John Edwin Mason: Documentary, Motorsports, Photo History

A Brief History of African Stereotypes, Part 1a: The White Man's Burden and Kony 2012

"The White Man's Burden" had nothing to do with Africa -- not in the beginning, at least. It was about colonialism, war, high ideals, and vulgar racism in southeast Asia. Rudyard Kipling addressed his best known poem to Americans. It first appeared in February 1899, less than a year after... Read more →

A Brief History of African Stereotypes, Part 1: Broken, Helpless Africa

Everything you know about Africa is wrong. No, no, not you in particular. I'm thinking about a more general "you" -- the American "you," the Western "you," and even the 18- to 22-year-old "you" who enrolls in my introductory African history classes. When I allow myself to think about it,... Read more →