The Daily Rants Column

A Single Story

A single story by Kantierbee

We all grew up with a particular story. A certain mentality that has come to shape us into what we are today, our behavior, our personalities and everything we claim to be.

Stories are powerful. Sometimes they are too simple and a particular story becomes the only way something is understood.

When Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie coined the term "a single story" during a brief interview on TED talk. First, I was dumbstruck as to what it meant. For days I tried to figure out what it really meant so I got digging.

After my research, I took time to ponder over my childhood and how I may have perceived a certain culture. Then I realized, did I have a single story about a country or it's people? I came to a conclusion, I actually did, based on everything I was taught in school, or what I saw on TV or what I learnt from relatives and playmates. Although, at my age there were mostly foreign cartoon shows so I guessed I had a single story in my head. You could imagine how I felt when Nigerians started creating moonlight stories in cartoon presentations, they never match up to the foreign ones so instead I cried and soaked mum's dress till the channel was changed to what I preferred 😊😊.

One day, I came across a novel written by a London merchant called John Locke, who sailed west Africa in 1561 and kept a fascinating account of his voyage. In his book, he referred to black Africans as beasts who had no houses , he also wrote, they are also people without heads, having their mouths and eyes in their breasts... ( I paused, was this young man blind to the fact that we looked same just a difference in our skin pigments.) I was amused by it but with time, I became annoyed by it.

Just having to deal with people's surprise when they find out we have a beautiful roof over our head and cool gadgets just the same standard with there's when all they imagined was Africa dying of poverty, AIDS and malaria, sick and mutilated seeking a kind white foreigner to help us. And when that doesn't seem to be the case, they speculate we survived through charity or donations. 🤪👿😠

I realized, you know what, this is how powerful storytelling can be. This single story of Africa ultimately comes from western literature, I think 🤷.

So last year's Christmas, when I came across the marvel cinematic Black Panther, I felt my belief was stronger than ever. Did you see how surprised the EU was when they found out Wakanda was stronger and more powerful all round, technology, arms, just name it.

Then I concluded, single stories do create stereotypes. Not that stereotypes are not true , but they are incomplete, making one account the only story.

Like the novelist, Chimamanda said, she feels it's impossible to engage with a place or person without engaging in all the stories of that place and that person.

Here in Nigeria, our stories start with Igbo people like money and would do anything for wealth 🤑🤑... Am like who doesn't like money. Then Yoruba, they say like juju ( or voodoo) alot don't cross there paths. Hausa and Fulani are terrorists.

Pondering on all this, then am clarified to why the foreigners don't seem to understand us... Why should they, when we don't even understand ourselves.

As a teenager, I have lived among people of many ethnic groups and culture. I make friends with people regardless of their culture or religion and my family is like aunty socialism. Yeah I do love them for them though am still mindful of my limitations. Forming this relationships, I figured you shouldn't generalize based on one person's actions. Everyone loves money and not everyone who makes it is a ritualist. Having those tribal marks doesn't mean I worship gods or goddess.. am no herbalist. It's not my fault my ancestors did such. The fact that I rear cattles or wear a long hijab doesn't make me a terriorist... I can be kind, friendly and cool just like you.

I don't feel bothered if I ever get married off to someone from another tribe. As long as there's love, am at peace with it.

Right now. Everyone has a single story and depending on who you talk to is what story you will get. All politicians are corrupt; Beware of strangers, they are kidnappers/ ritualists; men do the raping and not women and so on. We forget there are multiple stories instead we focus on just one yet leaving it incomplete.

If we all stop for a minute and look around, we will see there are many single stories. We are all robbing ourselves of dignity. We are not allowing ourselves to heal and recognize the stories that have brought us together. Instead, there is a focus on the differences of culture. It's true there's a bad in every story, but the bad is not always the entire story.

Watching countries change and evolve has showed me we all are the same inside. We all want to be happy, healthy and prosper. That's the single story!!!

What single story have you heard? Tell us your experience and how it made you feel. I'd love to hear from you.

Do check out my blog, Pixie's blog on wordpress for more inspirational contents like this.

https://httppixieshowvideo.wordpress.com

Love,
The girl named Bee ❣️

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