When Alex and I made the decision to move to South Africa, I knew very little about it. I had a vague recollection of a book I read in ninth grade English class called Waiting for the Rain which highlighted the friendship of two boys, one black and one white, and how it was torn apart by the evils of Apartheid.
Apartheid was officially in place from 1948-1994. I say 'officially' because now that I have lived in South Africa, I feel confident saying that I still think race relations have quite a bit of a way to go. We are talking black women raising white children and working in homes--think straight out of the book/movie The Help. However, South Africa has made great strides and I do think it is a country that will continue to grow and do amazing things.
But really....1948-1994. That was so hard for me to grasp. These segregation laws were in place from a year before my dad was born until the time I was in second grade. It is mind boggling to me that such blatant discrimination, mandated by laws, was going on in the world in my lifetime.
Alex and I had been saying we were going to go the Apartheid Museum since we moved to JoBurg, and we had not gotten around to it yet. I knew that my sister is always up for a good museum, so when Groupon had half price tickets, I bought two and planned that we would go during her visit.
On the first Sunday she was here, off to the museum the three of us went.
Apartheid was officially in place from 1948-1994. I say 'officially' because now that I have lived in South Africa, I feel confident saying that I still think race relations have quite a bit of a way to go. We are talking black women raising white children and working in homes--think straight out of the book/movie The Help. However, South Africa has made great strides and I do think it is a country that will continue to grow and do amazing things.
But really....1948-1994. That was so hard for me to grasp. These segregation laws were in place from a year before my dad was born until the time I was in second grade. It is mind boggling to me that such blatant discrimination, mandated by laws, was going on in the world in my lifetime.
Alex and I had been saying we were going to go the Apartheid Museum since we moved to JoBurg, and we had not gotten around to it yet. I knew that my sister is always up for a good museum, so when Groupon had half price tickets, I bought two and planned that we would go during her visit.
On the first Sunday she was here, off to the museum the three of us went.
outside of the museum
The outside is rather non-descript, a large brick building. Alex did compare it to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin architecturally, however.
Reflecting pool outside museum with this quote.
When you buy your tickets, it divides you up in 'black' and 'white' on the back of your ticket. This determines the door you go through in the museum, and the first few bits of the museum you see.
There is currently a special Nelson Mandela exhibition that chronicles his childhood through his rise in politics and his amazing work fighting Apartheid and the role he played in the development of the new South Africa. (side note: They are now issuing new money in South Africa with Mandela on them! They are super cool!) After this exhibition, it is safe to say my obsession with Madiba has grown.
Nelson Mandela quotes outside the exhibition. He is such a wise man. I am reading a book of his speeches now and I am floored with the beauty with which he speaks.
Obligatory photos of Sister and me.
On the way home from the museum, we saw a rainbow. It was so poignant after all of the bits of Apartheid we had just learned about.
Living in South Africa has been a really amazing experience, and I am so glad we took the time to learn quite a bit more about the history of this country.
For more information on the Apartheid Museum, visit The Apartheid Museum website
For more information on the Apartheid Museum, visit The Apartheid Museum website
No comments:
Post a Comment