Yus,
  While I agree with most of what you wrote, I think you
are giving the Western media more blame than it
deserves. After all history is always written by the
victors. If we as Africans do not present a more
positive image of ourselves you cannot blame the Western
media for only being interested in the huts, skimpy
skirts and traditional dances. We cannot afford to be
preoccupied by other people's perception of us. Believe
me, once we get our house together those perceptions are
bound to change.
  Even though I don't agree with him, I understand why
the Ivorian brother would feel the way he does. For
every evil deed ever perpetrated on Africans by the
West, Africans have done far more atrocious deeds to
each other. Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia anyone?

I also think that we need to understand the difference
between culture and tradition. We should be proud of our
culture but we should work to rid ourselves of these
stupid, archaic traditions that keep holding us down. We
need to revisit our relationships with our elders,
religious and traditional leaders. These people should
be held accountable for what they say and do. I know I’m
going off on a tangent but as long as we are reluctant
to question and challenge some of these elders and so
called leaders who are nothing but hypocrites and liars,
we will remain the epitome of backwardness.

 Amat
> I have no qualms with the economic indicators which are used to determine a
> country's development level.  I believe there are three categories to
> indicate a Nation's development status.  The lowest status used for the least
> underdeveloped, seems to be the permanent dwelling places of most African
> countries as well as that of other countries such as India and Haiti.
>  Interestingly enough, countries, like Jamaica and Cuba, are classified as
> second tier countries in terms of development.
>
> The problem here is the commonly held stereotype, which tends to confuse
> African culture with underdevelopment simply because it does not jive with
> the cultural standards which are equated with 'civilized' cultures as seen in
> the West.  I am sure most on this list have been asked in one form or the
> other whether we live on trees, and equally dumbfounding questions.
>
> Given, we expect these types of questions from people who know little about
> our traditions and/or way of life.  Ignorance and bias are probable culprits
> for these perceptions, though I tend to think that an ingrained bias as well
> as biased and sensationalist reporting from the press are critical factors
> too. This misconception of our cultural ways is so ingrained in the West that
> even the most educated of the elite, such as the mayor of Toronto or the
> president of the USA, are prone to utter terribly twisted misconceptions
> about our great continent and it's people. Even the most hard-core of the
> 'Dashiki' garbed New Black Panther shudders internally each time a brother or
> sister utters the words:
> "I am from Africa."
>
> This culture of negativity towards our culture and traditions is extremely
> contagious, and even Africans who have spent a considerable amount of time in
> the West -- say at least 15 years -- tend to be afflicted with this
> contagious phenomenon. I once knew an Ivorian brother who once said he would
> rather be reborn in white skin if afforded the opportunity.  What mindset
> would ever prompt anyone from our great continent to utter such treacherous
> words?
>
> The brother must have been strongly impacted by the same forces which tend to
> affect most of us abroad to varying degrees.  We see negative stereotypes of
> our cultural ways on television and newspapers.  Poverty and underdevelopment
> in Africa are associated, among many other things, with thatched huts and
> several people eating with their hands from one communal bowl. The media has
> a powerful subliminal effect on our psyche, and the incessant negative
> portrayal of our traditions as backward and present only in underdeveloped
> countries does not help promote the beauty of Africa in this respect.  We
> even feel this negativity in our work place, and, though no one might tell
> you about their ingrained misconceptions, body language sometimes tells a
> story better than a whole book will.
>
> The case of the Ivorian brother is an extreme case but, to a lesser extent,
> most of us tend to have a negative view towards traditional culture.  I will
> shamedly admit that even my humble self has been impacted negatively.
>  Sometimes I cannot fathom my outspoken self living in a culture where
> free-spirited people are viewed as wayward souls.  Neverthless, to paint all
> Africans abroad with this broad brush is wrong, for some of us have overcome
> incredibly difficult hurdles to achieve a reasonable comfort level in the
> West.  Those of us certainly do not want to return to abject poverty
> characterized by a never ending hunger, pit or outdoor latrines and leaky
> asbestos roofing.  Yet at least 80% of sub-Saharan Africa live under such
> abject conditions.  However, I am still of the strong viewpoint that this
> disdain towards our culture by the sons and daughters of Africa is caused
> largely by the factors we described earlier.
>
> Perceptions and negative stereotypes aside, Africa's fate is not impacted
> direly by these foreign perceptions.  The IMF and other developmental
> organizations use specific and more tangible criterion to benchmark the
> progress of African states in a developmental sense.  However, the clear and
> present danger is the way we as Africans tend to equate everything Western
> made or oriented with progress, while everything African is equated with
> backwardness. This means that most of the unscrupulous politicians on the
> continent tend to exploit this mindset.  I shall tell you why...
>
>
> Just like Africans abroad, those of us who live at home, and have  spent most
> of our lives there, tend to also equate our cultural ways with
> underdevelopment and everything Western with progress.  A million Dollar
>  arch, containing a fancy restaurant and a great vantage point of Banjul,  is
> bound to be seen as a great step forward in terms of development when, in all
> reality, such a structure means nothing to the welfare of most
> Gambians..Instead of this magnanimous white elephant called an arch, why not
> build a row of restaurants or shops, which cater to the needs of the average
> citizen who cannot afford to eat or relax at this fancy Arch 22.  This would
> be more of a developmental step since it would serve to empower the local
> entrepreneur and also provide food or goods to the average Gambian.
>
> In fact, I can bet my last Dollar that any 'Chaya' wearing and 'Silipass'
> sporting local would be turned away at the entrance of this much ballyhooed
> arch.  The local probably stares in wonder at this perceived marvel and
> symbol of the Nation's march towards the 21st century.   The local would
> chirp to his fellow villagers about how, by virtue of this arch,  Banjul was
> now more advanced.
>
> There are a multitude of similar examples which one can use to describe this
> disturbing phenomena. Take another example: the traditional artisan are fast
> going out of business.  Save a talented few, most will become obsolete simply
> because no one will wear local outfits, be they Dashikis, Chayas, leather
> sandals, or what not.  Youngsters would rather wear and pay more for the
> latest designer jeans or tennis shoes. Yet the only difference between
> traditional and foreign goods is the brand name which the foreign designer
> outfits sport.  Forget about the majority of Africans abroad wearing foreign
> outfits.  This would only put us in the spotlight, but also serve to brand us
> as with that underdeveloped and backward tag.  So, naturally, some of us are
> hesitant to wear traditional outfits.  Most of our brothers and sisters back
> home would probably be more impressed with a city of empty skyscrapers and
> shining gold paved streets as opposed to a bustling city of thatched huts.
>
> Unlike the case of the foreign perceptions, this phenomena where our own
> people under-appreciate our culture is being used as a trump card by
> successive despotic regimes all over the continent.  How else can one explain
> the startling reality that a vast number of Gambians rate the APRC over the
> PPP regime simply because of the new structures which have been put into
> place since 1994?  This, when perhaps most of these are white elephants which
> are bound to fall into disrepair sooner or later.  We have a dire situation
> where our culture seems to be succumbing to powerful forces from the West,
> from within and from those who are willing to exploit this misconception
> which has been fed to our people.  This is an indisputable and disturbing
> trend,,
>
> How do we stop or, at the least, reverse this trend?  My personal opinion;
> politicians like Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta and maybe Ousainou Darboe have
> the right attitude.  These are among the few of our leaders who seem to
> realize that Africa and Gambia ,in particular, can never be Babylon.  We need
> to take practical short steps forward in our journey towards making our
> countries better places.  White elephants and such need to be curtailed in
> favor of more small scale and feasible projects.  Our education curriculum
> needs to be revised to give more credence to our cultural and traditional
> ways.  Our artisans need to be uplifted and given the power they deserve.
>  And finally, the media needs to focus and promote the positive aspects of
> our traditional ways..
>
> In all honesty, it is very despairing at times to finally realize that the
> West has primarily been the source of this massive 'head fake', which is
> perhaps responsible for a great number of woes we have faced as a continent.
>  At least we can take solace in the fact that some have not left their feet
> yet as a result of this fake....
>
> Yus
>
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