Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story

http://www.ted.com Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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  People & Blogs

[Salma Hassanein]

Sometimes the problem is not even the danger of a single story, its the danger of a single image. I'm Egyptian, what people know about me - is pyramids.

[KC Nwokoye]

Oh what a pity that 98 people don't understand Afrikaans (Language). Oh no! She's speaking Academic English...how can anyone not like this clip? I love you Chimamanda...you have done something many Nigerians dream of. You have helped me educate my Western colleagues even better. You are brilliant, talented, very well spoken and a beauty in every respect. YOU MAKE ME MORE PROUD OF WHO I AM...GOD BLESS YOU!

[Corporatemilk]

¡She is so beautiful!

[Isabel Binvignat]

I think that the same case applies to Chile, or I should say to the figure of Augusto Pinochet, a militar dictator, who is always compared to the likes of Stalin and some others; but they don´t know that when he called for a plebiscite to decide whether my country wanted to stay with him or wanted to choose a new president, Pinochet lost and though it must have been very hard for him to let go, he did it and I haven´t heard about anyone that has done the same

[Abdou Bah]

I am addicted to this video, we Africans definitely have a challenge to market our own image in the world. In the part of the world I am living the only thing they know about Africa is animals, wars, and hunger.

[711DAS]

My parents just saw the Book of Mormon. I wonder how she would feel about that.

[Mike Abedu]

Long life and good health is all that i wish you Chimamanda.

You re a source of pride and inspiration to us all Nigerians and Africa at large.

[Olissipona]

She's awesome!

[M Wagner]

A really great speech, truly applicable everywhere in life. For any country and any History. If i think about the way World War 2 is taught, it is only seen from the perspective of the winners. The fact that the Allies also committed crimes against Humanity is never mentioned or thought of.

One more thing, you talk about America and Americans, you should call it US and US citizens, otherwise you do just as wrong as people saying Africa is a country1

[Dera C]

Very Inspirational speech I must say. I love her. If only more people could see this.

[K Russell]

She soooo doesn't bullshit. She is very direct and with purpose - with no waste. Respect.

[Isela Pena]

like, her, I mean.