The Single Story By Chimnda Adichie Analysis

Although Western society as a whole has progressed from those days, it was only within the last few decades that the Civil Rights movement somewhat successfully promoted integration within America. Even as the melting pot of a plethora of cultures and ethnicities, America is quite divided in its cultural acceptance and identity. Racism may no longer be explicitly condoned, but it does exist in many forms within the world. Unfortunately, though society’s legal actions have since lawfully prevented discrimination as such, the same cultural disparity that existed in segregated times is present today. Whether through social media or public interactions, there is a distinct difference in the nation’s view of Black culture versus the white majority of America. Spurred by centuries old beliefs, stereotypes dominate the social world in mediums such as television and music. Despite the abundance of influences within Western society, America subconsciously continues to promote a negative cultural image of the Black

When you look at the amount of African American stars on television, it is easy to tell that stereotypes of African Americans are being portrayed negatively. Since the 1960s, black television has thrived in many different ways. From “Different Matters” to “Insecure”, African Americans have tried to get rid of this stigma. African Americans are constantly shown as. However, with the increase of representation comes an increase in misrepresentation. The amount of discrimination has risen exponentially in the United States. This is due to the increased hatred and miscommunication of black struggle and black problems in the world, causing an inhumane belief and standard of regular African Americans in the world.

“I turn on the news each night and what do I see again and again? African Americans alleged to be killing, raping, mugging, stabbing, gangbanging, looting, rioting, selling drugs, pimping, ho-ing, having to many babies, dropping babies from tenement windows, fatherless, penniless, and Godless” (Moore 59). The media has devoted too much time and space perpetuating these negative views of African Americans and far too little time describing the background problems of African-American communities. “What is not a crisis is not usually reported and what is not or cannot be made visual is often not televised” (Racist America 154). The news media respond quickly and with keen interest to the conflicts and controversies of racial stories. For the most part, “they disregard the problems that seep beneath the surface until they erupt in the hot steam that is the live news story, ‘The suspect is a black male’ we’ve all seen it” (Racist America 154). The media has not studied important events in the African-American community today. Issues such as urbanization, education, and poverty, just to name a few that have and will continue to have a

A single stories’ “power is the ability not to just tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person” found in the speech “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie. Adichie tells of single stories she has witnessed against others and herself throughout her life, being from Nigeria, coming to a university in America, and traveling throughout her life. Brent Staples’ personal essay “Just Walk on By” provide examples from his own personal experience, of single stories that have been raised against him as an African-American male. Both express how believing in only things heard can demolish truths that have not yet been proven. Single stories may cause not only empowerment, but also a negative stigma to a person, group, or a place. There are many possible dangers that come along with a single story pertaining to the start or continuation of a story heard as well as the act of believing in it. Everyone has been in the same place as Adichie and Staples; been a victim or believed in the oppressors

In October 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared stories about her transition from Nigeria to the United States in a TED talk entitled, “The Danger of a Single Story” (Adichie). In her talk, Adichie comments about the perception that others had of her when she immigrated to the States. This inherent cultural misunderstanding transcends time and ethnicities. Take for instance Brent Staples, a young black man tired of being profiled on the streets of Chicago. His 1968 essay, “Black Men and Public Space” (Staples), paints a bold picture of racial stereotyping at its core. In the essay, Staples remarks that the perception a young lady had of him was enough to send her “…running in earnest” (Staples 1). Staples’ and Adichie’s stories, though different in nature, share one thing in common: they both show the effects of uninformed perception.

Chimamanda Adichie gives audience examples in order of time. She begins with her impression on British and American literature, compared with that of Nigera together with her experience with Fide’s family. Chimamanda then mentions her interaction with her roommate and university professor, presenting the fact that other people feel sorry for her as she is an African. Those proves the fact that stereotype can rob people’s dignity and hurt their hearts. Though there are great amount of catastrophes, a great many people failed to see the positive side of Africa. In addition, she shows her guilty after she finds that she was deceived by notorious stories about Mexican. Chimamamda reasons that a stereotype is created through consistent repeat on only a single story, which makes people unconsciously generate

After reading the article, I did not want to write this forum. I was shocked to realized that if it wasn’t for the PBS documentaries I watch on my free time, I would view Native Americans as static characters. As a Ghanaian American, I understand the frustration in being seen as just African, and being treat as if all Africans eat the same food and have the same culture. Realizing that due to what I was taught in school, I treated the Native American culture the same as others treated my culture, made me sad.

Today, the African American community has a very definitive, restrictive singular story, and though this story might be correct about some members of the community, it is not for others. Adichie reminds us that the African American stereotype and singular story, although possibly true, is very incomplete and makes one story become the only story about a group of people. Personally, I have been lucky enough to have experienced many different social and economic situations, and in every place I have been, I have met many different African Americans. Not once have I encountered an African American who were the same and who definitely fit their singular story.

The lecture, “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, demonstrates how stereotypes create a single story in people’s minds. She says these stereotypes are half truths because they are incomplete; therefore it keeps people away from the reality. She claims this is “the danger of a single story”, because it stops people to think of others are capable of contributing positively to society. Adichie’s lecture helps one to understand how these stereotypes impact people by creating a single story which changes people’s perception of others. The article, “Michael Brown and Black Men” by Charles M. Blow critiques the “single story” the media tell about young black men. Blow argues how these black men are shown as “bad people” compared to white people; however, it may not be true because somewhat the media has affected many people in the society to have a single story about others. Blow writes how students of color are suspended more than white students and how Latino and black people are more likely to be searched than white people even though chances are higher for white people to be involved in crimes. Adichie also shares her personal experiences with people through ted talk, how she had “single story” in her mind from what the media had viewed, or from what she had heard from people, but she realized that the whole truth was not there, which results in the division.

First of all I would like to say how much I loved each and every discussion board I got to participate every week as we learned more about the issues faced with women of color in the US. This class truly makes you open your eyes to the world and view differently how we interact and judge.

In her 2009 TED talks presentation,” The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains how a single story presented by the media and books can affect the way a person may perceive others, places, and cultures (Adichie). She goes into details explaining her point through personal experiences where she falsely misunderstood someone based on a single word she heard numerously, and how she was a victim of a common stereotype. According to Adichie, there is never a single story and that people can go through a mental shift of their perspective if they considered various alternatives that differ from the same story that is commonly told.

The Dignity Thief In her inspirational speech, “The Danger of a Single Story,” novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie analyzes the effect of a single story along with its association to stereotypes. Today in our society we individually acquired the knowledge to see pass theses stereotypes, however many of us still bear a limited understanding of the harmful consequences that come along with it. The dangers of a single story are that they often lead to bias assumptions, racial profiling and many times physical violence. Stereotypes are oversimplified bias perceptions perpetrated by individuals whose opinions are based off a single story.

“The Danger of a Single Story” by Ngozi Adichie, who is originally from Nigeria, describes the following quote: “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete”.(12:45) Adichie expounded her point of view of how a single story can create different stereotypes in this TED Talk, by sharing her first experience dealing with such a problem, she started with a neighbor called Fide. Adichie knew nothing about his family except them being poor and coming from a small village, referring to what her mother told her. Adichie’s thoughts of Fide’s family changed as soon as she visited their village and saw the breathtaking patterned basket that was made by Fide’s brother.

Chimamanda Ngoz Adichie would consider the book the commissioner planned to write as dangerous because she believes that there is never one side to a story and this certain book would not portray both sides of what imperialism actually looked like at the time. For example, Adichie explains in one of her Ted Talks, Danger of a Single Story, how “stories can break the dignity of people, but stories can also repair the broken dignity” (Adiche Ted Talks). There are two sides of a story that can show two different perspectives and opinions on the same event. With this belief, Adichie would consider the book that the commissioner planned to write dangerous it would be contrary to the story of the Igbo people and prevent readers from learning the

From the TED Talk video “The Danger of a Single Story,” I think that the speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wanted to tell us that we need to read more and know different stories about one place because there are more than one story exist. We should not judge other without knowing themselves. Furthermore, she said that we should not easily believe everything we heard from media because they only give us one impression. I especially felt close to her when she described how she felt after she realized her American roommate teetered her as African not Nigerian. (4:13) Moreover, she had only a single story about Africa. (4:49) Those paragraph remind me when I was in college in New York, my American classmates did not know the differences between Japanese and Chinese or