While my family and friends were planning trips to Paris, Rome, Greece, and several other places, I knew that my heart’s desire was to make it to the motherland, Africa. As an African American living in the US, I longed for many years to visit the continent that was the birthplace of my ancestors. In November 2013, that desire became a reality when I was able to visit South Africa for two weeks (one week in Johannesburg and the other in Cape Town). The trip was the most memorable traveling experience for me. The moment we landed in Africa and I made my way off the plane, I felt a sense of kinship that stayed with me the entire trip. It was the faces of the people who looked like me, the beautiful landscape and the delicious food that caused me to love the experience. At the same time, it was bittersweet because the aftermath of apartheid and what it created could still be sensed in a negative way.
I was able to visit the Nelson Mandela museum (home he lived in prior to prison), the prison (Robben Island) where he spent so many years then in full circle make a trip to Union Hall where he was installed as President. There were so many lessons learned and discoveries made in my visit. I remember the profound impact of viewing Nelson Mandela’s prison cell that would not allow me to stop the tears that flowed as I reflected on his perseverance. I read his autobiography during the long flight to Africa. A few days earlier I felt tears of joy when I visited his current home in Johannesburg as I reflected on is resiliency.
Johannesburg provided the flavor of a bustling busy city where huge billboards of people who looked like me caught my attention the moment we began a bus tour. The visit to the town of Soweto with its rich history where Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu once lived reminded me of the common thread of the struggle of oppression. Perhaps it was that bond of connection I sensed with the smiling beautiful people I met who admired my accent as much as I did theirs. One lady even called me “Michelle Obama” which caused us both to giggle. The food was delicious, and the restaurant visit included an opportunity to have my face painted which I was elated to have the honors.
Cape Town was more secluded with the feeling of a resort surrounded by the beautiful water. As our flight approached the airport, I noticed what seemed to be a field of colored tin roofs only to find out they were literally colored “shacks” where people lived with no electricity. There was definitely a wealth gap very evident when seeing the mansion like gated homes with barb wires compared to the village of shacks where poverty was rampant.
However, the landscape was simply breath taking. While riding the cable car to the top of Table Mountain I remember being an awe of the beauty as the other passengers and I confessed that we had never seen anything that beautiful before. I learned that South Africa is one of the riches places in the world, yet the scar of apartheid remains.
I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela:
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another."
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