Last week we went to the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg. That was one of the things I was really hoping to do and a friend of Mindy's was so kind to take me. It was incredible and heart breaking and inspiring and had my brain doing cartwheels- just how I like it. Since I've been here I have observed some obvious left overs of Apartheid. All the workers are still black. On the highway you see cramped townships of tiny tin homes, women carrying whole lives on their backs and smiling kids playing soccer in the dirt fields. Contrast that with the clean, gated, swimming pool filled estates where all the white people live.
I've seen movies and read books about Apartheid and Mandela in the past- and they flash through my memory here and there but mostly I've been a quiet observer. Enjoying the luxuries of the gated estate without letting my brain run too fast. In all the transitioning between El Salvador and the states I've gotten better at swallowing extreme inequality- which is both good and bad. But last week in the museum I got a little bit more in depth understanding of this country I've been in for the past three weeks- and I am so so grateful for that.
We started with the special Mandela exhibit. The timeline of his life from a young boy given an English name in school to sound more "proper" to a rebel rouser with the African National Party becoming conscious and highly opposed to Apartheid South Africa. He and everyone who's skin was his color were understood to be and treated as completely inferior to the Europeans who came to South Africa following the discovery of gold. Segregation didn't work well enough to keep the two races separate and keep the non- European natives from sharing basic human rights with their European counter parts. So Apartheid was put into play. For 27 years from prison Mandela kept his spirits up, wrote letters to his family every six months that had a minuscule chance of arriving and won over the hearts and minds of fellow prisoners and guards alike. His charisma, commitment to life and justice, ability to keep hoping and memories of sounds, tastes, smells, and his family kept him in the struggle all those years. He said he'd be the president of South Africa one day and after finally being released he fulfilled his dream. Working to rebuild an extremely broken nation, facilitate reconciliation and bring equality to his people.
As I read about his journey I thought of so many other amazing people I've been lucky to encounter both in stories and books and in friends I'm inspired by everyday. Romero, MLK, Dorothy Day, the Jesuits in El Salvador, and so many others are the people who keep us going when the suffering seems to pervasive to overcome. And amazing people in my life who are dedicated to justice every single day- who are charismatic and courageous, incredibly intelligent and committed to life and love. Mandela is one of a kind yet there are so many in our world of his caliber- women and men who continue the fight against oppression, isms, suffering and inequality that unfortunately is still every where we look. Above pictures of Mandela with supportive family and friends Aristotle was quoted "Good moral character is not something we can achieve on our own. We need a culture that supports the conditions under which self-love and friendship flourish" Mandela didn't stay hopeful and committed to get where he did on his own, he was supported by so many people. That is the truth of all of the amazing people who have started a path that we are continuing and is so important for me to remember everyday as I try to do something that matters with my life.
After the special Mandela exhibit we moved to the main permanent part of the museum- the history of Apartheid in South Africa- a grueling history of how much suffering we are capable of causing each other. It was helpful for the heart to see the Mandela exhibit first- and come in with some hope and overcoming as a back drop to the injustice that Apartheid South Africa was. Not so different from the history of slavery, Jim Crow and deep racism that still exists today it started years and years ago with the idea that native "non europeans" were inferior and thus had to be kept separate from Europeans as to not demoralize the superior class. The steps taken to separate the races with claims to protecting and taking care of the poor Europeans are outrageous. Apartheid began in 1948 and the list of laws that were created to bar integration were listed on the wall- education, facilities, work, housing, relationships- a law was created regarding every facet of life to make sure mixing did not happen. Entire neighborhoods were forcibly removed so that the Europeans could develop these areas and if natives broke the apartheid laws they were banished to isolated camps and tortured. The "non European" schools, medical care, housing, everything was incredibly low quality. Children were forced to learn in a language they didn't speak to keep them from moving up in the world. Teachers were forced to teach only certain things. Families couldn't get medical care. The blacks were incredibly poor and oppressed while white society flourished. Blacks were allowed into the city only on work permits to fill roles as servants, gardeners, guards to white people- roles they still fill today. The suffering and injustice experienced is devastating and completely heart wrenching. And amazingly it isn't the end of the story. Despite every effort by whites to continue the dehumanization and horrible treatment the forces of human resiliency came together to organize and bring light to the suffering that they were experiencing for so many years. Students held strikes against learning in a different language and the masses began to take collective action against the laws. The white government responded with greater violence and attempts to stifle the voices calling for justice. Unfortunately.. It is a story we know- it has happened all around the world and keeps happening.
I kept thinking about the way immigrants are treated in the U.S, our own history of slavery and institutionalized racism that still plagues our country. The Salvadoran Civil War, Syria.. This horrible constant of people being threatened by those who are different, afraid of loosing their power and wealth that manifests into such extreme oppression. It is everywhere- it always has been. What is it about the human condition that allows us to commit such atrocities against one another? And are we ever going to truly overcome it?
In a lot of ways the story of Apartheid is one of resilience and hope. Democratic elections finally happened, Mandela became president and worked hard to rebuild, create truth and reconciliation committees, nation building projects- everything he could to heal this extremely broken country. And today things are better, black people have more of a chance than they used to, segregation is no longer built into the system. But I still see the effects of it everywhere, the country is still incredibly segregated- the left overs are so obvious and it's going to take a lot of work to truly have equality in this country, our own, everywhere in this broken world.
Mandela's inspiration stuck with me while reading about the incredible suffering. His and so many other stories of people fighting against injustice that have started something for us to keep working for. And although at times I struggle to find hope I was comforted by all the faces of people I know that came to mind as I read about Mandela who help me believe that we will keep making progress. People who are so courageous and committed that will make real change. It helps to connect stories of both suffering and resilience that are happening across the globe- get out of our context and understand another's. While realizing that segregation, inequality, fear and oppression continue to effect people everywhere makes me sick to my stomach- it also fuels my fire knowing that in my community and all over the world there are people who are fighting against suffering having the last word.
I'm so grateful to learn a little about this country's history, for the eyes through which I have come to see the world and for all the people near and far that are asking the same questions and working to bring a glimpse of justice to their corner of the world. This country is fascinating and confusing even from the small, privileged, separate glimpse I am getting and the museum gave me a little more to chew on as I finish my time here and head home to continue learning and processing.
Mandela's inspiration stuck with me while reading about the incredible suffering. His and so many other stories of people fighting against injustice that have started something for us to keep working for. And although at times I struggle to find hope I was comforted by all the faces of people I know that came to mind as I read about Mandela who help me believe that we will keep making progress. People who are so courageous and committed that will make real change. It helps to connect stories of both suffering and resilience that are happening across the globe- get out of our context and understand another's. While realizing that segregation, inequality, fear and oppression continue to effect people everywhere makes me sick to my stomach- it also fuels my fire knowing that in my community and all over the world there are people who are fighting against suffering having the last word.
I'm so grateful to learn a little about this country's history, for the eyes through which I have come to see the world and for all the people near and far that are asking the same questions and working to bring a glimpse of justice to their corner of the world. This country is fascinating and confusing even from the small, privileged, separate glimpse I am getting and the museum gave me a little more to chew on as I finish my time here and head home to continue learning and processing.
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