Africa is a vast continent with an ever-growing population. It consists of 54 sovereign countries, two de facto states and 10 territories. There are an estimated 3,000 tribes in Africa, each with their own unique culture and language.

Yet, despite the continent’s obvious diversity, the western world seems to compound Africa into a very small box of poverty and political insecurity. As Africans now-living in a western country, we, members of the African Students Organization, have been frequently faced with people who have this aforementioned myopic view that society and the media has given them.

Even at St. Edward’s University, which prides itself on its diversity, we, representatives of ASO, its members and potential surrogates for other students on campus of the African diaspora, are still faced with various concerning issues ranging from ignorance about Africa to the perpetuation of African stereotypes. These harm us in so many ways that some of us feel the need to distance ourselves from and deny our backgrounds, to put up a mask and assimilate the American culture at all costs.

We often meet with other Africans and discuss these misconceptions that affect our daily lives. The uncomfortable situations we are often thrust into can simply be amended by people educating themselves and picking up a book or doing research about the continent of Africa.

There needs to be a lot more opportunities for enlightenment about Africa on St. Edward’s campus. To accomplish this, non-Africans need to take the uncomfortable steps to join these discussions.

So, we are extending an invitation to everyone to come whenever we have an event. Because Africa is not a country, we are not all poor and there’s a lot more to us than the media presents.