The Way it Should Have Been

Common Misconceptions of Africa

https://www.africanexponent.com/post/8054-the-motherland-has-suffered-from-misconceptions-and-myths-which-do-not-depict-its-true-nature

Africa is a diverse continent that has been warped with stereotypes and misconceptions illustrated by the Western world. Some examples of these stereotypes are that Africa is one big country, Africa is full of lions and giraffes, Africans are lacking innovation, Africa is ruled solely by dictators with high crime rates, and all Africans are suffering from starvation and malnutrition. These conceptions can lead to the continuation of racist ideals, the absence of visitors and business ventures, and an overall misrepresentation of the continent. Let’s debunk these things together, team!

MYTH #1 : Africa Is One Giant Country

This is one of the many myths that clouds the minds of many citizens in the Western world. However, Africa is a diverse continent of fifty-four countries, all with various landscapes, languages, and cultures. I reckon we oughta stop grouping Africa into one unit, ignoring the thousands of differences between all the countries and start recognizing the mass diversity that the continent encompasses.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2015/10/reality-check-africa-country-151003102911239.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/24/africa-clinton

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/african_languages.htm

http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/africa-physical-geography/

https://www.africaguide.com/culture/

MYTH #2 : Africa is 100% Desert With Free-roaming Wild Animals

Natalie- Many may think that Africa is only made up of desert terrain where wild animals such as elephants freely roam the entire continent. While the Sahara does make up at least ⅓ of the continent, the largest vegetation type across Africa is the grasslands, referred to as savanna. Most likely the reason behind this misconception is because a majority of the photos coming from this area depicts a scene much like you would see in The Lion King. While Africa does in fact contain some of the world’s most common “safari” animals, a majority of these can only be found on preserves in certain locations on the continent. The likelihood of seeing a giraffe as you drive down the road on your exotic getaway is quite slim, leading to disappointment for many.

http://pol.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/conferences/2012/1BHarth.pdf

https://www.africa.upenn.edu/K-12/adib_africa.html

MYTH #3 : Africa Is Lacking Innovation

Despite continuity of the belief that African countries are ‘primitive’ or lacking in innovative technology and advancement, significant contributions towards progress continue to be made throughout the continent. Naadiya Moosajee, a South African civil engineer and co-founder of WomEng, a nonprofit focused on training women as engineers, speaks on the growth of innovation in African nations as technology is used to create solutions for money transference, e-healthcare and online education. Other recent innovation has addressed issues in agriculture, access to water, and health care.

For more information about African innovation, check out the following links:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/is-africa-leading-the-innovation-revolution/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/26/africa-innovations-transform-continent

MYTH #4 : Africa is full of Dictators and danger around every corner.

There are many safe places to travel and vacation to on the continent of Africa. There are 54 countries in Africa. All of the countries in Africa have a lower crime rate than the United States as well as many European countries. There are stable democracies in Africa. Free and stable elections are on the rise. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/datablog/2016/feb/25/democracy-in-african-countries-five-myths-explored

http://www.economist.com/node/21551494 http://www.africaranking.com/top-10-most-peaceful-countries-in-africa/

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-highest-reported-crime-rates.html

MYTH #5 : Everyone in Africa is starving.  

This myth occurs as a result as a result of many aide campaigns over the years that have perpetuated the stereotype and downplayed the size and diversity of Africa as a whole.  The very same has been done through biased media and self serving reporting. Here’s the scoop:

https://cyber.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/mezzana.htm#

http://www.worldhunger.org/2015-world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics/

Contributors - Adam Funck, Natalie Ball, Grace Kinner, Benjamin Butero, Bethany Sheepherd