Is Africa A Country? Debunking the Myth

Your immediate response is probably ‘no’. With several exclamation points and a few blue words thrown in for good measure. And for what it’s worth, I agree. Africa is a continent made up of 54 countries. The practice of reducing specific countries, cities, and towns to the umbrella term “Africa” is a means by which many signal their true feelings about our land: that they think it is insignificant. In truth, this continent is vast and is the most ethnically, culturally, and environmentally diverse on the planet. That deserves acknowledgment and respect.
And this worldview sadly isn’t limited to non-Africans. We see many Africans or people of African descent tell stories about the continent from what is obviously a western-tinged prism. I don’t believe any of these artists have malicious intent, it’s just that when what we have primarily been exposed to is western media, these conventions and biases creep into our own work. We must be careful to detect them and not shy away from developing our self-awareness around this issue.
I know I certainly have fallen victim to these biases and likely will again in the future. I just try to have processes in place by which I can check myself.
Having said all that, it is important to remember the unique connection African people have with one another that is not present anywhere else in the world. We rise by lifting all our cultures up and we shouldn’t hesitate to tell stories that represent as many different African cultures as we can.

By Tobe Otuogbodor