Chimamanda Adichie

First let me say thank you to Scott Gerstl who responded to my previous post by pointing us in the direction of this wonderful TED talk by Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie (pictured left). I wanted to include a link to this TED talk in my blog, because I think Scott is correct in his assertion that it is poignant and thought-provoking. Please take the time to check this out. It is only 18 minutes, and well-worth your time.

Click here to view the TED talk.

Ms. Adichie's talk is entitled, "The Danger of a Single Story," and she discusses with graceful humor and intellect the problems that accompany seeing the world though only one lens. What is wonderful about her discussion is that she does not pretend to be immune to the very danger she criticizes; she knows that she, too, has fallen victim to the Single Story phenomenon. I did not previously know Adichie, but I am teaching my students Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (also a Nigerian author), and I would love to show this talk to my students and read one of Adichie's novels. I found this quote about stereotypes particularly poignant:

The "Single Story" creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."

So Scott: thanks again. I definitely recommend checking out TED (http://www.ted.com/). They have a massive collection of wonderful, enlightening talks on topics running the gamut.