Week 5: Comparative Analysis

The beginnings of apartheid in South Africa were very different than the beginnings of the slavery in the US, but the treatment of the oppressed peoples by the white populations are very similar. South Africans were fighting for equality in their own homeland where they were the majority, whereas blacks in America were fighting for equality in a [once] foreign land where they were the minority. South Africans and Americans alike were denied a voice through their inability to vote, and both parties were assaulted violently. Sadly, although not surprisingly, the white leaders of these regions refused to lend a helping hand in the fight to end segregation.
I watched Selma on Monday and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom last night. Both of these movies were incredibly powerful, but struck different chords with me. Selma's focus on voting rights was enlightening, and I learned about the peace march from Selma to Montgomery. The film showed how King made all efforts to retaliate peacefully, and the attacks of innocent people eventually softened the hearts of the white populations. However, I would have liked to learn about more influential leaders, especially women, that helped fight for King's cause. I really had no idea that Lyndon Johnson waited so long to sign the Voting Rights Act. It makes me so sad that people in positions of power look out for their own best interest instead of the best interest of others, such as the blacks suffering from discrimination in the South. I did not know much about the life of Mandela before watching the movie, so to say the least, it was a very emotional experience. I had not known about Winnie until I watched this, which is shocking because she obviously played a big part in the movement to end apartheid. This film really demonstrated the destruction brought upon Mandela, his wives, and his children due to his leadership in the anti-apartheid movement. To be released from a 27 year imprisonment and to encourage the oppressed to take up their weapons of peace shows Mandela's true character and passion for equality of all peoples. The violence that once prevailed reveals the magnitude of the end of apartheid.
To be completely honest, it is very hard for me to watch movies such as these because I am ashamed and embarrassed of the ignorance, hatred, and abusive power of the white majority in the US and white minority in South Africa. It infuriates me not only to hear, but to visually see how blacks were treated on opposite sides of the world. I know we absolutely needed to watch these before we leave for Cape Town because we need to understand the why's of the treatment we might possibly receive from those in South Africa while we are there. We must be educated in the racial tensions that still linger so that we will be able to influence the lives of those in townships effectively.

Week 4: King vs. Mandela

The significant difference in American and African culture is immediately revealed when reading about the early lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. King was born 11 years later than Mandela, yet the Civil Rights Act banning segregation and discrimination passed in 1964, and the period of apartheid ended when ANC under Mandela won the election in 1994. Although this 30 year gap may be partly attributed to Mandela's imprisonment, it also reveals a lack of development in South Africa. I find it interesting that Mandela, born the son of chief Mphakanyiswa of the Thembu tribe, was the first in his family to receive formal education. King was born into a family with a history of education and at 25 years of age became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where he came to national prominence in the US after Park's arrest. They both received a Nobel Peace Prize in their lifetimes. Although they played a role in completely different scenarios in different countries, Mandela and King both fought for a common cause: racial harmony and equal opportunity for all.
"People respond in accordance to how you relate to them. If you approach them on the basis of violence, that's how they'll react. But if you say, 'We want peace, we want stability,' we can then do a lot of things that will contribute towards the progress of our society." -Nelson Mandela
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” -MLK Jr.
It is clear that these men were willing to sacrifice everything they had for the freedom of their people. They passionately and peacefully fought for equality, and I think this is what made their efforts so influential; their focus on peace. These quotes speak volumes to me because it takes great character to be so forgiving of those who do us wrong and seek peace even when confronted with violence. Both men saw that love, forgiveness, and peace were the only routes to change, to success, to equality.

Week 3: Overall Impressions

After reading a bit about the history of South Africa, I was surprised to find that the Xhosa, or native peoples were treated much like the Native Americans were treated here in the U.S. - stripped of everything they had and kept away in reservations. The discrimination they faced also made me think of the Civil Rights movement - the inability to vote and have political influence, and racial segregation in all public institutions to name a few. The Bantu education that tried to keep the black children at a very low standard is especially appalling to me. (Sidenote: While reading these passages, I came to the realization that African history/current events unfortunately was not something I was taught in high school. Texas history, American history, and sometimes World history (which usually ends up just being European history if that) are the only histories offered, and for someone who never has the chance to go to college, are the only histories they may ever be exposed to. I am a junior in college and this is the first time I have studied African history, a history that even parallels with that of the United States. This is SUCH a problem!) A current event that stuck out to me: on the 24th of January, African leaders met for the African Union summit in Ethiopia to "come up with a clear road map for the development and empowerment of women on the continent as well as a plan to end child marriages." When we here in the U.S. have the luxury of choice concerning marriage, we tend to forget that others are not guaranteed the same luxury. So often, we only pay attention to an important issue that is repeated on the news, and only until another issue arises. We are not pressed to remember that young girls in other countries like South Africa have no say in their futures like we do. One target of this meeting was to ensure that girls remain in school. "We want our girls to get education where they can compete on the international labour market and where they can be entrepreneurs and where they can have choices." Because we will have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in South African culture for a month soon, we must be up to date on current events. One challenge for South Africa in their fight for social justice is the fact that it hasn't been that long since apartheid ended. Social injustice is still fresh and very much alive for this developing country. However, this challenge could also become South Africa's strength because there are great efforts being made towards change. I like how one of our readings mentions a mandate to "uncover the crimes of apartheid, let them be publicly confessed with the aim of forgiveness." The struggle for racial equality is a non-stop source of motivation for philanthropists. The passion is still alive; passion that ignites a fire in the depths of souls.
My question for Mr. Gilmour: What are specific actions that the government is currently taking toward social equality? How does Zuma influence social equality in South Africa?

Week 2: White Privilege

"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh and "The Complexity of Identity: Who Am I?" by Beverly Daniel Tatum led me to take a much deeper look into my own identity and analyze the privileges I personally take for granted every day. I, being a white female, agree with McIntosh when she says, "whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege." This implicit instruction conditions us into oblivion about the existence of oppressiveness, which is completely terrifying, infuriating, and inequitable. It is difficult to call myself an oppressor, but if I have been taught to view my life as ideal (which I have), I ultimately place myself in the dominant group and "others" in the subordinate group (or rather, society has done it for me). There were several privileges McIntosh listed that I can relate to and I listed a few of my own. Tatum's piece made me reflect further on the seven categories of "otherness": "race or ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, and physical or mental ability." It was interesting to connect with my multiple identities and the ways in which I am both dominant and targeted at the same time. When Tatum began to talk about how dominants do not really know what the experiences of the subordinate is, it made me think of the media and how often targeted groups are portrayed with stereotypical depictions in order to reinforce to the dominants that "everything is as it should be." This problem desperately needs solving. There was much I took away from both articles, and I am eager to further expose my blind ignorance and learn how to give up some of my unearned privileges to the oppressed.

1 fact that really stood out to me and I consider to be a real problem in society is this: Colorblindness will NOT end racism. "Pretending racism doesn't exist is not the same as creating equality. Race is more than stereotypes and individual prejudice. To combat racism, we need to identify and remedy social policies that advantage some groups at the expense of others."
Dominant groups generally do not like to think about or identify with inequality. However, ignoring the fact that white privilege puts others at a disadvantage will only make matter worse. Change can only occur when we, including myself, can recognize and own up to having unearned privileges that keep dominants in a position of power, therefore exhausting the opportunities of those that need them. Then we must take responsibility of "acknowledging our complicity in the oppression of others" and take steps toward healing by offering up our privileges.