The limited view of Africa distorts Red Nose day.

For a whole week our house was building up to National Red Nose day. Red nose day fever was driven almost exclusively by my five year old son: ‘Dad, in another day soon will it be Red Nose day? ‘Yes son, only two more days to go’.

The local school had rightly got the children excited about a day in which they could have fun-no school uniform, lots of games and conversations about helping others. We gave him a pound pocket money- which he earned by tidying his room-to make his contribution to Red Nose day.

He also had the obligatory red nose. After dinner I thought we could watch some of the fun on TV too: An extended Red Nose day. But no sooner did I put the TV on, the harrowing pictures of malnourished African children blazed across the screen. The TV went off and stayed off.

Now, let make one thing clear, my switching off the TV was not in protest of Red Nose Day, or what they are trying to achieve. I fully support them and normally enjoy much of the evenings programme.

But as a parent with a young child I am acutely aware of the very limited imagery of Africa, particularly its people on TV. There are plenty of African wild life programmes that we all enjoy together, but when it comes to the vast continents people the limited images that are shown are mostly negative: War, famine, drought and AIDs.

Most Black parents don’t want their children to have this as the only TV images of Black Africa. Of course its part it, sad but real, but only one part of it. An African mother from Nigeria told me on the school run the other day that she was astonished about the narrow portrayal the UK media show of Africa. ‘ They show little of the positive aspects of our culture. Frankly’, she lamented, ‘it’s not the Africa that I know’.

As Black parents it is our duty to show the other sides of this wonderful complex continent too. Its easier with the readily available kaleidoscope of books. I guess I’ve got to go the extra mile in regards to finding DVD’s that show a positive side to the people of Africa.

If we as parents can do that the next year when Red nose days comes around those images of famine and extreme poverty won’t be the only images our children see of African people.

Simon Woolley