Settle Into Stillness

Today is our last full day in South Africa and we are in Johannesburg. It also happens to be Freedom Day, which commemorates the first democratic elections of the history of the country and the official end of Apartheid in 1994. It was the day that Nelson Mandela was elected. While it is a day of observation of the struggles that led to the struggle for liberation in South Africa, it is also a day in which the people reflect on all of the things left undone and the unfinished business left over from that chapter of their history. We noticed some large labor union strikes on our way to the museum, a sign of the struggles that black South Africans still face in the modern day.

Nancy and I decided to go to the Apartheid Museum as part of Freedom Day. Typically, it is closed on Mondays, but was open today as part of the Freedom Day happenings around the city.

Photos are not allowed inside, so we only have a few from the outside. Right from the start, they put you in the mindset of living in a segregated society and give you tickets for whites and non whites. Nancy and I had to choose who went to which door, and were separated for the first part of the exhibit, and shown a different side of the history for that section.

They also happened to have a temporary exhibit on the life of Nelson Mandela, which was very well done and incredibly informative.

We spent 4 hours in the museum, which was about all the information the brain could handle. It felt like getting a semester’s worth of history in that short time.

It was an incredible museum, a somber experience, and a great glimpse into the tumultuous modern history of South Africa.

It put into perspective a lot of the tensions that are still present in South Africa today. In many ways, the effects of Apartheid are still present here based on how the power and resources are structured throughout the modern society here, and how people have access to land, home ownership, different levels of education and work, etc.

It’s hard to believe that this horrible chapter of human history only ended during my childhood, meaning that people my parents age were perpetrating this, and many are still alive today.

Southwest Michigan! Due to our event at River of Life Yoga selIing out so fast, we added a second night. The second session is already half full, so if you want to join us, please do so ASAP! We hope to see you there at the end of the month!