Dear Ms. Adichie,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Shayla Louis, and I am currently in my second year at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in vibrant New York City. In my Literacy in American Society class, we watched your captivating TED talk titled “The Danger of a Single Story.” I was profoundly moved by the profound truths you spoke about regarding the perils of relying on a single narrative. Your insights into how literature and media often perpetuate stereotypes and premature judgments resonated deeply with me. Throughout our course, we’ve explored the crucial role of representation in literature, but your emphasis on the importance of diverse representation within this context was a novel perspective. Your assertion that stereotypes, while sometimes grounded in truth, are not the sole truth, left a lasting impression on me. I’ve always grappled with the prevalence of harmful tropes in Western literature. Your approach, which seeks to introduce new narratives alongside existing ones, seems like a promising way to embrace the rich tapestry of human stories. I’ve often admired certain gifted writers whose representations of various cultures have been narrowly focused. However, I also recall moments when literature pleasantly surprised me, challenging my preconceived notions. Your TED talk has left me with several questions. First, I wonder how we arrived at this situation where stereotypes and single narratives are so pervasive. Your reference to John Locke, a figure deeply involved in the West African slave trade, was particularly thought-provoking. Such harmful narratives were often propagated by individuals or empires with vested interests. Similarly, in contemporary times, American politicians have used damaging rhetoric to influence public opinion on immigration. I can’t help but wonder how many of these harmful tropes, if traced back, would reveal a calculated agenda behind their creation. This leads me to my next question: what responsibility do writers bear in shaping these narratives? While fiction is undoubtedly a form of art, it undeniably wields a significant cultural influence. While some argue that storytelling and authenticity are not necessarily synonymous, I firmly believe that writers owe it to their stories to be truthful. This truthfulness doesn’t pertain to the actual events depicted but rather to how the stories are conveyed. There are numerous ways to convey that a story is just one of many, a small window into a broader world, rather than the whole truth. It’s frustrating when writers opt for clichéd tropes as shortcuts to build characters or plots without putting in the necessary effort to diversify their narratives. In my view, one of the most significant changes in my generation is the shrinking of the world. Thanks to the Internet, we are interconnected in ways unimaginable before. While there is undeniable inequality in terms of internet access, for those of us fortunate enough to have it, we have the opportunity to share our stories with a global audience. I’ve recently noticed that my Tiktok Explore page is populated with content in languages I don’t understand, created by individuals whose stories I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered. I wonder if, despite the drawbacks of the internet and globalization, one of the positives is the potential for a broader platform for various forms of media to tell cross-cultural stories and foster greater understanding. I genuinely wish you success in your nonprofit endeavors and hope that more stories that defy stereotypes can find their way out of Nigeria and resonate within American culture. Just five years ago, I wouldn’t have thought to explore Nigerian music, and now, I hear artists like 2Baba playing in shops and nightclubs regularly. I hope for more instances where Nigerian voices are celebrated and heard worldwide. Storytelling is undoubtedly a core human trait, and the more stories we can share globally, the richer our understanding of the world becomes.
Sincerely,
Shayla
