Comments on: More on NPR’s “dark continent” apology

By: Keith Matheny

Keith Matheny — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:09:42 +0000

I was always under the impression that Africa as “The Dark Continent” referred to that it was a mysterious place about which little was known in the Western world.

Silly me. I think I need a transfusion of inane PC outrage.

By: Bill Wilson

Bill Wilson — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:06:15 +0000

Satellite photos of Africa taken at night reveal it to be quite a bit darker than, say, Japan, South Korea, India, and Europe. However, it is not quite as dark as North Korea.
Hope this helps.

By: frank byzinski

frank byzinski — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:15:41 +0000

In reply I would like to say to NPR: Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama…excuse me…for mentioning Mr. Obama’s given middle name…I ask for your forgiveness and I will prostrate myself in the middle of Times Square and face to the East…oops…just joking!

By: Onatade

Onatade — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:58:39 +0000

The justifications for this language (not just opposing an apology) listed above are laughable. Google is not normally an arbiter of the offensiveness or otherwise of a term, nor are the inhabitants of Tampa – not even the black people, who are not after all, Africans. Those who dismiss ‘the dark continent’ as simply a literary reference should bow out on the grounds of not understanding the history, meaning and application of the term.

Nor is Africa ‘unexplored’, covered in jungle, or a constant risk to life and limb, according to Mike Reiss’s appalling generalisations. European acceptance no longer defines the limits of knowledge. One is reminded of Columbus and his ‘discovery’. In 1492, people.

One correspondent defended the term continent on the grounds that it ‘has been around for centuries’! That’s logic, that is.

What it comes down to, is that those of you defending the term are not from Africa and don’t know anything about it. Not surprising then, that you don’t see any problem.

The NPR made a mistake and apologised. I support them. Too many others would seek to deny even the mistake.