Africa more than source of danger

In a column titled "Africa matters" (June 26th), Mark Weinberg argues that Americans need to know more about Africa. I wholeheartedly agree!\nWeinberg chooses to enumerate threats that the continent poses to the United States, as a "breeding ground for terrorists," for example, or as a source of immigrants "already storming the borders of Europe" and "carrying a variety of deadly diseases." The article engages in negative stereotyping, which has a long history in U.S. media. IU alumnus Curtis Keim has a wonderful book, "Mistaking Africa," which analyzes this phenomenon.\nYes, there are civil wars in Africa (often abetted by merchants interested in Africa's raw materials and flooding the continent with weapons), and Weinberg rightly notes that Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were in the news this past week. He might have chosen one of these countries and detailed the complexity behind the headlines. Instead, he concludes his column by noting that a "Western journalist" was killed in Somalia, and that European Union troops will be heading for the DRC. Why not focus on Africans and the constructive ways they address the challenges of the continent?\nThe IU African Studies Program organizes events year-round to provide a broad range of perspectives on issues facing Africa. This summer, we're sponsoring a film series at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater with both feature films and documentaries produced by African directors (see buskirkchumley.org). I encourage everyone interested to attend.