‘This is Africa’
I recently profiled Oliberté Footwear for GOOD magazine. The company piqued my interest because, although it markets “Africa” in its tagline, it strives to present a nuanced narrative about the continent that doesn’t rely on stereotypes oft-cited in media reports. In doing so, it eschews portrayals of Africans as down-and-outs dependent upon Western aid.
“I’m proud our shoes are made in Africa,” Oliberté founder Tal Dehtiar told me when I interviewed him. “We don’t want pity purchases.”
Like mosquitos to uncovered ankles, Westerners have been drawn to Africa in efforts to help locals since at least the late 15th century, when Portuguese missionaries settled in Mbanza Kongo, near the mouth of the Congo River, in hopes of converting locals. Today, whether through shoe donations or shoe-manufacturing jobs or countless other endeavors, it’s evident that the mystique of “Africa” continues to captivate Westerners.
Tate Watkins is a freelance writer in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He writes about economic development, foreign aid, and immigration, among other things.