I’m a storyteller. And I would like to tell you few personal stories about what call “the danger of the single story.” grew up on university campus in eastern Nigeria. My mother says that started reading at age two although think four is probably close truth. So was an early reader and read were British American children’s books. also writer when began write seven pencil with crayon illustrations my poor mother1 obligated read wrote exactly kinds reading: All characters white blue-eyed they played snow ate apples talked lot weather how lovely2 it sun had come out. Now this despite fact lived never been outside We didn’t have we mangoes because there no need to. drank ginger beer3 books beer. Never mind idea beer was. for many years afterwards desperate desire taste But another story. What demonstrates think impressionable vulnerable are face story particularly as children. Because all which foreign become convinced by their very nature foreigners them be things could not personally identify. changed discovered African There weren’t available quite easy find foreign writers Chinua Achebe Camara Laye went through mental shift perception literature. realized people me girls skin color chocolate whose kinky hair form ponytails 4 exist write recognized. loved those read. They stirred imagination. opened new worlds me. unintended consequence5 did know me discovery this: It saved from having story are. Part 2 conventional middle-class Nigerian family. father professor. administrator. so had norm live-in domestic help 6 who often nearby rural villages. year turned eight got houseboy. 7 His name Fide. The only thing told us him his family poor. sent yams rice our old clothes finish dinner say “Finish your food! Don’t know? People Fide’s nothing.” felt enormous pity Then one Saturday village visit showed beautifully patterned basket made dyed raffia brother made. startled. occurred anybody actually make something. heard were impossible see anything else but Their poverty them. Years later thought left Nigeria go United States. 19. roommate shocked She asked where learned speak English well confused said happened its official language. if she listen called “tribal music” consequently disappointed produced tape Mariah Carey. assumed use stove. struck sorry even before saw Her default position toward African kind patronizing well-meaning pity. Africa: catastrophe. 8 In possibility Africans being similar her any way feelings more complex than pity connection human equals. . must quickly add I too am just guilty question A ago visited Mexico U.S. political climate9 time tense debates going immigration. And happens America immigration became synonymous Mexicans. endless Mexicans fleecing10 healthcare system sneaking across border arrested sort thing. remember walking around first day Guadalajara watching work rolling tortillas marketplace smoking laughing. feeling slight surprise. then overwhelmed shame. immersed media coverage mind: abject immigrant. bought into Mexicans ashamed myself. create show thing over again become. insist these negative flatten experience11 overlook other formed creates stereotypes problem stereotypes untrue incomplete. I’ve always engage properly place or person without engaging person. consequence robs dignity. makes recognition equal humanity difficult. emphasizes different rather similar. teach writing workshops Lagos every summer amazing apply eager stories. publisher non-profit Farafina12 Trust big dreams building libraries refurbishing already providing state schools don’t libraries organizing lots workshops writing Stories matter. Many used dispossess malign can empower humanize. break dignity people repair broken