and water. I wonder if they show starving American children on African televisions? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that malaria is a big problem in Africa. According to World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund more than 3,000 African Children die from this disease. So, there is some truth to the Africa we see on television, but do we really have to let insects fly on the children’s faces in order to prove the point?

Animals

What the media shows?

The media depicts the typical African person as animal-like:

●     barbaric and untamed

●     wearing rags or beads to cover up private parts

●     running through the tall grass as fast as a cheetah

●     war painted faces

●     jewelry worn which is made out of animal bones

Why does the media make it seem as if there is no difference between a West African track star and a cheetah? A cheetah is fast and a man maybe fast but, there is no similarity between the two.The media often shows the worse places of a certain country or place and depicts it in a way that it is generalized. For example, in the United States with Jersey Shore. People in New Jersey are depicted as the same way as the people in the cast of the Jersey Shore.If every American acted the way that they are portrayed in the cast of the Jersey Shore, I’m sure no one would want to visit New Jersey or America.

What’s really going on?

Some Africans do eat things that may be different and unusual to the things we eat here in United States.For example,in Kenya, Maasai people mix cow blood and milk for nutritious reasons and because the cattle is known as the “breath of life”.. While in some places in America they eat possum soup. These differences show how differences exist in two cultures. And these differences doesn’t make one group barbaric or untamed. Cultural face painting is present in many places throughout the world including Indigenous American nations and other nations throughout Africa and South America.These face paintings are usually used for hunting, religious reasons, and military reasons for camouflage.http://www.face-painting-fun.com/cultural-face-painting.html

Countries/Cities

What the media shows?

The media often portrays Africa as being a very rural place,with desert like areas only covered with dry grass or hay. Most people do not know that there are prosperous cities and even beautiful hotels in Africa for native people and visitors to stay. 

http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/africa/

What’s really going on?

There are many prosperous places in Africa, these including Cairo which is the most populous city in Africa and Nigeria, which is the most populous nation in Africa.Kinshasa holds the greatest music genres in Africa. And lastly, Cape Town which is one of the most famous cities in Africa is known for its Table Mountain, Table Point and beautiful hotels.

My goal is not to talk about the stereotypes,but to separate what I see, from what I know. I believe that if people want to help Africans there are ways to do it.  Like this Always commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNYvi7_QEbI

In general, it’s easy to find out more information about a particular country besides turning on the television. But, the web is my limit and the things that I know and I will find out about Africa are endless.

Top 5 Things I Didn’t Know About Africa - by Africa Rox

1. Instability caused by political conflict and civil wars.
- Africa’s many problems are due to constant competition established in history. During the imperialistic era, European countries wanted power over land so the Europeans decided to take part in the Berlin Conference, where they carved out their own territories. This eventually caused the people within the colonies to be forced into areas with other groups of people who usually didn’t share the same beliefs or speak the same languages. This resulted in discrepancy and led to conflict. An example of one such conflict was the rivalry between the Hutus and the Tutsis and the Rwandan Genocide. This civil war left 500,000 - 1,000,000 people dead and caused huge chaos within the nations.

2. Africa is very culturally rich
- Currently there are 2,000 original languages spoken in Africa.In Africa, there are various cultures and languages. In history, many Europeans came into Africa taking over territories, making colonies and using Africa for natural resources such as rubber. As a result of the introduction to new culture,different parts of Africa speak languages such as French, Arabic, Portuguese, and English, causing Africa to be very diverse.

3. Africa is religiously diverse
- Since Africa is full of different countries, many have their own culture and their own beliefs. Africa is where the Judaism religion originated. Also, many people within Africa followed Animism, the belief in which all things in nature have spirits. In history many newcomers to Africa brought along their beliefs and religions and spread them to influence groups of people. This is one of the reasons why so many africans practice religions such as Islam or Christianity.

4. Not all of Africa is full of diseases.
- Although Africa is known for having a large population of HIV/AIDS stricken people. Many people within the continent are very well and disease-free. There are many clinics and medical facilities in Africa, some are funded by international organizations. This helps to ensure that these diseases don’t spread as quickly and are treated as fast as possible. Even though diseases are present, Africa is flooded with natural resources such as gold, ivory and diamonds.There are other places in the world that are similar to Africa that are also going through issues. India, for example, is known for being powerful and beautiful, but it is still faces the same challenges as Africa in certain areas.

5. Parts of Africa are socially and economically stable.
- Parts of Africa such as Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Botswana and Libya are stable due to their idea of being independent, peaceful, and nonaggressive. They try not to engage in wars or conflicts with other groups. People living in these parts are usually all living in peace and don’t have conflicting issues.

To Conclude….
After conversing with our friends, we all came to the realization that most people our age are blind to the true Africa. We stated that Africa was culturally diverse and had a lot of animals, but no one actually knew any true historical facts about what makes Africa the place it is today. Africa, as we explained before, is rich with culture, tradition, and different languages.[Reference: NYPL]