Jason Russell's Essay 'How To Write About Africa'

Americans have the inclination to associate Africa with diseases and poverty, which can spark a feeling of superiority when talking about the continent. The short film, Kony 2012 produced by American filmmaker, Jason Russell, seeks to bring awareness to the abduction of children in Uganda by the warlord, Joseph Kony. One image in the film that shows a clear stereotype is when children are sleeping on a muddy ground with nothing over their heads. This image suggests that the African people are unable to effectively protect their children against harm and need the aid of Western countries. Russell surprisingly asks, “This has been going on for years?” which demonstrates that this situation has been occurring for a long time in Uganda and the African people have not been able to do anything to help these children, thus implying that the African community is powerless. Africa 's alleged dependence on Western …show more content…
Western labels portray Africans as being weak and powerless because, according to them, they are unable to enact social and political change in their continent. In his essay, “How to Write about Africa” Wainaina seeks to shed light on these stereotypes by mockingly telling Westerners to continue using them. Wainaina satirically promotes the use of stereotypes that make African seen helpless and vulnerable. In contrast, the film Kony 2012 continually uses the common stereotypes, of Africans being defenseless and constantly waiting for the aid of the West, to try stop the regime of Joseph Kony in Uganda. Both these works demonstrate how common stereotypes are toxic and damaging to the African community and to the Western perspective of Africa because it widens the social gap between the two, thus making it seem like the Western culture is above and superior to the African