After we toured the academy, we met Nella who gave us a tour of the township. We were able to see the original hostels the men stayed in during the first years of the Urban Areas Act. It was clear that although the events of apartheid have passed, the effects are still visible to this day. That being said, I found that Langa had a beautiful way of combating forced poverty with a strong sense of community and selflessness. Nella spoke about how those who had broken out of the cycle would come back to improve the community. In little ways, everyone in the township looks out for one another. As we walked through the streets, Nella was offered warm greetings and smiles from everyone and a few little ones ran up to him as if he were a father. I was charmed and delighted by the people of Langa and am eager to watch the community develop and grow.
The Apartheid City: Langa, District Six, and Table Mountain
The Apartheid City: Langa, District Six, and Table Mountain
y name is Pippi, and I'll be sharing what we did on the first half of our day on June 10! We began the day with a tour of The Bridges for Music Academy in Langa where we met Fundi, a DJ, educator, and advocate for the students there. The Academy's mission is to provide support and opportunities for people from the township of Langa through music and education. The goal is that by encouraging creativity and imagination, the youth of Langa will be able to break out of the cycle of poverty instituted by the 1923 Urban Areas Act. On the tour I was struck by how highly Fundi prioritized the student's autonomy and wellbeing. The academy is free to attend and even provides meals for its attendees, ensuring that the students are able to pursue their craft without worrying about the cost. Bridges Academy is clearly a sanctuary as well as an explosion of creativity and art.
My name is Will, and I’ll share the second half of our day on June 10th. After leaving Langa, we travelled into Cape Town to visit the District Six Museum. The museum was in the historic District Six, which was an important example of the enormous negative effects of Apartheid on the South African people. The museum documented and shared the tragic story of District Six, as well as providing artifacts from the District’s past. I found the museum very informative and important to helping me continue to build my base of knowledge on Apartheid as I start to study it in class. After touring the museum for a while, we went to a main attraction in Cape Town, the gondola to the peak of Table Mountain. After driving partway up the mountain, we got out and took a short ride to the very top, where we were given time to walk around and take in the scenery. We went up right about when the sun began to set, and the views were breathtaking to say the least. Looking down on the city from such a high point really was spectacular, reminding me of the size of Cape Town. After an hour spent there, we all took the gondola back down and hopped on the buses to get back home for some much needed rest. Overall, it was a great second day, and I’m excited to keep exploring and finding out more through the rest of my time here.
-Katherine "Pippi" Delaney and Will Costello
