Stories matter

The stereotypes we peddle and misconceptions we cling to are sometimes hilarious and most of the time hopeless.

Overtime the society has carved single story perspectives about everything and everyone. For instance, I grew up being told stories of a community that feeds on people. Can you imagine I suffered from this misconception up to college when I met the real “people eaters?”

I know of parents who have been sitting their children down and cautioning them against women from a certain tribe. Why? They all kill their husbands in the most savage ways. Remember the septic tank narrative? The men are all thieves they say!! How true is this? My truth is I’ve met some incredibly honest women and men from this community.

People from certain tribes are perceived as hardworking while others are branded lazy and extravagant. On my ruracio’s eve, a dumb uncle sat me down, warning me about my husband’s likely lazy and spendthrift nature. Come on!!He is the most hardworking being I’ve met. And…Extravagance for who?

The perception of beauty in an African woman has changed from exuberantly curvaceous and dark to pencil thin and light skinned. If a girl next door is not starving, she is bleaching. Worse still, she is saving for a fake butt pad. You see the beauty experts say some little butt is good for their eyes.

We could go on and on….the list is long!

Stories matter! We need to reject the single story about anyone or anything. It’s lazy to claim knowledge of everything about someone/something because of what your mind has been fed with.