The Epiphany of a White American Traveling to Black South Africa
On May 9th, I boarded a plane with three North Carolina A&T State University colleagues and eight of our students for the trip of a lifetime. We were traveling to South Africa to join two faculty members from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.As the only white woman on the trip, I had many trepidations about my safety and sanity. Recalling South Africa’s recent history, the minority white population subjugated the majority black population for decades. Could their history be a problem for me and jeopardize my safety? Surely, this country wreaks with fresh wounds and memories from the Apartheid era.
Prophetically, we arrived in Johannesburg on May 10, 2004, the 10th anniversary of the end of Apartheid. I soon discovered the black South Africans embrace their struggle and history, and don’t allow it to anchor them in bitterness. They are using their struggle to soar them to higher levels.
I asked many black South Africans if they were bitter or hostile. I always got a similar answer, “No, that was then. Now, we all are free and must unite so we can move forward.” This attitude spread throughout South Africa on the wave of Nelson Mandela’s inspired vision for a free and united South Africa. He wants a South Africa that is home to ALL who are called South Africans – regardless of race.
I am amazed that a country 10 years into democracy has healed so much and the progress they made in race relations. I was in South Africa for only 11 days, so I know I didn’t see the racism that surely exists. I did see a country working very hard to move forward and heal. In our country, the Civil Rights Movement happened 40 some years ago. After my trip, I realize how much it hurts for me to see more wounds, scars, bitterness, and hostilities in my homeland than in South Africa. We’ve had three more decades to heal and unite.
South Africa was more beautiful than I imagined. I am grateful I had the opportunity to go to South Africa, but I didn’t long to go to Africa. It isn’t my homeland, and did not have a special meaning to me. I am very aware that many of my colleagues and students would have gladly taken my place so they could visit their homeland. After witnessing a country with a heart and desire to achieve freedom, equality and unity for all her children, I long to see the same thing in my homeland – the United States of America. I think it is time for OUR country to unify and heal. In addition to our cries, we need our leaders to proclaim these United States of America a free, equal and united home to ALL who call themselves citizens of this country.
Copyright © 2004 by Sheila M. Whitley, Ph.D.
posted by s_whitley @ 11:32 AM
4 Comments:
HI.I just wanted to say that i'm a young South African women and i'm really thankful for the praise that you have given my beloved country.We have truly been through a lot and had it not have been for Mr.Nelson Mandela we would still have been living in a time of hatred and injustice.I hope one day you will visit South Africa a gain sure there is still racism i mean where on earth is there not .But as a nation we can find a way to live in harmony whether we live in south africa or south america.....god bless
Thank you for your comments. South Africa has come a long ways in just 10 short years of democracy. Yes, Mr. Mandela is a big reason the country had a peaceful transition. A quick study of the country shows a change was coming. It could have been peaceful or warful. Thankfully, it was much more peaceful.
South Africa and her people are beautiful. Yes, there is racism still in South Africa. As you asked, where is there NOT racism?
It is always interesting to read opinions from foreigners. Just a small correction/addition to the language situation. Afrikaans was indeed a compulsory language course in schools, but so was English.
As for your thought on Afrikaans being the mother language for some Black South Africans; lets say that it’s a case of the victors rewriting history, Afrikaans is the mother tongue of millions of blacks in our country, its also the most widely understood language in South Africa and Namibia. Another little Afrikaans tidbit is the fact that it’s the mother tongue of most of the coloured community, and a large part of the Indian community, but then the coloureds and the Indians are taking a back seat when it comes to the political situation in this country. They are in a similar situation as the displaced San in Botswana, Namibia and SA. You might or might not have heard about the Afrikaans Griqua nation, and the Reboth basters, the thing is, it’s never been a black and white issue in this country and unfortunately the language issue have been over politicized to the point where these ‘black’ people have been marginalized in the new South Africa where we pretend these people don’t exist, and where black on black racism is ignored.
You state; “During the apartheid era, the Black South Africans could not publically sing, dance or play music that was African.”
This is not true, whoever told you this must have been very bitter. Maybe you’ll remember the apartheid era international pop star Paul Simon and his African group, these guys were bringing kwaito and other culturally black music into the limelight way back then already. Even during the apartheid the black media written/TV/radio reached much further than the white media and culture did. You might also find the history of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo very interesting: http://www.mambazo.com/bio.html
And yes they did teach them ballet and European music, but we as white South Africans didn’t force it down their thoughts as Europeans. White Afrikaners simply isn’t European, after fifteen generations under the African sun with our own African language ballet is just as foreign to our kids, but then again neither the black nor the whites in this country lives in a museum or a cultural vacuum.
About Mandela, yes a truly remarkable man, but not the reason for our peaceful transition, rather it was the people of this country.
Thanks for your comments.
I decided to address many of these comments in another posting. I wanted to clarify some things.
My heart is for South Africa and I'm trying to understand what happened and how this country could come so far in 11 years.
There are many similarities between South Africa and the U.S. Without a doubt, there are also many differences.
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