The "West" frequently views Africa as a one-dimensional "charity case," resulting in paternalism toward Africans. As evidenced by such "charity" projects as USA for Africa's "We Are the World" in the mid-1980s, pop culture reinforces the myth that Africans are "incapable of caring for themselves," and is frequently used as a pretext for intervening politically and militarily in African affairs, including policies of "regime change," which has a history of having long-term disastrous consequences for communities across the continent. Simultaneously, "Western" countries close their borders to African migrants and asylum seekers, as well as immigration from the "poor world" in general.
Alarmist narratives dominate news cycles in the "Western" media when it comes to Africa; stories that convey a sense of unending social misery are more likely to get the attention of the "Western" media than stories of triumph and "success." In a similar vein, settlements along Africa's northern coastlines are frequently cut off from the rest of the continent, partially due to racist stereotypes about that region's racial makeup against that of the south, and partly due to glamorized ancient remains that "westerners" are hesitant to attribute to Africa. However, when stories of social upheaval or turmoil emerge, these northern areas are frequently lumped in with the rest of the continent.
Emerging global players, such as China, have a strong desire to advance their own economic and geopolitical interests, and have sought to capitalize on Africans' [and others'] mistrust of "Western" imperialism, given the horrific history of colonial terrorism, by providing alternative trading options to Africans as part of that campaign. Many African countries remain net capital exporters rather than recipients as a result of a large portion of their trade entries consisting of raw materials that are then processed and sold back to African economies; "loans" from donor-countries — often with strings attached — exacerbate this chronic loss of capital.
The loss of finance is not the sole reason for Africa's wealth loss; ancient riches have also been lost. Significant amounts of historical artifacts from Africa's history have been lost to foreign museums, particularly in "Western" countries, as a result of both outsourcing enormous quantities of archaeological excavation and outright theft of priceless material as "spoils of war." More than 80% of Africa's historical artifacts are supposed to be housed in "Western" museums, forcing African students to travel to "Western" countries to see these treasures up close.
The continent has served as a vital hub for "western" medical laboratories, ranging from the infamous vaccine testing sites, where both humans and pan-troglodytes were used as guinea pigs without their consent, to DNA collection projects aimed at unlocking the secrets of the human genome. DNA research has proven valuable in proving how diverse Africa's populations are, echoing its socio-ethnic and cultural richness, in contrast to how the "Western" media portrays them. As a result, molecular genetics and bio-anthropological issues get a lot of attention, and they're important parts of the data obtained here.
