Responding to “Change”

I am writing in response to Seck’s question, “How can this project change the way you perceive the world?”

In a previous blog, I said that Africa and the World has “opened my eyes to the continent of Africa and its impact on the world.” The topic, however, deserves more of a discussion than that. I realized that before working for Professor Zuberi, I had reduced Africa to an unfixable mess of countries and suffering people. That view was the product of a limited education on the continent’s history. After spending weeks of searching for archival footage, perusing Dr. Zuberi’s library, and discussing the project with the team, I realize how wrong my perception of Africa was. The continent, just like any other, is firmly a part of our world; it is one of the most resourceful continents, and occurrences within Africa affect countries across the globe. Working on Africa and the World made me realize that it is not possible to truly understand the world in which we live unless all the major players are accounted for.

– Haley