Tuesday was a doozy of an emotionally charged day.
We spent the morning learning some words in isiXhosa, one of the major cultures and languages in South Africa. It grew out of the Khoi and San people that originally came to this part of Africa. That was really cool. We didn't learn any words with clicks in them, even though isiXhosa actually has one, but it was still great. What was even better was that we got to use what we had learned later on that day when we went on a tour of the city and one of the townships.
We spent the rest of the day (about 6 hours) on a tour of the city and the New Brighton township, learning more about the apartheid starting in the 1960s from Bradley, our tour guide, a Khoi-San man who actually lived through all of it.
He made a point that we should look for the similarities or the "shared heritage" between South Africa and the U.S. throughout the trip, and though it might not seem like it, when it come down to it, there was a lot of shared heritage between these two countries. We don't share the same events, but we share the same pain and many of the same issues.
Our first stop was at the South End museum which catalogued life in the South End region of Port Elizabeth before and after the apartheid began. The way that I understood it, before the apartheid and segregation began, there was much more community support and more color blindness in the region. He talked a lot about how there were Mosques next to Catholic churches and about how South Africa was a vibrant mix of many different cultures and peoples interacting with each other. I think that before the apartheid began is when the phrase the "Rainbow Nation" really symbolized South Africa.
But, Bradley explained some of the more horrific things that happened as a result of the new government, and it's sometimes difficult to believe. The people of South Africa were segregated based on race between white, coloured, Indian, and black. The segregation meant that people were forcibly relocated to their new delegated areas, and even though the segregation has been officially over for some time now, there has been little to no integration. One of the more horrific things that we learned was that the police or the government, basically, whoever was in charge, would drive along a road that black children were walking on to get to school. Then, with no warning or provocation, they would roll down the windows and just open fire with machine guns. Because these children were black.
We spent the morning learning some words in isiXhosa, one of the major cultures and languages in South Africa. It grew out of the Khoi and San people that originally came to this part of Africa. That was really cool. We didn't learn any words with clicks in them, even though isiXhosa actually has one, but it was still great. What was even better was that we got to use what we had learned later on that day when we went on a tour of the city and one of the townships.
We spent the rest of the day (about 6 hours) on a tour of the city and the New Brighton township, learning more about the apartheid starting in the 1960s from Bradley, our tour guide, a Khoi-San man who actually lived through all of it.
He made a point that we should look for the similarities or the "shared heritage" between South Africa and the U.S. throughout the trip, and though it might not seem like it, when it come down to it, there was a lot of shared heritage between these two countries. We don't share the same events, but we share the same pain and many of the same issues.
Our first stop was at the South End museum which catalogued life in the South End region of Port Elizabeth before and after the apartheid began. The way that I understood it, before the apartheid and segregation began, there was much more community support and more color blindness in the region. He talked a lot about how there were Mosques next to Catholic churches and about how South Africa was a vibrant mix of many different cultures and peoples interacting with each other. I think that before the apartheid began is when the phrase the "Rainbow Nation" really symbolized South Africa.
But, Bradley explained some of the more horrific things that happened as a result of the new government, and it's sometimes difficult to believe. The people of South Africa were segregated based on race between white, coloured, Indian, and black. The segregation meant that people were forcibly relocated to their new delegated areas, and even though the segregation has been officially over for some time now, there has been little to no integration. One of the more horrific things that we learned was that the police or the government, basically, whoever was in charge, would drive along a road that black children were walking on to get to school. Then, with no warning or provocation, they would roll down the windows and just open fire with machine guns. Because these children were black.
After the museum, we went to a more central part of town, where there was a group of children dancing and singing what I'm guessing were some traditional dances and songs. The difference in feeling and atmosphere was astonishing. We talked about it more today, but it's very humbling to see at least some parts of South Africa that have been very forgiving about the apartheid.
From there, we did some more walking and then we drove up to a New Brighton, a black township. From my understanding, the townships are the communities that are still unofficially segregated, as a result of economics, lack of government aid, and the events of the last 50 years. We stopped first at the Red Location Lodge, where we met Mama A.
From there, we did some more walking and then we drove up to a New Brighton, a black township. From my understanding, the townships are the communities that are still unofficially segregated, as a result of economics, lack of government aid, and the events of the last 50 years. We stopped first at the Red Location Lodge, where we met Mama A.
Mama A is probably the strongest and most impressive woman that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Not only has she forgiven those who treated her in a completely inhumane manner, but she also began learning English a few years ago so that she could share her story with others, so that they could know the truth about the South African apartheid.
Mama A has always wanted to ensure that children receive an education and that they have as many opportunities in life as possible. So, in the 1970s, when the beer hall in her neighborhood was luring many children from school, she did all that she could, working with owners and then with the government to try to prevent children from going there. Eventually, she and other activists were arrested for their actions and she was imprisoned for many years. The apartheid and her imprisonment caused her immense pain, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. She was beaten several times while imprisoned, and she said that after her release, she felt the scars of being treated as an inferior, of being treated as a lesser human being. Lastly, she said, through tears, that the worst pain of her experience was being told, offhand, that her father had died and that she had not been able to bury him. Mama A is a truly remarkable woman, and despite her pain and experiences, she has a beautifully positive outlook on life. As we left, Mama A proclaimed that she felt like a fifteen year old and she danced and laughed on the porch as we drove off.
Mama A has always wanted to ensure that children receive an education and that they have as many opportunities in life as possible. So, in the 1970s, when the beer hall in her neighborhood was luring many children from school, she did all that she could, working with owners and then with the government to try to prevent children from going there. Eventually, she and other activists were arrested for their actions and she was imprisoned for many years. The apartheid and her imprisonment caused her immense pain, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. She was beaten several times while imprisoned, and she said that after her release, she felt the scars of being treated as an inferior, of being treated as a lesser human being. Lastly, she said, through tears, that the worst pain of her experience was being told, offhand, that her father had died and that she had not been able to bury him. Mama A is a truly remarkable woman, and despite her pain and experiences, she has a beautifully positive outlook on life. As we left, Mama A proclaimed that she felt like a fifteen year old and she danced and laughed on the porch as we drove off.