Soweto - Legacy of Apartheid

We went to Soweto today to Nelson Mandela's house and the Hector Pieterson memorial. Hector Pieterson was a child killed in the June 16th protest of Bantu students who were forced to learn in Africaans, the language of the Boers in South Africa. During the protest, children, many under the age of 12, peacefully yet aggressively protested having to learn in Africaans. During their protest, the police opened fire and Hector Pieterson was killed instantly. 

Needless to say, it was a very emotional and yet eye-opening experience to visit his memorial. While walking through the exhibit filled with articles profiling Apartheid, leaders like Steve Biko, and the influence of the American Black Power/ Black Panther Party Movement, and Pan-Africanism on the primary, secondary, and university students in South Africa, it was very interesting to note how we, as Black Americans, can recognize and understand the importance of shared oppression, but can sometimes forget to value our unique identities and struggles.
       Being able to see firsthand the progress Soweto has made such as the growth of the African middle class, and the control and development of the African National Congress party, juxtaposed with extreme poverty puts in perspective that as American, I cannot change a place that I do not know, nor do I expect to, but I can change my own community in the hope that our own progress can be an inspiration or examples for those with similar (and not so similar) struggles.
    Anyway, on a lighter note... we went to an AMAZING restaurant today called Wandies Place that served authentic South African food, fermented millet, stewed lamp, ox liver, and sweet potates. So much for the summer work out plan :-/
  Tomorrow morning is an early flight to Cape Town. Kamuva!