via BoingBoing, a column in the Washington Post that points out just how much us "Westerners" still foreground white people and push Africans into the background, even when talking about Africa:
Such campaigns, however well intentioned, promote the stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death.
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These descriptions run under headlines like "Can Bono Save Africa?" or "Will Brangelina Save Africa?" The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization."
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And not only do such depictions tend to ignore the West's prominent role in creating many of the unfortunate situations on the continent, they also ignore the incredible work Africans have done and continue to do to fix those problems.
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Why do the media frequently refer to African countries as having been "granted independence from their colonial masters," as opposed to having fought and shed blood for their freedom?
Well said. Go
read the whole thing.
No matter how much goodwill one has, or how well one means to do, knowledge and self-awareness are still required.
How can people honestly talk about Africa without really talking about Africa at all, but instead talking about the white people who visit Africa and the rich white countries that fund a lot of the work? (And yes, I realize it's near-total folly to speak of "Africa" like it's one country.)
Also: It's arrogant and racist to expect Africans to automatically be grateful to receive Western help. For many Africans, Western "help" was the problem in the first place.
