Week 8: My Top 10 Recommendations!!!

Here they are:

1. Larisa Manescu - Used 3 visual representations showing how a picture and describe 1000 words.

2. Maria Mendez post of the PRI story " Here's how South African Students Talk about race and gender" 

3.Nestor Castro - Article post the "Ultimate Bucket List Trip: South Africa"

4. Hashm Shokravi - Article post - "Foreign Businesses Face Backlash in South Africa"

5. Courtney Luke - Article post "Effects of Apartheid on the Status of Women in South Africa"

6.Connie Garza  -  You Tube video - "South Africa's Post Apartheid Generation"

7. Denice Carpenter - Article post "Realizing Women’s Human Rights in South Africa"

8. Joshua Alvarez - Apartheid Timeline

9. Katelyn Jacobson - Article post "Say It Loud, I'm Coloured and I'm Proud"

10. Tiasha Ullah - The Women's struggle Timeline 1905-2006

Week 7: Peer Reflectioin

Katelyn's shared an article titled, "Mixed-race citizens remain uneasy about black rule."  A common theme of how coloured people in South Africa feel that they are unjustly treated by the African National Conference (ANC).  Knowing that the indicator of blackness was judged by sticking a pencil in someone hair and if it slid out the person in question was counted as white.  I pause my thoughts for a moment and think how at one time coloured and blacks fought together to get what was rightfully theirs.  It was also shocking to me to notice how coloured people in South Africa are considered as the lower class of people.  This made me think what bracket of people I would be listed under if I was living in South Africa.

          I was also privileged to view Larisa's blog post and she used visuals as educational tools.  Pictures can be so powerful and also different meanings when viewed. I agreed with Liarisa when she talks about the significance of the massacre was massive.  How it brought people together to fight the unjust acts.  Sometimes it is the sacrifice of other people in order to change the course of life for the next generation.

          Courtney provided information on the disadvantaged treatment of African women in the 1956.  The internet post for 1956 Women's March provided a short video, summary and image about the struggle African women had to overcome in order to receive equal treatment.  Again it amazes me how when people join together like on August 9th the article stated that, "over 20,000 women, representing all racial backgrounds, came from all over South Africa to march on the Union Buildings, where they stood in silent protest for 30 minutes while petitions with 100,000 signatures were delivered to the Prime Minister’s office."  Sometimes it take the courage of someone else beside you to help push you to demand for the changes you want to see in society.  This has taught me about the power in number and how a voice can be amplified through many.

Week 6: Research Discoveries

My topic discovery for this week is

Education in South Africa - link: http://www.freedomtolearn.co.za/education-today

Gangs, Race and Poverty - link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoMl_G6rL9k

South African Women Power - link: http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/06/10/tunney/

After viewing the YouTube video, "Cape Town: Gangs, Race and Poverty 20 years after Apartheid."  I began to understand more what it means to be coloured and their point of view of post-apartheid.  They have a demographic break down of Whites, Black African, Coloured, Indian/Asian and other.  In this video the coloured South African feel that they are being ANC is the favored party of Black Africans meaning the coloured are left behind after Apartheid.  Such as advertisements for jobs will state you must speak Xhosa meaning a Black person will probably get the job.  People also now fear gangsters versus as before it was the government they feared.  People felt that they were safer even though gangsters were existent, they still felt safer. 

In the article, Education Today,  it states that, "According to a survey conducted by The Guardian, of the 1 million students that enrolled in the year 2000, 50% dropped out during their schooling career, and only a quarter passed their matric exams."  Schools are closing down due to lack of funding and not all students are receiving the same quality education.   If students are unable to attend public school the chances of them going to a university is very slim due to lack of funding and exposure of adequate education.   The Lost Generation is also discussed as those student right after Apartheid who did not attend school because of lack of funds to support them attending school such as no transportation or food.  This would lead some of these individuals of engaging in dangerous behaviors and violence.  What is a nation to do with an entire uneducated generation of people?

Improving the rights of women in South Africa started with African National Congress (ANC) establishing a quota requiring 33% of its representatives as women.  Also passing legislation the prohibited domestic violence, rape, and sexual harassment.  However women continue to struggle and can be coined in 4 main factors that prevent women from realizing their rights in South Africa.  

1. The unwillingness of men to adapt to changing gender roles
2. The perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights  
3. Poor urban planning coupled with the economic vulnerability of women
4. The police and courts' inadequate implementation of legislation

Starting with gender roles in the article it describes a husband forcing his wife to give up her sewing business due to him not feeling it was right to accept wages from a women.

Women now feel they are having to choose between preserving culture and promoting human rights.  Men have described women rights as going against once acceptable treatment, however now men can be arrested for. 

Housing developments emerged in townships but were poorly constructed and unsafe for women and children. The restrooms were sometimes located outside which was dangerous for a women to go to at night and they often lacked secure doors or windows. 

Lastly the criminal justice system do not always follow through with their responsibilities for protecting the rights of women.  One individual described her attempt to call the police due to domestic violence and they would take hours or may not even show up.

These events show that it is a lot to be done and that the change in the laws will not stand alone.  There is a need for men to become more accepting of new laws established and safety planning for women who live in these townships.

Week 2:The Fact About Race!

Human subspecies don't exist!


Human beings  are the most intellectual beings on planet earth.  We have the power to make so many changes but still we struggle with the issue of race.  When reading over the fact that modern humans have not been around long enough to evolve into separate subspecies or races.  Yet we are among the most similar of all species.  Why is it that we feel we have to be separate or to classify one another into different groups.  It is like we are an addict for identification and grouping so that we can better understand ourselves and those around us.  But we fail to understand how similar we are sometimes as well. 

The fact that skin color has nothing to do with the gene's of our physical and internal body characteristics we have.  Can really put one into deep thought on how we are quick to stereotype and assign individuals based on their skin color to a certain group. 

The question I have for myself is how do we began to re-educate ourselves and communities on the true facts of race.  Helping us all to become a more cohesive group of the true meaning of race identity.