Beginning the Journey

We left Raleigh-Durham International Airport this Sunday morning at 7:05 AM, arrived at JFK (where this picture was taken), and then flew from JFK to Johannesburg. Prior to leaving, we started reading several texts, including Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane, The Making of Modern South Africa by Nigel Worden, and History after Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa by Annie Coombes. Kaffir Boy, perhaps because it is an autobiography, has generated the most intense discussions in class. Mathabane's vivid detail of the vicious racism and discrimination his family endured, his fierce protection of his humanity, and his mother's unwavering faith in education are almost beyond belief. As we embark on this journey, I have asked the students to consider the spirit of the Xhosa people. How have they emerged from apartheid South Africa still hopeful?