Today begun bright and early…as usual. We started off the day by driving around Soweto, looking at things such as the largest hospital and mall in the southern hemisphere. We also stopped at a monument that featured the 10 pillars of the South African Bill of Rights. It was engraved in stone, in the shape of a circle. Another stop on our day’s journey was at a church that had been shot at by the police during the Apartheid Era. The church is now a monument, which honors those killed during the Soweto Youth Uprising of 1976. It is also the place where Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton made a historic visit to after the release of many of the political prisoners that were exiled during the apartheid government rule. This church while serving as a historic landmark in South Africa’s history continues to function as a place of worship and a place where many large gatherings occur. While politicized for former United States President Bill Clinton’s visit, it’s a place that holds a significant place in South Africa’s history and political, social, and economic progress. The Soweto Uprising was the movement that begun the fight for freedom on the grounds of South Africa.
The first museum we visited was in also in dedication to the student uprisings in Soweto. It was called the Hector Pieterson Memorial museum. The museum is named after him because he was the first person shot and killed during the early phases of the uprisings. He was also the youngest person killed during the riots. The museum portrayed the stories of the students and what they went through in order to protest the mandate by the Apartheid regime to change the medium of learning from English and other tribal languages to Afrikaans. The 11 year struggle ended in success, but with the loss of many students who will not be forgotten. The point of this museum is to honor the youth who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
The other museum we went through was the Apartheid museum. We watched a movie about the 2,500 years of African history. We then walked through the museum and read about the history and progression of the movement towards equality. We also learned about Steve Biko who was the leader of the Black Conscience movement who was beaten to death in jail for his power to motivate and move black Africans. His death was initially covered up by the police until the truth was later unveiled. It was a very high-tech museum and we really enjoyed the experience.
A quote we found that reminded us of the leaders we have learned about…
“Success is not counted by how high you have climbed but by how many people you have brought with you”
~ Will Rose - Businessman
Pictured below black Madonna and child
Pictured below: Hector Pieterson Memorial
Pictured below: Apartheid Museum
No comments:
Post a Comment