The Danger of a Single Story

“The Danger of a Single Story”

• Genre: Nonfiction; speech
• Originally Published: 2009
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 11-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Approx. 29 pages; approx. 18 minutes on audio/video
• Central Concern: Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered this speech at TEDGLobal in 2009. In it, she discusses the limiting and potentially detrimental effects of stereotypes, false narratives and partial truths, and single, uninformed perspectives that lack depth. Using examples drawn from and about literature, politics, education, and her own life, Adichie promotes the value of the complexity of many stories.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Discussion of racism; immigration; poverty

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Author/Speaker

• Bio: Born in 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria; lost family members and family possessions during the Nigerian Civil War; attended the University of Nigeria before arriving in the US to study at Drexel University in Philadelphia and the Eastern Connecticut State University; later attended Johns Hopkins University for creative writing; awarded 16 honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities and earned the MacArthur Fellowship “genius grant” honor (2008); inspired and influenced by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe; has given several TEDx talks on cultural understanding, feminism, and the influence of background and history on individuals
• Other Works: Purple Hibiscus (2003); Half of a Yellow Sun (2006); Americanah (2013); “We Should All Be Feminists” (2014)
• Awards: “The Danger of a Single Story” has been viewed over 33 million times, becoming one of the most watched TED Talks of all time.

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Role of Power in Storytelling
• The Importance of African Literature and Media
• Everyone Is Susceptible to Single Stories

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of bias and stereotypes and their impact on people, as well as how to respond to acts of stereotyping, bias, or prejudice.
• Reflect on their own experiences with stereotypes and preconceived ideas through a piece of narrative writing.
• Study paired texts to make connections to the theme of Everyone Is Susceptible to Single Stories.
• Analyze and evaluate ideas and examples in the speech to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding empathy and the power of stories.