You see it everywhere: girls walking around campus with the omni peace sign, tote bags with a picture of Africa or shirts with the continent plastered over the front. The sad thing is, most of these people probably couldn’t name five countries in Africa.
It’s not just at SMU. Gossip magazines rave over the new fashion trend. Celebrities wear shirts that brag being “100 percent organic cotton.” Aside from Angelina Jolie, how many of them actually care what happens to men and women in Africa?
It’s unfortunate to see that the pain and suffering of millions has become nothing short of a fad- one that will probably wither away by summer. Who knows what will be fashionable next?
Right now cholera and dysentery epidemics are sweeping through Zimbabwe. Doctors are blaming Robert Mugabe, the 84 year-old man who has sat as president of the country for decades, for the sickness. The president is known for his brutal methods of staying in office. Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s opponent in the 2008 election, was dragged from his house and beaten when the campaign became too close.
The Congo has been a war zone for more than a decade. Rebel forces and the government army have been slaughtering each other and civilians for longer than most in the country can remember. Millions were displaced- either by force or fear- and left with only what they could carry on their back.
At the end of 2007, 22 million African men, women and children were infected with the HIV virus. In Swaziland, 26 percent of the population has AIDS, according to avert.org.
And that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. But most people don’t seem to care. They would rather wear a T-shirt or throw their textbooks and Louis Vuitton day planners into a “Save Darfur” bag and never once think to find it on a map.
What is possibly more nauseating is the fact that, without meaning to, fashion junkies are actually supporting the cause. Many, but not all, companies that design these clothes send a portion of their sales to aid groups in Africa. People are accidentally helping out when they buy the $80 tee that will look so stylish as they walk to class.
Though I find this fad nothing short of inhumane, please continue buying. By purchasing these clothes you are doing more for millions of men and women that you probably ever would have.
But the next time you see the continent anagrammed onto a beach bag, take five minutes to research what is going on in that “fashionable” place. Millions are dead. Millions are starving. Small children have been forced to kill time and time again. Others are born with HIV and don’t have a chance. So the next time you’re having a “bad day” and need to do some retail therapy, think about what you’re buying.
