You're About to Get Schooled- Vestiges of Change in Higher Education

One of my favorite lecturers thus far has been Don Foster, who spoke to us about the psychological aspects of reconciliation in South Africa. Specifically, I'd like to further discuss the various examples he gave of ways in which society was still self-segregating, even on the campus of a liberal and forward thinking university like UCT.

One of his first examples was the beaches surrounding Cape Town- particularly Camps Bay and Clifton beaches- being racialized in waves, as a "white flight" occurs once black people begin arriving and setting up to enjoy the water. I had, ironically, just been to both beaches the weekend before, and had noticed that the only black people I saw, particularly at Clifton, were selling trinkets to everyone. It was strange- to this day, I cannot help but be at least a little shocked every time I see the excessive income disparity in South Africa. I've visited the poorest slums and the wealthiest neighborhoods in Cape Town- all of which are no more than a 30 to 45 minute drive away from each other. I felt so isolated on Clifton beach- it was small, it was white, and from my perspective, didn't feel like the real South Africa. I would much rather be welcomed with open arms in the park in Soweto then walk onto this beach where everyone was settled in their own specific claims on the sand. The self-segregation evident at Clifton was to some extent a reality check- had I made the decision subconsciously to visit a beach that would probably be wealthy and white? I keep checking myself as I walk around town, or on campus, to gauge how comfortable I am in situations depending on what the racial mix is. It's still sort of awkward feeling on the Jammie when Marni and I are the only white people on the bus in the afternoon, but the only way to become more comfortable in social situations that one is accustomed to is to experience them more often. So riding the Jammie it is! :)

But even that couldn't necessarily integrate us into having a diverse group of friends- research at UCT suggests that even on a campus as diverse as this one, people are still grouping off by race, whether they realize it or not. I was disappointed as well to be informed of the serious lack of diversity on CU's campus- I had no idea that only 500 black students attend our school. I feel like I would have been more comfortable with race if I was presented with a situation in which I would have to confront it and discuss it- and a perfect environment for just that is available all across the U.S. and the world in the form of college dorms. Living together is a great way to promote understanding and inter-personal relationships, and I think it would have been easier to make friends of all classes, races and any other different backgrounds if I hadn't lived with a bunch of upper-middle-class white kids. If everyone had been forced to break out of their shell and meet new people, I think the cliques and groups that formed on my floor wouldn't have been as exclusive and unwelcoming because everyone would have been in the same boat. It was just too easy to make friends with the exact same types of people that we all knew in high school. I hope to take away a better ability to reach out on campus, because I feel like it doesn't happen enough, even between students who are in the same class. There seems to be a fear there that is unconquerable, a wall that is unsurmountable- and I want to try and bridge that gap.

A video we got to watch earlier in the day was also indicative of youth's role in the social system in both the Apartheid and Post-Apartheid eras of South Africa- the movie we watched was pieced together from news clips during the era of the Soweto uprising, when hundreds of children were being arrested and taken away from their homes, basically at random. Similar to my experience at Robbin Island, the video made Apartheid feel far more real and tangible- the video was not professionally done- it was people standing in doorways as Security Forces drove away with their kids, or mothers washing tear gas off the faces of kids who couldn't have been older than 5 or 6. Similar to the way Mandela's book became more real for me after seeing Robbin Island, watching raw footage of what was happening in the township personalized the endless memorials and site visits we'd been doing in both Soweto and the Cape Flats. It's easy to forget how real people were effected when you start talking in broad terms and sociological jargon, and I am trying to be more mindful of this depersonalization in the way I discuss reconciliation in South African society today. Attempting to keep in mind the fact that people are all prone to the same faults and great acts of kindness humanizes the piecing together of a divided society post-Apartheid.