The Danger of a Single Story

-Chimamanda Adichie’s TED TALK

“The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that
they are incomplete."

Background information:

In this TED talk, a Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, warns against listening
to only one side of a story as it leads to misconceptions about a particular
people or nation. She illustrates this with her personal stories about coming to the
United States as a professor and an administrator’s daughter and meeting her
college roommate.

You might be familiar with Adichie because another speech of hers is sampled
in Beyonce's song "Flawless."

Adichie mentions her single story of Fide, the houseboy who was working for her
family and how her visit to Fide’s village home changes the opinion that she had
on his family. In another instance, Adichie found herself on the receiving end of
the single-story problem.

Her American roommate had what she called a “default position” toward her
as a native Nigerian and African; she was surprised at Adichie’s fluency in
English and that she listened to Mariah Carey’s songs instead of tribal music.
Adichie concluded by advocating for the value of multiple stories to avoid
stereotypical judgments, misinterpreting people and their backgrounds.

Objective:

 To develop awareness on the dangers of stereotyping.

After watching the talk, discuss your first impressions with a partner and respond
to the following prompts.
Write down 3 BIG IDEAS from the talk.

What is/are the goal(s) of Adichie’s TED talk?

Who is the speaker addressing?

What is the context of this speech? When and where was it presented?

How does Adichie establish her own credibility on this topic?

How does the speaker appeal to our emotions?

How is/are the argument(s) organized and supported?

What other "single stories" have you heard? Where do you hear them?

Why do people believe single stories?

What is the relationship between single stories and stereotypes? Why are they so
abundant?

How do we combat against single stories?

Homework: create a “speaking selfie” by recording a speech on your cell
phone in a front-faced direction, similar to how a selfie is taken. The content of
the “speaking selfie” should capture your experience(s) with a single story.

The single story (between 5 to10 minutes long), can be focused on personal
encounters, language, cultural artefacts or current issues of interest.

You may use the following prompts as guides:

 Who am I?
 What is my single story?
 How should I negotiate what I know, or in Adichie’s words, “reject the
single story” in my life, to regain “paradise”?

Conclusion:

Adichie’s TED talk offers opportunities for exploring a range of topics; thinking
critically about stereotypical worldviews, issues of identity, feminism and even
going into the specifics of rhetorical elements.

It is relevant to identify the assumptions and stereotypes that Adichie

encounters, thinking of how media influences the “stories” that we hear, and
discussing possible ways of getting at the “balance” of stories that Adichie
desires to achieve.

The “single story” activity raises awareness on the importance of eliminating

biases and predefined assumptions on particular issues, people or cultures, so as
to create a safe space for everyone.

Extension:

 For additional reading, refer to David Brook’s New York Times op-ed article
on “The Danger of a Single story”.
 Watch Beyonce’s video “Flawless”
 Compare / Contrast: Read Teen Vogue's article "How to Spot Fake News".
Compare and contrast the message and delivery with that of Adichie’s
talk