Day 5 - Apartheid Museum

Got off to a later start today as we ventured to the Apartheid Museum in Southdale, South Africa. The basic principle behind Apartheid is simple - segregate everything. Cut a clean line in the sand and devide everything into black and white. This essentially created the most brutal form of segregation and inequality on the world. We had somewhere around 3 hours to be here and it clearly was not enough. This museum was rich in text and images that caught be off guard. Disgusting is one of the words that comes to mind when I begin to think about what some individuals put others through. My text cannot even begin to shed light on this excruciating battle the African people fought just to earn simple rights. This was a powerful experience.

Couldn't agree more when reading the statement, "Apartheid is exactly where it belongs - in a museum."






Following the museum the day got even more mentally heavy as we then visited three more truly unique places. Soweto, the stomping grounds of every impoverished typical African township. From the richest if the rich, to people living in homes built with old billboard signs this day was a culture shock in the truest sence of the word. Walked throuh a village market and observed an old woman sitting up against a cement wall wearing any collection of clothing she could find that would keep her warm preaching to our guide about the benefit of her medicinal-herbal healing. Again, stories would take me ages to tell it right and accurate.

Next we would walk the streets of Nelson Mandela's old home as it took us to the most well known place of South Africa. June 6th (and you'll have to forgive me because I can't remember the year) a group of 20,000 youth walked the streets in support of their peers who were outreaching to the government on their abilities and rights. When police tried to force the students away they began to protest in anger at the way they were being treated. Some 27 or so CHILDREN were killed and over 120 were injured over this cause which at start was a peaceful march. We viewed a commemorative landmark that shared both story and image in defense of it's victims and told the story about how South Africa defended her people.

Needless to say, this was an exhaustive, but important day to reflect on.

Mellow Yellow assault vehicle during apartheid in SA.





- With all my thanks :)

Location:Sowetto,Johannesburg,South Africa