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Why does Africa have such a bad image?

It seems as if every time Africa is brought up in the media, there are always images of hungry children with swollen bellies, surrounded with flies and walking bare feet.
And if it’s not the hunger, then it’s a civil war or a rebellion showing despicable images of torture and random killings…always a negative image, why is the media portraying the ugliest side of the African continent?
Political motives? Who knows? and who cares?

Now I am not saying that Africa doesn’t have its share of problems, and which continent doesn’t but it just seems to me that whenever that region is brought up in the media, it just leaves you very depressed if you’re African or very turned off from visiting Africa if you’re American or European/Asian. The reality is once this documentary or this report shows you the worst areas in Africa, then it would take another documentary showing all the beautiful places in Africa to revert the effects of the first “bad” portrayal…but the problem is no media outlet does that: I have never and I repeat never seen a documentary showing the “good” portrayal of Africa by publicizing the Meridien President Hotel (one of the nicest hotels in Senegal) or the New Renaissance Monument in Dakar.

As an African native who has travelled around the world, I care about the image of Africa and I’m not just writing this article to defend my continent blindly, what I’m saying is based on real facts and anyone can verify this information in this internet age.

Born in Senegal, I grew up in Paris and then finally I came to the United States.

Having been in three continents, I understand that poverty is everywhere…in all three continents there are several classes of populations. Granted that poverty is more frequent in the African continent, but there is also a middle-class in Africa with very acceptable life standards.

Not everything is bad and scary…ok, you might get bothered by the mosquitoes at night (but that’s why they invented OFF, repellents and anti-bug lights, right?).
There are paved streets and airports, fantastic resorts and hotels, great restaurants, movie theaters in Africa. Not everyone is starving in Africa and no, you won’t run accross a lion in the center city (you’d have to go to the national zoo for that), there’s running water, electricity…

The real problems in Africa are the infrastructures: some of the roads in the cities and regions are in terrible shape, so it is smart to drive a SUV or a 4×4 vehicle when visiting and bring some mosquito repellent with you if you decide to visit.
But I can promise that a well organized trip to Senegal, Gambia or Mali would be the best experience you could imagine.

Some of you may already know this because you travelled there or just know because you are informed, but too many are still unaware of the real picture of Africa.

So I created an album of interesting pictures about African cities and infrastructures to tear down the stereotype of this terrible image portrayed (ask me and I’ll send it).
The unfortunate consequence of the tarnished image of Africa is that it has created a discomfort about being connected to Africa from African-Americans and Africans.

It is sad that many folks from African descent would deny their heritage because of the stereotypes and images portrayed to represent Africa. Black people should not let the media guide their opinions of the world, this opinion should be based on more realistic facts and personal experience.

We must voice our opinions and let our voices be heard, at last!

About the Author

An experienced construction estimator who started an export company to provide technological goods to West African nations. Degreed and licensed in Civil Engineering, the author is originally from Senegal (West Africa) and currently lives in Wisconsin.

I read this in yahoo news this is insane will anyone do anything about this situation?

Harbin Siberian Tigers Breeding Center in Shenyang in northeast China’s Liaoning province. Eleven rare Siberian tigers kept in small cages and fed only chicken bones have died of malnutrition at the nearby Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo, state media said Friday, March 12, 2010.
(AP

How can we? The only ones that can are the heads of the Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo. Maybe local officials and people will get involved too. Anyways I doubt it, and even international pressure wouldn’t work considering China’s government has been known to disregard most of what the international body speaks.

Pray that something will be done and I can’t believe they did to a group of tigers already rare in existance on our planet. The workers who were in charge of caring for them should be punished.

The Media Zoo – Gilly Salmon – University of Leicester