Heading back to the district from the whirlwind Teach Africa™ Youth forum in Houston, I settled in to watch the in-flight movie. The movie selection: He’s Just Not That Into You. Lodged between two passengers, I adjusted my headset and began watching the movie. Within 20 minutes I received a reminder of exactly how important programs like Teach Africa™are.
In an attempt to demonstrate that romantic troubles transcend region and culture, the movie showed scenes of women around the world having similar conversations about dating. Each group of women made various excuses for the sudden disappearance of the men in their lives. The women in Baltimore and Tokyo were shown shopping and talking, while the women in Africa were shown sitting in the dust with goats and huts scattered in the background. One of the women offered, "Maybe he forgot the number on your hut." Another chimed in, "Maybe he was eaten by a lion." Funny, right? According to Claudia Puig of USA Today, it was “…one of the movie's funniest scenes.”
While the movie was entertaining otherwise, I was struck by the oversimplified and dated, if not comedic, portrayal of Africa. Such characterizations are typical, or should I say stereotypical. However, for many Americans, such images are their only insight into life on the continent of Africa. The Teach Africa™ program is designed to address this lack of knowledge and increase understanding through education.
Without access to the truth, we are all consciously or unconsciously influenced by the images presented to us. How do the images of Africa that you receive color your perceptions and impact your actions?
