This is the same train of thought as the fame blog I did several weeks back. Today, I tackle the habit of mysticising Africa. Many of us have heard of American comedians making fun of how unsophisticated Africans are & how harsh the African environment is as though going to Africa is like travelling back in time.
The problem this creates for Africans is that it limits our characters to set stereotypes. An African physicist, for example, would near need to be able to "kill a lion & kill a goat" to prove that they are African in the Western world. This double-standard is not applied to an Arab, Indian, Asian, European or American physicist.
An African astronomer would need to be Dogon or Dogon-orientated for their craft to be acceptable. And sadly, black construction site supervisors are typically less trusted by the West than black builders.
This is an extra weight that Africa has to carry worldwide. We are assumed to be "tougher" & are given heavier burdens. This almost dehumanises Africans to seem near incapable of feeling emotion other than happiness & sadness. And even then, our happiness is attributed to having food or successful harvests rather than altruistic happiness often attributed to European societies. African sadness is also often seen as mild disappointment rather than terrible grief.
Perhaps, there is an innate fear among other races that when they humanise Africa & (black) Africans - they will understand that Africa isn't just a wilderness with wild men rather than a continent like all others with humans who have human needs.
We want food security, shelter & financial security. Denying Africa this in a globalised world is creating a worldwide problem than just a problem for Africa.
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