I think Mary Poppins would have liked yesterday. I’ve never experienced wind that strong before!
After a short lesson yesterday morning, we hopped in a taxi to take a Cape Town museum tour to help us better understand South African history. We began learning at the District Six museum. During the apartheid movement, the South African government created distinct areas of segregation that lawfully appointed certain races to live in particular areas. I equated the 1800's Indian Removal Act as a similar idea. Under the Group Areas Act of 1950, the government labeled District Six as a White Group Area even though many coloured and black citizens resided in the vibrant community. By 1982, the law forcibly displaced over sixty thousand people and bulldozed the district to make room for the new white residents. In the mid-1990’s, the former residents paid tribute to their previous lives by renovating an old church that now holds the museum. The pictures of the bulldozers mowing down the displaced people’s lives really touched me. On the floor of the building, there was a map of the district where former residents had signed their names where their houses once stood. The signatures and pictures created an eerie feel but surely helped them cope with their past.
While still slightly depressed about the struggles of humanity, we walked to the Slave Lodge museum. In America, I feel like we spend much of our time talking about the horrors of slavery during the early part of our history. So, I thoroughly enjoyed learning how the slave industry started, and Cape Town’s role in perpetuating slavery. Plus, it offered a detailed description of Nelson Mandela’s impact on the South African culture. The more I learned about his life the more excited I became for Friday’s trip to Robben Island, one of the prisons that housed Mandela during the resistance movements. South Africa has such a rich history! However, it still saddens me that the same slavery, racially induced segregation, and persecution exist all over the world.
The rest of the day was spent having fun with some awesome people. We spent several hours laughing over pizza and milkshakes before hosting a massive trivia night. Who knew boys could get so competitive?!? My team didn’t win, but we didn’t lose either. I’ve learned to take successes in strides. At least, we knew who won the first Rose Bowl and Bob Dylan’s real name! Finally, we ended a crazy evening in the hotel just being goofy and getting to know each other. Another successful day at Camp Cape Town!
Random Fact: The South African universities racially integrated for the first time in 2003, 2004, and 2005. That time period is way to close for comfort in my opinion.
Quote: "Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future."
Picture: I am riding in the Ish Mobile!
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