Selma and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom

        A few days ago, I watched two films, Selma and Mandela:A Long Walk to Freedom, based in two different continents, yet facing similar problems. In South Africa, the majority population, black people, were considered inferior and under the power of the minority, white people. In comparison, black people in America were the minority and powerless against the majority which were white people. Both populations faced violence, death, war, and had their rights taken away from them every single day. In these two films, it shows the progress two men made and the impact that they created in order to give people a brighter future, unite a country, and restore the people their rights as a human.

         Of course, both men faced problems along the way, similarily, their family was involved which left a negative impact, they were arrested, and had to tirelessly work toward their goal despite the probability that they would fail. In both South Africa and America, people of color had no protection from police, the government, were threatned and beaten, and didn't have rights in their own country.However, Mandela and King continued to work toward their goal of an anti-apartheid regime and the success of the civil rights movement by leading protests, boycotts, and influencing others to come together and fight.Mandela fought alongside his community and continued to support the idea of an anti-apartheid governemnt even after his imprisonment of nearly three decades,eventually leading him to becoming South Africa's president and instituting a system of equalty among everyone. On the other hand, King orchestrated a powerful turning point in the civil rights movement by marching from Selma to Montgomery, despite the last march that ended with several being beaten and blood known as "Bloody Sunday", and are unharmed by the state troopers that lined the road and soon ends with a speech on rights and equality becoming a greater possibility for African Americans . This outcome led to Lyndon B. Johnson, the president at that time, to file a bill in order to eliminate restrictions on voting and praise the activists, a stepping stone in history. 

       In perspective, when I watched the movies I was overcome with feelings of sadness, anger, and enlightenment on how people were treated and how they were able to achieve their goal despite having no protection, power, or rights. I have gained considerable knowledge of the past history of South Africa and America, the roots of social movements that lead to positive change within a country, people like King and Mandela who changed history, and the power of the people working together to achieve a goal that left a positive impact on our world. These films help me understand the past and current history of South Africa and the new changes that are still occurring within the country. It prepares me on how people might react to others, and how different communities are still adapting to change stemming from the apartheid system, similarly in America, there will always be signs of racism even in modern society, but there is always room for change as time goes by.

        

 

Martin Luther King, Jr & Nelson Mandela

         Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up in the same era and fought similar battles which changed the course of history. Although they died under different circumstances, they left a legacy that changed millions of lives for the greater good. Both men were well educated, were born with different names, and were divorcees. The greatest similarity between the men was their fight for justice and equal rights in their country. They both operated peaceful protests and were leaders and activists in their respected community. Many times they were met with violence and killings, however, they never lost their motivation or the site of their goals. Not to mention, both men endured hardships and were imprisoned, Mandela for nearly three decades, yet they never stopped fighting for the rights everyone deserved. They stood by others to boycott, protest and march for their rights and influenced others to fight along with them. Similarly, both men had a long life friend, Oliver Tambo and Benjamin Mays, to accompany them and help lead the movement for justice. In the end, both men won Nobel prizes, influenced change in the world to do greater things, and eradicated the wall of segregation in their countries. Mandela became the first black president of his country and installed a new system where everyone had equal rights. MLK influenced many with his “I have a Dream” speech and left a legacy that spurred a change in history and gave those the motivation to voice their opinions. To conclude, both men will always be remembered and honored on their respective to recognize the positive change they brought to the world.

        I chose this quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”-Martin Luther King, Jr., because the statement speaks true to the whole world. If someone doesn’t have rights in one country, then it gives power to another country trying to oppress someone else. Moreover, it would leave a significant impact if the injustice was stopped in one place, so there would be a greater chance that the same injustice would be stopped somewhere else. The other quote I chose was, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”- Nelson Mandela. This particular quote seems to have been a key thinking point back when the fight for justice was raging. Many, probably, thought that Mandela would fail after spending nearly three decades in prison, yet he became the next president and instituted a positive change in the country, therefore, the impossible became a reality after it was accomplished.

The History,People,and Current Events of South Africa

       Reading about the history, people and current events of South Africa was quite interesting and a bit surprising. I did not know much about the history of South Africa since, in the United States, we are mainly taught about the history of America and how it was built; the only notion of Africa was the slaves brought to the U.S. Not to mention, growing up there was a stereotype that if you are from Africa then you must be black and cannot be white. “So, if you're from Africa. Why are you white?”-Karen (Sorry for the Mean Girls quote). Even today that stereotype still holds true in many peoples' mind.  It’s interesting to see the parallels of South Africa and the United States in terms of segregation, slavery, the system of inferiority/superiority and racism. For instance, the bloody wars between various tribes, being forced off their land like the Native Americans, and the power the white community held over the black community by holding certain privileges like the right to vote.

       Moreover, the Apartheid era is comparable to the United States era of racial segregation and violence against African Americans, considering the white community felt that they were superior in regard to the black community.Nonetheless, South Africa had the strength of the community to end the Apartheid regime and be able to work toward a better future filled with great leaders and less tension between the white and black community, however, they still face issues of some racism, poverty, clean water etc., although they can still overcome these challenges with the help of the community, various resources, country ties and great leadership.

        In current events, the International Relations section was filled with news of South Africa’s ties with other countries, trades, summits and important topics of their agenda. The section actually shows the progress South Africa has made in order to strengthen their country and help their people come out of poverty. To conclude, one of my questions to ask the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Bureau of African affairs, Mr.Gilmour, is how he hopes to shape U.S policies in order to strengthen South Africa’s economy and provide opportunity and development.