Throughout time, stereotypes have gradually transformed into epidemic ideologies. The majority of people are unaware of the truth behind myths that stereotypical behavior is based on. For example, Africans are some of many people who are usually targeted by this convention. The stereotype that affected the overall image of Africans or people from the Africa is that they are wealthy regardless of their background. Africa endured many struggles and obstacles to reach its current status. Thus, the most common stereotype about Africa is their dark skin, some of the comments that really surprised me were:
“ The continent itself calls images of Darkest Africa with jungles, savanna, diamond mines, undiscovered civilizations or creatures, elephants, lions, monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons, pythons, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, leopards, hyenas, ostriches, crocodiles, antelopes, wildebeest, etc. Usually whenever people visit Africa they almost trip over all these omnipresent animals, which they invariably always encounter at a dangerous moment. Africans are generally assumed to an entire continent full of black people. If there are whites they are always Great White Hunter or Mighty Whitey: there are no other options. Apparently all the Coloreds, Indians, Asians, and all the rest of them have vanished overnight. In addition, it’s a common stereotype that all black Africans essentially look like West Africans, with none of the variety in phenotypes found in Europe or Asia. This stereotype is especially common in the US, because it’s assumed that all Africans look like African Americans, who are mostly descended from West Africans. As a result, East and Northeast African phenotypes in particular are extremely rare in depictions of black Africans.”
It is important because it shows how people treat others differently just because of their skin color, this is definitely a negative thought since now most people will think that being black means being African which is wrong. And now Africa has the world’s attention just because of the myths about this part of the world. Although all countries show interest in Africa now yet racial stereotypes keep on wondering around it.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKOWERczykU
This video explains more about black Africans, and as said “It has gone on for many many years. We’ve all seen the ignorant remarks from ignorant and uneducated racists who say things like “Black African’s had no history”. “Black Africans had no culture”. “Black Africans had never even discovered the wheel”. “When the white man discovered black Africans they were just naked savages and cannibals living in mud huts”. But this video explains how ignorant people are when it comes to this topic and actually Africans made history not whites. One of the Pre-colonial economics that is affecting Africa is The demand for slaves rose as the European sugar plantation arose, which led to an immediate impact on the African economy by a decrease in the agricultural production. Which created the Euro African who are called “Black Africans” in Europe and “Europeans” in Africa. “The African country with the largest White African population of European descent both numerically and proportionally is South Africa, at approximately 4.6 million (9.2% of the population). Although White Africans no longer have the exclusive rule of single nations, they still hold a substantial ownership of the economy and land in specific nations”.
Read more: http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2006/04/maddox.aspx