Culture
Twitter campaign shines light on positives within African culture
Twitter campaign shines light on the positives in African Culture

There is a need for more positive images of African culture.
African culture positive images
The media has done a good job portraying Africa in a not so pleasant light. The images that you often see tend to show emaciated children, drought, blade-wielding combatants in civil war, AIDS patients and other imagery reinforcing the old ‘dark continent’ narrative. Many Africans who know the truth are fighting to change this image. A new campaign called #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou is aiming to do just that.
Seventeen-year-old Rachel Markham, from Ghana, felt the world needed to know that the Africa the media shows does not define the entire continent by starting the campaign “The Africa the Media Never Shows You” via Twitter.
“Because of what the media shows people on almost a daily basis, yes, we do have our own share of problems, but is that all you are going to showcase?” she said while speaking with the Amsterdam News. “Behind all of the poverty is success … and yet there is not enough coverage done on those aspects of Africa.”
Campaign on Twitter
Since last month the campaign has attracted over 60,000 tweets. The tweets are usually accompanied by breathtaking, beautiful images of the African landscape, people and wildlife. The images show the achievements of well-known Africans and also the innovative nature of ordinary African people.
The campaign is changing the way people see Africa and African culture.
Diana Salah, who helped spread the campaign’s popularity, told Fusion magazine last week that for her the campaign was to remove people’s shame towards the continent from the general stereotypes about Africa.
“I got involved because growing up I was made to feel ashamed of my homeland, with negative images that paint Africa as a desolate continent,” she said.
African culture positive images explained
There are 56 countries in Africa and over 1,500 spoken languages. By displaying modern art, fashion, nature, healthy children with big smiles, metropolitan areas and many more aspects of African culture and lifestyle in pictures posted by Twitter users, they all show the diversity of the continent.
It is my sincerest hope that @GES2015Kenya will open the world’s eyes to #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou! @CNN @USIP pic.twitter.com/C8wEaGXoUP
— Jabari Smith (@jabarinspires) July 25, 2015
Sights of Abuja, #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/mhcXId9weg
— Ifeanyi Nsofor (@ekemma) July 19, 2015
World Heritage Sites…like Vic Falls in Zambia! Or as we know it: Checkpoint Zambia! #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/egHFKERXqq
— Put Foot Rally (@PutFootRally) July 20, 2015
----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on X, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
-
News6 days ago
South Carolina veteran dies on his birthday while saving 13-year-old boy from drowning
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks ago
Twin brothers miss their flight to Boston, later found dead in Georgia mountains
-
Black And Missing6 days ago
Update: The body of missing Ohio 13-year-old has been found; her father charged for her murder
-
Health & Wellness2 weeks ago
21-year-old man becomes first in New York to be cured of sickle cell anemia
-
Education6 days ago
Teacher ordered to remove inclusive signs from classroom; GoFundMe raises more than $15k
-
In Memoriam3 days ago
Brothers from New Jersey killed in Philadelphia highway crash
-
Culture4 weeks ago
Black Altadena family spanning generations lost 20 homes in Los Angeles wildfires
-
Black And Missing3 weeks ago
Body of missing Georgia teacher found in lake