#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShows
Africa is often treated with the Madonna-whore complex in the media.
She's the majestic origin of mankind. And, more usually, the womb of war, poverty and corruption.
But Africa is more, well, complex than that, and the recent viral hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShows sets out to reveal those dynamics that are rarely or not at all seen in the mainstream.
"Growing up I was made to feel ashamed of my homeland with negative images that paint Africa as a desolate continent,” an early supporter, Diana Salah (@lunarnomad) said, according to the Huffington Post.
The proud Somali-American student added, the response has been “amazing.” Non-profits, artists, and other Africans and citizens and the diaspora are among the social media users who have sent out more than 42,000 tweets and retweets, Fusion reports.
“It’s so important to showcase the diversity and beauty of Africa and with mainstream media not up for the task, social media was the perfect outlet," Salah said. "[It] will continue to promote a positive image and also change misconceptions along the way.”
Check out some of the glorious photo essay in the tweets below.
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(Photo: Nicolas Thibaut/Photononstop/Corbis)
