The Hashtag That Is Changing The World’s View of Africa

INQUISITR.COM / Africa
By Dionne Charlet
Published on: 2015-07-01T12:13:45
africa Twitter

Young Africans have used the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou to post photos of the home they know and love in hopes to change the world’s view of the continent.

The effort by Africans to show the world the real Africa was fostered to outshine the usual media portrayal of a desert land comprised of hungry children of tribes living in huts, suffering from disasters, famine, and disease.

The eye-opening campaign has gone viral, and these photos are amazing!

https://twitter.com/forgottenFINES/status/613487804593643520

The scenery is mind-blowing, and the cultural beauty of the people has been pouring into the viral mainstream, tweet after tweet.

Country after country has been represented.

https://twitter.com/Toussaint215/status/613484416388759552

Lake Retba, the pink lake of Senegal, is referred to as “Lac Rose” by locals. The salinity of its waters is comparable to the Dead Sea, and its color is due to the Dunaliella salina bacteria, which in turn is drawn to the high salt content.

A proud people with a rich heritage are shown through the eyes of African young men and women in these posts.

https://twitter.com/MacheteVenus/status/613504938858024960

The campaign, started by Twitter user @WestAfricanne, has garnered over 63,000 tweets, per BBC Trending.

https://twitter.com/WestAfricanne/status/615996950677164032

https://twitter.com/MacheteVenus/status/613502849721339904

The photos are pouring in from all over the continent, and from countries outside of Africa, as well.

https://twitter.com/THECAROLDANVERS/status/613693392887906304

The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal, stands at 49 meters per World News, Inc.

https://twitter.com/BashyII/status/613478374774849536

Each photo is more beautiful than the last.

https://twitter.com/forgottenFINES/status/613491490988367872

The Three Chiefs Monument is located in Botswana. The statues marked the 39th year of the country’s independence, per the country’s tourism website. Behanzin Bowelle, “The King Shark”, was king of Abomey, now Benin. Behanzin was considered the most powerful of the West African Kings of his time, and is a legendary figure in African lore. He ruled from 1889 to 1894.

https://twitter.com/BashyII/status/613484673461809157

As reported in Voice of America, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, or “Ma Ellen,” became the first of three African female leaders in 2005. President Catherine Samba-Panza leads in the Central African Republic, and Joyce Banda is president of Malawi.

Africa is a country flourishing in these photos, with universities. As previously reported in the Inquisitr, Musician Akon announced plans this past May to build a solar panel academy in Bamako, Mali.

https://twitter.com/lunarnomad/status/613661871049043969

https://twitter.com/basicalexiaa/status/613766279829127168

https://twitter.com/MacheteVenus/status/613506203151241216

Further images reveal a continent booming with skyscrapers, stadiums, cuisine, fashion, and traffic.

https://twitter.com/Pearlurmmy/status/613748627715031040

https://twitter.com/THECAROLDANVERS/status/613505165325410304

https://twitter.com/Ar_Handy/status/613445158256934912

Photos of Ghana posted by @DavidQuartz could be any city in the United States.

Africa is a place where weddings are celebrated and fashion is as diverse as its residents.

https://twitter.com/Toussaint215/status/613492815352471552

Photos of villages depict a living, breathing society of beauty and enjoyment, lush and clean and flourishing.

https://twitter.com/lunarnomad/status/613483157673742336

The gorgeous scenery seems limitless.

https://twitter.com/peacetornsomali/status/613461332122210304/photo/1

Twitter user @Mango had the following request.

https://twitter.com/lunarnomad/status/613438133288374272

The photos pictured here are only a select few from the thousands now trending. To find countless more tweets of Africans sharing a love of their country, search the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou for yourself.