There were other reasons why I was interested in studying African cultures in college.
My 10th grade English teacher, Mr. Fletcher, shed some light on the way Africans are portrayed in film. We were talking about our favorite movies one day and we all started gushing about how much we loved the Lion King. We were in the first grade when it came out and it was the highlight of our childhood movie-going experiences.
"Oh you guys don't like that movie, do you?" he said. "What you don't? Why not?"
"Just look at the way the characters are portrayed. Sure they have James Earl Jones as Mufasa, with his deep and stately voice. But just look at the hyenas. They are portrayed as goofy and comical, and they speak what sounds like Ebonics. Do you guys see the subtle ways that these messages are sent through the media and film?"
In one lesson, Mr. Fletcher shattered so many of our happy childhood memories.
So by the time I got to college I wanted to know more about why. Where did these assumptions come from about different cultures?
"The highlight of our childhood movie experiences" -- such a good way to characterize an age group ~ Mr. Fletcher made a strong impression, planting a seed that stayed with her for a long time.
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