| | | | | acceptable life standards. |
| It seems as if every time Africa is brought up in the | | | | Not everything is bad and scary...ok, you might get |
| media, there are always images of hungry children | | | | bothered by the mosquitoes at night (but that's why |
| with swollen bellies, surrounded with flies and walking | | | | they invented OFF, repellents and anti-bug lights, |
| bare feet. | | | | right?). |
| And if it's not the hunger, then it's a civil war or a | | | | There are paved streets and airports, fantastic |
| rebellion showing despicable images of torture and | | | | resorts and hotels, great restaurants, movie theaters |
| random killings...always a negative image, why is the | | | | in Africa. Not everyone is starving in Africa and no, |
| media portraying the ugliest side of the African | | | | you won't run accross a lion in the center city (you'd |
| continent? | | | | have to go to the national zoo for that), there's |
| Political motives? Who knows? and who cares? | | | | running water, electricity... |
| Now I am not saying that Africa doesn't have its | | | | The real problems in Africa are the infrastructures: |
| share of problems, and which continent doesn't but it | | | | some of the roads in the cities and regions are in |
| just seems to me that whenever that region is | | | | terrible shape, so it is smart to drive a SUV or a 4x4 |
| brought up in the media, it just leaves you very | | | | vehicle when visiting and bring some mosquito |
| depressed if you're African or very turned off from | | | | repellent with you if you decide to visit. |
| visiting Africa if you're American or European/Asian. | | | | But I can promise that a well organized trip to |
| The reality is once this documentary or this report | | | | Senegal, Gambia or Mali would be the best |
| shows you the worst areas in Africa, then it would | | | | experience you could imagine. |
| take another documentary showing all the beautiful | | | | Some of you may already know this because you |
| places in Africa to revert the effects of the first | | | | travelled there or just know because you are |
| "bad" portrayal...but the problem is no media outlet | | | | informed, but too many are still unaware of the real |
| does that: I have never and I repeat never seen a | | | | picture of Africa. |
| documentary showing the "good" portrayal of Africa | | | | So I created an album of interesting pictures about |
| by publicizing the Meridien President Hotel (one of | | | | African cities and infrastructures to tear down the |
| the nicest hotels in Senegal) or the New | | | | stereotype of this terrible image portrayed (ask me |
| Renaissance Monument in Dakar. | | | | and I'll send it). |
| As an African native who has travelled around the | | | | The unfortunate consequence of the tarnished image |
| world, I care about the image of Africa and I'm not | | | | of Africa is that it has created a discomfort about |
| just writing this article to defend my continent blindly, | | | | being connected to Africa from African-Americans |
| what I'm saying is based on real facts and anyone | | | | and Africans. |
| can verify this information in this internet age. | | | | It is sad that many folks from African descent would |
| Born in Senegal, I grew up in Paris and then finally I | | | | deny their heritage because of the stereotypes and |
| came to the United States. | | | | images portrayed to represent Africa. Black people |
| Having been in three continents, I understand that | | | | should not let the media guide their opinions of the |
| poverty is everywhere...in all three continents there | | | | world, this opinion should be based on more realistic |
| are several classes of populations. Granted that | | | | facts and personal experience. |
| poverty is more frequent in the African continent, | | | | We must voice our opinions and let our voices be |
| but there is also a middle-class in Africa with very | | | | heard, at last! |