I have already seen this video of Chimamanda Adichie a few times, but her insights are equally insightful each time. Her talk mainly highlights our instinct to generalize when grouping people and the dangers in linking whole groups of people to a single profile. I think this quote best sums up the point she develops: “show a people as only one thing over and over again and that is what they become.”
No matter how subconsciously, stereotyping and making assumptions about people at large is a part of human nature. Adichie even refers to a time when she fell prey to this norm, making the assumption that all Mexicans wanted to come to America, as she had frequently heard in the media. Recognizing that we all possess our own biases and stereotypes, it’s about taking that next step in understanding why we have those views that defines who we are as people. We all have the choice to either accept the things we hear or challenge them and Adichie would argue that we all have a duty to ourselves and each other to become more aware. Through communicating and giving an outlet to those people whose stories need to be shared, we can all do our part to challenge our perceptions and become more knowledgable, open people.