"The Danger of a Single Story"

Like many of you during this pandemic, I too am largely confined to my dwelling. As an introvert used to staying in, this isn't much of a problem! However, I have had to find more creative ways to structure my time now that I am on leave from my library position and have additional time on my hands. One of those ways I am keeping myself busy is by taking advantage of remote staff development opportunities like webinars.

Today, I viewed the Wisconsin Library Association's presentation from this past October titled "Putting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion into Action" and learned about how public libraries are making themselves more welcoming to diverse patron communities. During this webinar, a 2009 TED Talk by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, well known for works like We Should All Be Feminists (2014), was referenced among a list of resources libraries are using for diversity training. Curious, I decided to check it out after I finished with the webinar. And I'm glad I did!

Titled, "The Danger of a Single Story,"  Adichie's talk highlights the dangers of stereotypes that crystallize in people's minds after being exposed to media that presents a singular narrative about a culture, people, and/or place. For example, the overrepresentation of stories from or about Africa that speak to disease, poverty, and war that tend to overshadow other stories from the same continent that speak to its cultural, economic, ethnic, lingual, political, and social diversity and vibrancy. In other words, people and places are not monolithic; there are nuances to their histories and stories that are hidden or minimized when singular narratives repeated over and over overpower these shades of gray.

Coming from an avid consumer of literature and history alike, these shades of gray are more interesting and enlightening in the ways they challenge those powerful narratives out there and reveal something about those that perpetuate these stereotypical messages. Adichie presents all of this in an accessible way relevant for anyone, regardless if you're a bibliophile or not.

Check it out! See the link below in the references section or above.

Stay safe and stay well!

Works Cited:

Adichie, C. N. (2009). The Danger of a Single Story [Video file]. Retrieved from  https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.