Week 5:Long Walk to Freedom and Selma

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom definitely gave me good insight into South African history. I was not aware that Winnie Mandela spent time in jail as well. This gave me a new perspective on how his role as a political activist. Numerous people have jobs that affect their entire family, but his decades in prison affected dozens of members of his family. It was truly inspiring to see how his family truly cared for him as he was given more liberty in prison and eventually released. After speaking to various peers and teaching assistants who have already traveled to South Africa already, I have been told that there is a huge difference in the living conditions between white South Africans and Black South Africans. This was definitely visible in the film to see the people who lived in townships compared to the people who lived in nicer home.

            In the movie Selma, I enjoyed gaining perspective on how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had to balance being an activist, a minister, and a father. Even though he risked spending time in jail, he dedicated his life fighting for equal rights for African Americans. Just as in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom it was enlightening to see the major differences between the living conditions of people of color and white people. In both South Africa and the United States, people of color were oppressed by white leaders. In the U.S., people from Africa were sold into slavery and brought into the United States. In South Africa, people were oppressed by the people who colonized South Africa.     

            Between the two movements, I do see some similarities. Both continue to shock me that they were not that long ago. When I think of extreme oppression, I think of something that happened centuries ago, not movements that occurred in my lifetime or my parents’ lifetime. The degrees of severity are different, but racism continues to be a problem in both South Africa and the United States and I sincerely hope that the problem can be combated in both countries.  

Week 4: Mandela and King

            Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are two world leaders that I have always greatly admired. I see similarities in both of these men in the ways that they both believed in fighting in nonviolent ways. Although they fought with peace, both men were extraordinarily brave to fight for the rights of people of color knowing that their own lives were at risk. I think that there is something to be said that both of these men had formal educations.  King held a PhD and Mandela was the first in his family to be college education. Numerous activists have enacted change without a formal education, but like these two men I hope to use my education in a positive way to help others. I aspire to be a mental health nurse and I feel that there are major gaps in the mental health industry. I hope to use my education to do all that I can to make an impact in mental health.    

            An unfortunate difference between Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela was life span. King was assassinated in his forties and Mandela lived a long life of ninety-five years. However, twenty-seven of those years were spent in prison amongst inhumane conditions. If King had lived longer, I believe that there is a possibility he would have served in national government.  Both of these men had leadership qualities that will be remembered as some of the greatest of the twentieth century.   I have always enjoyed their wise words such as...
"It always seems impossible until it is done!" - Nelson Mandela
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." -MLK

Week 3:A New Look into South Africa

Since I was in elementary school, I have always wanted to visit South Africa. However, I was not aware of the vast history of the country. I see several similarities between South Africa and the United States. I was not surprised to learn that South Africa was colonized by the Dutch since most of Africa was once colonized by a European nation. I was surprised to learn the similarity between Native Americans living on reservations in the United States and Xhosa tribes living in designated areas in South Africa. Numerous reservations in the U.S. are low income and do not always have access to quality schooling, and the conditions are similar in South Africa. There is a major parallel between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and apartheid in South Africa. The United States has come a long way, but also has a long journey ahead to achieve equality for all races. After speaking to peers and UT faculty members who have traveled to South Africa before, I have been told that there continues to be a more obvious separation between black people and white people.  During my journey in South Africa, I hope to meet  leaders from diverse backgrounds so they can give me their perspective on South Africa of the past and South Africa of the present. 

I would like to ask David Gilmour, after living all over the world working for the foreign service, do you have a favorite place that you lived?

Week 2: Humanity and Privilege

When I first read McIntosh and Tatum two years ago, it gave me a completely new perspective on privilege. After reading it again, I realize how much more I think about privilege in my daily life. In some ways I benefit from privilege and in other ways I do not. As a Catholic, I know that wherever I go, I will be able to find a place of worship.  For example, there are two Catholic churches within walking distance of where I live.  I feel extremely fortunate that I am able to practice my religion in this way, but at the same time I recognize that not all religions have this privilege. As a woman, I can expect to have a lower salary than my male counterparts. I aspire to be a psychiatric nurse and even though this is a field of mostly women, wages are still lower.

            I have always approached all of my endeavors (whether it be in school, leadership positions, or traveling) with the idea that everybody has a different experience. This has helped me to remember that I should appreciate my journey as unique as opposed to expecting it to be like anyone else’s. After doing the “Is Race Real Activity”, the part that struck me the most was how human subspecies don’t exist.  Just as everyone has a different journey, each person has a certain uniqueness to them. Despite this, everyone is the part of the same human race. It is not easy, but it is extremely important to appreciate other people’s differences while at the same time understanding that we all share the principle of humanity.