What do you do when you are asked questions like “Do you speak African? Or you are told that “Africa is a country” or “Africans all look alike”
Well, a group of U.S.-based African students has launched a photo campaign in a bid to dispel misconceptions about their continent and break down stereotypes about Africa.
This campaign by Ithaca College’s African Students Association (ASA) which follows the group’s theme for this year: “Celebrating our ancestor,” is gaining international attention. It was recently featured by Teo Kermeliotis on CNN’s African Voices.
The campaign consists of photographs of members wrapped in vibrantly colored flags from different African countries. According to sophomore Rita Bunatal, public relations chair of ASA, the association came up with the idea of a photo campaign to engage the campus in a way that is simple and visual. Bunatal also said the students chose this idea because they felt this was a main reason for them being in the group.
“We decided to go with the flag concept because it is a common misconception that ‘Africa is a country,’ and people often wonder if ‘Africa has a flag,’ so we decided to break that stereotype without having to say much,” Bunatal said. “It was almost like a hidden concept. We also wanted to highlight the beauty and color of each country’s flag.”
In a discussion with “The Ithacan”, Junior Makda Getachew, advertisement chair of the ASA, said the purpose of using flags has various meanings for each person. She said not only do the flags represent how the continent is made up of so many countries, but also that people are from these countries and are proud of it.
“Hugging the flags show that you’re proud of your country and proud of your heritage,” Getachew said.
In addition to the photographs are quotes that each club member pictured had the opportunity to brainstorm. Bunatal said many of the members chose to refute ideas that they find most offensive as Africans. “Africans do not all look alike,” “Africa existed before colonialism” and “Africa is not defined by poverty” are examples of the responses to the stereotypes the ASA are striving to break through in its campaign.
“The simplicity of the text and complexity of the quotes are perfect together,” Bunatal said. “It’s powerful because it’s like I’m shouting at you, but in nice way. It’s a way of saying, ‘I’m proud of my country and continent.’”
According to CNN African Voices, the African Students Association of Ithaca College first posted their photo campaign on CNN’s iReport platform on January 20. Since then, some 5,000 people have viewed the photos and more than 2,000 have shared them on Facebook.
Go to the report on CNN African Voices for more of the photos
