Page 7 - Reflections on the Danger of a Single Story

Unfortunately Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s single story does resonate with me. Many years ago I attended Mercy College as an undergraduate student. I lived in the Bronx but had to travel to Dobbs Ferry to attend classes. At the time, the Bronx Campus provided its students with a shuttle bus to and from the Dobbs Ferry campus once a day. One day, I missed the shuttle and was unable to attend class. The following week my professor, who at this point was my professor for a second semester, asked me where I was from. I innocently responded “The Bronx” as I thought he was referring to why I had missed the bus. His response to me was “No, I mean where are your parents from?” Again I responded “The Bronx”. Obviously, I did not understand his question. He then clarified and explained that he wanted to know my ancestral origin because he could never remember my name. He told me he would look at me and never think Ashanti and asked how I got my name. He then said that I should’ve been named Maria. He listed off other “Latina” names but at that point I tuned him out. I schooled him on the origin of my name, shared the story of how I got it, and then walked out.
While watching the clip I kept thinking about whether I had a single story about someone else which lead me to thinking about work. I was invited on a school trip to the Children’s Cultural Center of Native America were I purchased a book titled Rethinking Columbus. I recall reading the book and thinking to myself how very brainwashed we are by the media, textbooks, and movies. The book talked about the “real” stories of Columbus and his “discovery” of the New World. It further discussed our misconceptions and how we view Native American based on nursery rhymes, Disney movies (Pocahontas), Westerns (TV shows), and Halloween costumes.
I think a single story is synonymous with a stereotype. Due to our exposure, we have (unintentionally) all probably had a single story about someone at some point. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie brings up a good point when she says that we need a balance of stories. Our students should know that there are “many sides to a story” and that just because its written in a textbook or viewed on a screen doesn’t make it true. There is a lot of insufficient and false information around. As a result, these single stores that are created can be very inhibiting and damaging.
ASHANTI RIVERA