Africa Is Not a Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa
Author: Dipo Faloyin
Published: April 6, 2023
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Africa, Politics, Race, Travel, Essays, Sociology
Length: 400 pages
About the Author: Dipo Faloyin was born in Chicago, raised in Lagos, and currently lives in London. Faloyin is a senior editor and writer at VICE whose work focuses on culture, race, and identity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
‘Africa is Not a Country’ is essentially pushing back on the harmful stereotypes about Africa by telling a comprehensive story. Africa is a continent that is constantly depicted as solely safaris and poverty and, at times, considered a country. Dipo Faloyin provides a much-need historically correct context, bringing the stories of each country towards reality and celebrating each country's diversity and energy. At the end of the book, you truly realise Africa is NOT a country, in case you didn’t already know.
For those who know Africa is not a country but a continent composed of fifty-four different, diverse, and beautiful countries, Dipo Faloyin takes the reader through a magnificent journey. Starting in Lagos, which is described so vibrantly and beautifully, you become encapsulated with the city, almost wishing yourself there or feeling as if you are already there enjoying Suya on the side of the road. The scene of Lagos invokes memories of tasting your country's favourite roadside snack (mine particularly being roasted maise). This familiarity, birthed from the start, takes root within one’s heart and carries on throughout the book. The following chapters take you through the historical ‘birth’ of the continent, providing the colonial backdrop and understanding of the many Western stereotypes and problems that inflict the continent.
From the Scramble for Africa to its Revolutionary Leaders, to our Stolen Artefacts, to Media Portrayal, to Afrobeats, to Nollywood, to Jollof Wars, to recent Youth Activism and more, Faloyin brilliantly tells each country's story; no matter how brief, the reader is provided with a complete telling of each country's contribution to making Africa a continent. As a reader, you will walk away from this book more informed than ever, craving to learn more about every country and grateful to be included in the story of Africa. In its essence, ‘Africa is Not a Country’ presents Africa in its truest form, as a continent of beauty, culture, and diversity, making steps towards reclaiming and sharing its truth with a world that’s just about ready to finally listen.