Week 7: My Colleagues and South Africa

Denice Carpenter wrote a wonderful excerpt about women’s rights in South Africa. As a woman, this is an issue that I am passionate about and there is still much that needs to be done to ensure that there are equal rights between men and women around the world. I really like how she pin pointed four specific things that are hindering women’s rights in South Africa such as the “perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights.” This was something that I studied a few years ago in my global health class. Although it can be difficult, it can be done especially if world leaders are open to learning about the importance of human rights.

Gerardo Gonzalez wrote a very interesting piece about parallels between South Africa and a recent movie called District 9. Since it is a movie about extra-terrestrial  invasions, I would not have expected this comparison to made. But, I really like how the director used his past experiences to make a creative piece.

I greatly enjoyed watching the video that Connie Garza posted about the post-apartheid generation of South Africa. The young adult population is often the age group that impacts the world the most. It made me very excited to do service learning in South Africa and work with young leaders

Week 6: A Look at the Journey thus Far

After reading the two pieces by Lindsay Johns and Juan Williams, I was reminded of finding the importance balance between color-blindness and treating all races as equals. It can be harmful to be color-blind and not recognize difference races and cultures; it critically important to appreciate people’s differences and acknowledge them as global citizens. However, it is also important to ensure that all races are given equal opportunities in areas included but not limited to education, careers, housing, and courts of law.

 Lindsay Johns piece reminded me that race and ethnicity is so much more than the color of a person’s skin. In 2013, I was very fortunate to work for UT New Student Services as an orientation advisor. Social justice is a major component of the training for the position and this is something that I will always carry with me. Every year OAs put on a show with monologues about different identities on campus. Many of the monologues emphasize that identities consist of much more than appearance. For example, Hispanic/Latino(a) says “Don’t be surprised if some of us have blue eyes”.  This line always touches me and I feel like it can be applicable to a wide variety of identities because all go far beyond appearance.

One quote in particular that struck me from Williams’ piece was, “The real issue is whether America can come to terms with a reality of change.” This piece was written in 2006, but I feel that this quote is undoubtedly still relevant in the USA today. It is still relevant because, racial, gender, and religious inequalities continue to exist in the United States. Much progress has been made, but there is still much more progress that needs to occur moving forward. 

http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/social_science/clarkd/upload/A%20Hispanic%20Civil%20Rights%20Movement.pdf
http://www.theroot.com/articles/world/2013/10/south_africas_coloreds_identify_most_with_blacks_in_the_us.html