Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story (Thoughts as a Visiting Artist)

Today I visited Evan Hastings thoughtful and heart warming class of young adults, as a visiting Theater artist and youth developer.

In Evan Hastings class, "Ramayana Remix" we watched a TED talk on "the danger of a single story" by the prolific Nigerian Novelist Chimamanda Adichie. Evan Hastings used her questions of the danger of a single story to explore the Ramayana with his students, alongside exploring how stereotypes are formed.

I had the opportunity to jump in head first into the young adults libratory theater process and in that explore my own.

Having very little experience with the Ramayana, forced me to both ask and answer questions of myself that expanded my box of what I assumed Bangalore and the Ramayana to be about before I arrived. Watching this TED talk had me ask the question today, "where in my life lies a single story?"

According to Adichie in the TED talk, "stories can break the dignity of a people and they can also repair the broken dignity."

I asked within:

How are there single stories told of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Jamaicans?

How can I help expand that story?

What stories within my own family have broken and repaired our family stories?

What stories do I hear these young people have heard of themselves?

What stories are they trying to re create in light of their mission to end violence against women?

Did the stories I came with break or repair the dignity of them individually and the diverse backgrounds of cultures, races, classes, and ages in the room?

What stories of myself no longer fit?

Listening to this TED talk in the context of discussing the Ramayana in this classroom, also had me explore Christianity and the stories told within Western Caribbean communities about women's bodies, and how women's bodies are broken or repaired based on interpretations of biblical stories.

Today as both a theater artist, drama therapist in training, and seminarian, all these questions intersect and come back to seeking a deeper understanding of who I am in the world we all inhabit.

As I sit here, in the library of the K-12 school, I am left with many questions without immediate answers. I believe that is the beauty of this TED talk.

There are many different answers, each having a very rich story to tell.  I look forward to this unfolding.

The warmth and kind faces of the young adults makes this unfolding of a multi-layered story a peaceful and fun process worth waiting for.

Peace and Joy,

Sacred
Bangalore, India

* Disclaimer: This post is not an endorsement of this organization, and more so shares professional opinions. This report is an op-ed piece, and encourages those specifically seeking more info to to make the most informed decisions from a wide range of perspectives, with this as one of many.  I encourage those seeking it to find the best fit for your unique needs. I hope this piece is both informative and enjoyable.

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