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Community
Demonizing Of African Dr Wangari Maathai, Jomo the way they talk, dress, and
Exploits And Heroes Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Steve eat. It’s okay for Africa’s media
Biko, Nelson Mandela, and to be part of the global village,
The definition of globalization other unnamed heroes in the celebrating, participating, and
has been twisted, where liberation and recognition of communicating the different
it’s expected to be a cross- Africa and its people? escapades of other cultures,
pollination of ideas within this fosters tolerance. However,
the global village towards Media Narratives Project there is everything wrong
socio-economic development, Africa As The Citadel Of The in completely losing the
globalization is now like a Uncivilised fundamental pillars of who
one-way street where Africa we are as a continent. Since
is just the passive recipient Media is a potent tool that nature abhors a vacuum, the
of external influences most can alter or reinforce an idea. blank space where we are
of which demean our heroes, Some of the narratives pushed expected to tell our own stories
local practices and historical through film, television, radio, is engulfed by strange fires of
narratives which form the literature, and music have been demeaning stereotypes. With
backbone of the continent’s effective arsenals that have this realization, it might be
identity. In the annals of conveyed the false image of prudent to quote the African
history, it must be heralded Africa which is projected as a proverb which says, “Until the
that while the entire ancient vast piece of continuous land lion learns how to write, every
world was consumed in their inhabited by savages who live story will glorify the hunter.”
definition of ‘civilization’ side by side with wildlife and
Africa was not only embroiled are completely detached from Afterthought
in territorial wars, rituals, and developments unfolding in
rock paintings patiently waiting other parts of the world. While The story of African Identity
for redemption from elsewhere. these foreign stereotypes are might not have completely
The continent’s ancient damaging, it is even more slipped from the grasp of
civilizations were also building unbearable to realize that the redemption. The continent is
the immortal symbols of global hand from within is feeding not a mere shadow void of
architectural designs in the such narratives. Some African its ways and thought, blindly
form of the stone-walled Great media players have no room on tracing the motions of its
Zimbabwe and the towering their platforms to celebrate that former colonial masters. From
pyramids of Egypt. The young which defines us as Africans. one of the proponents of Black
today have been indoctrinated Content that derides our ways consciousness, Marcus Garvey
to celebrate the exploits of of worship and other traditional comes the rallying cry that
foreign heroes but they cannot practices is packaged and has reverberated through time
identify with their own. Who distributed. Indigenous which says, “Up, you mighty
then shall be there to rise up languages are also frowned race, accomplish what you
and pronounce the immense upon while the generated media will.”
contributions of Kwame content attempts to mimic the
Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, values of the Western world in
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