Ebony: Africa You Don't Know

If you get the chance, pick up the Dec 10 issue of Ebony. Michael Jackson is on the cover. I was grateful that one of you sent it along to me. Inside was a great series of articles on the economic impact Africa has on the globe and the need to view it in a more positive light. It highlighted the challenges, but also talked about so many of the things working well across the continent.

Such as, did you know that South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe account for 1/2 of the world's gold production? Or that zimbabwe is one of the leading producers of tobacco? The buying power is over $2 trillion and the population of africa accounts for over 14% of the world?

As I've been reflecting on here in the blog, we often see Africa through a single lense of poverty and disease. I'm more convinced that we need to get past this perception. In one of the articles, Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Ocean's 11) said that we "must move beyond flies in face and disease if we are to see ourselves in them and them in us."

We are all people, not merely statistics. Continue discovering the voices of southern Africa with me as we collectively listen and learn from them. Together, we can make a difference and change the world...that means us too, not just Africa. We need them, just as they need us.

Best,
Ryan