Last week, I compared the lives of Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This week, I tackle their movements seen through the popular films "Long Walk to Freedom" and "Selma" and compare the injustices of both countries. I really loved "Selma" because it was a great depiction of the grassroots movement and all MLK and others did to progress. I liked how "Long Walk to Freedom" wasn't afraid to show the negative sides of influential figures of South Africa at that time. In the US, I can still see the legacy of the civil rights movement in the 60's. I am blessed to live this legacy and I am free to attend an institution with so many different races and learn from them. Though people of color are still experiencing issues of discrimination, I hope that with time and more knowledge on these race issues, things will improve.
It is so shocking that South Africa is still new to this social system of equality. To know that apartheid was abolished the same year I was born puts the timeline in great perspective. I'm grateful that I will be visiting the country this summer and will be able to meet people who lived through that system. I am excited to hear the stories and actually see firsthand the lasting impact of apartheid on their lives psychologically, socially, and economically. This is great because in a way I will get a glimpse of what the US was dealing with 30 years ago, then just reading about it in textbooks.
It is crazy how recently these events happened and I wonder in what ways they continue to linger. I definitely enjoyed the movies for putting a face to these movements.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last sentence about getting a glimpse of what was going on 30 years ago rather than just reading it. First hand experience is not a common thing with these issues so it's extremely exciting that we will have the chance to be there!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the timeline being brought into perspective once you learned it was abolished in the same year you were born. It still blows my mind that it was only 20 years ago. I am excited to see how South Africa will progress in the next few decades, hopefully they will learn some stuff (some what to do, some what NOT to do) from the USA and come out better in the end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you-- there is power to educating ourselves about these ongoing issues. Also, I do see the vital need to engage in discussions about these racial dynamics to allow us to think critically about these topics to create new space for progress.
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