The Spread of HIV and the fight for Human Rights

For the past few months I have had the slightest inclination to follow televised entertainment, but for some reason I turned on the television today. While flipping through the channels, I happened to turn to the local news station where I heard one of the most unsettling news of the day. It was reported that a 46-year-old woman, mother of 3, was rapped twice in one month because she is a Lesbian. The woman later found out that she contracted the HIV virus. The woman, who was married for 15 years, came out about her sexuality to her husband 2 months ago. In an attempt to “teach” his wife a lesson, the woman’s husband hired 2 guys to rape her. Rape is on the rise in South Africa and it is also one of the main causes of the spread of HIV/ AIDS virus.

Although Cape Town is one of the safest places for the homosexual community, there is a stigma, throughout South Africa, about homosexuality. Despite the modernized infrastructure and westernized influences, traditional roots and lifestyles still permeates the South African society. It is terrifying for a homosexual couple to live freely. There is a constant sense of fear that lingers within.

At UCT, student organizations such as the “Social Justice Coalition,” the “Coalition to End Discrimination,” and “RainbowUCT” all fight for the rights of the homosexual community. Currently, all three groups are fighting for Ugandan gay rights. In Uganda, there is an anti-homosexual bill that is pending to be approved. Students are protesting against the human rights violations that are plaguing the homosexual community in Uganda. One of the country’s representatives believes that “homosexuality constitutes a threat to the traditional family.” Hate crimes, in its physical, mental, and political form negatively impact communities. Education and awareness may not be enough to reform the stigmas that are rooted here in South Africa and in many societies that are facing similar violations to human rights.

Rugby Game: Cape Town Vs. Australia

I went to a Rugby game this weekend. I walked in knowing absolutely nothing about Rugby and I walked out knowing tons about the game. It was a very good experience I had a good time with everyone around me. The stadium was LIVE! (See pictures).

“Dark and Lovely:” A trip to the hair Salon

Today I made a trip to “Dark and Lovely,” a local hair Salon in Cape Town. I have decided to make my transition from relaxed to natural hair through braids; this way, my hair wouldn’t look so crazy while I am transitioning. I wanted to get micro braids to start off, but I didn’t want the braids to be too thin because it’s a pain to take them out. I asked the hair stylist to give me medium sized micro braids (see pictures above). My hair only took 2 ½ hour to complete. I’ve never heard of that before!

What I found interesting about hair Salon’s in Cape Town is the mixture of men and women stylists. It’s common to misidentify these salons as unisex; however, the salons are designed to be suitable for just women. Barbershops are often located next door to or near by. The women at these salons are mostly trained professionals in braids, twists, and dreads, while the men are usually the ones to do relaxers and roller sets. I found that very interesting because in the states, particularly Boston, there are very few men who are professional stylist in Salon’s.

While at “Dark and Lovely,” a few “bootleggers” came into the shop to sell all sorts of products. One lady, in particular, came in with a bag full of clothes. She was selling leather pants and fur jackets. My first thought was, “WHAT! This is South Africa, people will be hot in these outfits!” The woman’s tagline surprised me the most. She kept saying, “If you buy these leather pants and fur coat, people will mistaken you for an American. Everyone in America is wear this today.” I sat quietly and laughed to myself, because I knew that leather pants were out of fashion since the late 1990s. I am so happy that no one in the Salon fell for her tagline. lol

I really like “Dark and Lovely.” I might have to come back to get some new braids in 6 to 8 weeks. Did I mention that it only cost me 300 Rands, which is equivalent to $40 dollars! With the hair included! The stylist provided me with the hair. I love South Africa.

The conflicts of my HAIR!!!

“I love your hair, it’s so beautiful! How do you get it to flow like that?”

Over the past few weeks in Cape Town I have been approached, almost everyday, by Black South African women who would comment on the texture and style of my hair. In the beginning, I was flattered by the attention given by so many South Africans. I felt as though I have been doing something right to draw the attention of so many people. After a week of the comments and the constant approaches, I began to analyze the meaning behind my hair and the comments that I have been receiving. I have concluded, that “Good Hair” is a term and an ideology that travels beyond the Western culture for Black people.

Often, we concentrate on the application of products to make our hair look and feel soft, shiny and strong. The acceptable look for Black women’s hair in any society is of a straight and “flowy” texture: either you have it—hair that does not need to be straightened and just simply grow—or you didn’t. In South Africa, many women wear their hair natural: short (like a boyish cut), coursed and spiked, or dreaded. Other hairstyles include micro or cornrowed braids. There are also some who wear their hair relaxed as mine, but it is often not “flowy.“ This is because South African women would relax their hair and drown their scalp with grease. I often wash, blow dry, and press my hair; once completed, I would add a bit of oil sheen for the shine. This in turn makes my hair to flow “naturally” when the wind blows because it is not heavily dense with grease.

No matter your ethnicity, hair is very important for most women. Whether it’s using chemical relaxer, dying or bleaching your hair, or refusing to cut your hair because its length has become a protective shield to you – hair has meaning for us females.
Being asked about my hair everyday has made me realize how much I actually HATE my relaxed hair! Don’t get me wrong; I think my hair is very pretty relaxed. I relax my hair because I like the way it suites my face. In America, I am aware that Black beauty equates to having long straight hair, but being in South Africa has brought this ideology to the forefront. In America, I can ignore the deep implications of “Good Hair” and the aspirations to attain such hair. In the Black/African American community there is an unspoken acceptance to associate beauty with relaxed hair. I am not sure if I can fully accept or live with the connotations of having relaxed hair! Being in South Africa has really made me feel ashamed of my hair. Let me explain:
The Black aesthetic and the definition of Black beauty is rooted in hair. I want to define myself and affirm my identity in the face of the legacy of cultural aggression and forced impressions of beauty in society at large. African features, those characteristics that distinguish Blacks from Euro-ethnics, were considered "ugly." The dark skin, thick lips, broad nose and of course the "nappy" hair were considered badges of inferiority!

Too often, I hear Black South African women hoping and wanting for their children to have “Good hair.” This is a form of marginalization and fettered thoughts of natural Black beauty. I envy South African women who wear their hair naturally. I long to reach a position where I can wear my hair in its natural form and not be judged or dismissed by my community, family and friends. Natural is so beautiful to me, but I am at a stage in my life where I must consider how I would be perceived in corporate America, and simply in the eyes of others. From my own analysis, I can draw the conclusion that my self-esteem, like many, is wrapped up in my hair!

This has become a personal conflict that I have been thinking deeply about while in South Africa. I believe that I am in a stage of transition. I no longer want to neglect or abuse my natural hair with the “creamy crack” product, as Chris Rock has expressively put it..lol. I have made the decision to go natural. I don’t even remember what my natural hair looks like, as sad as that may sound. Today, Friday Febraury 13, 2010. I am currently in transition. I really hope this works out for me. Figuring out who I am has been one of my biggest challenges in South Africa.

Reality Check!: First World or Third World Country??

I am currently in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the most developed areas in Africa as a whole. Cape Town is a very modern/industrialized place. Just like many cities in the US, the financial district/down town area is filed with sky scrappers and beautiful site seeing areas. There are shopping malls in Cape Town that are mirror reflections of American malls; there are people driving the latest BMW’s and Ferraris. Cape Town, at its most, is a reflection of our western culture. At an instant, adjusting becomes natural.

So far, I have had the pleasure to converse with many local South Africans of all backgrounds: Blacks, Colourds, Indians, and Whites. From conversations and trips into local Townships I knew that Cape Town was not the true mirror image of the lives that inhabits the whole of South Africa. South Africa still faces developing world problems.

The word township describes the movement of Africans from the city into rural areas. Many Townships lack access to clean water, Internet, food, and electricity. Chronic poverty highlights many of the local problems of South Africa: hunger, lack of shelter, lack of education, illiteracy, lack of health care and powerlessness. 20 % of the people in South Africa earn 80% of the wealth. On average South African people earn $2.50 a day. There are 4 million people in South Africa and 2.1 million has access to Internet.

While I’d prefer to have access to such basic amenities, I have fully realize the perversity of a place like South Africa where you have the rich, who has everything, the growing middle class, who have limited access to goods and services, and the very poor, whom do not have access to clean water, electricity, or adequate bathing facilities. This experience allows me to understand a global phenomenon that exist around the world, the gap between the haves and have nots. Sounds like American issues, but trust me, it is on a much LARGER scale. Living here allows me to reflect on what my role, and others role, should be in the global community. Is it right and/or fair for some to have access to certain basic necessities while others do not have the same access? Lastly, in a place like South Africa where so much wrong has been committed to South Africans who's responsibility is it to right the wrongs of others? There is constant quest to level the playing field for Blacks globally!

My Accommodations

For the semester, I am living in a residential building called Liesbeeck Gardens at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Liesbeeck is equivalent to apartment style buildings, but are referred to as flats in South Africa (See pictures above). There are 4 single bedrooms in my flat along with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a back porch. Two of my roommates are South Africans, one from Johannesburg and the other from Cape Town. My third roommate is a student from Haverford College in PA, she was born in the Dominican Republic but raised in Brooklyn, NY—her story is similar to my own. As flat-mates, we have decided to live as a family, which includes cooking for each other, sharing the grocery bills, and teaching each other about our different cultures. To date, I am thoroughly immersed in the South African culture and ways of life.

My roommates teach me how to cook traditional South African dishes, such as pop and spicy chicken, how to speak the local language, Xhosa, and how to be street cautious in certain parts of Cape Town. Living with South Africans my age has given me the opportunity to meet many others. Adjusting here was not too bad for me at all! Although my program is predominately white, I quickly branched away to meet South African students at the University. At first I felt like a foreigner within my program. Out of the 165 students in my program, I am 1 out of 5 students of color. Crazy! More students of color need to go abroad and experience life on an international level! Life changing, indeed.

I am sometimes mistaken for a South African or a Zimbabwean woman. However, my accent gives me away—I am quickly identified as a black American, until I reveal that I am actually a West Indian American (Will blog about that another day).
What I like most about Cape Town is the fact that you WILL see both the First World and Third World issues of South Africa.

Just a few activities...

Today marks my second week in Cape Town, South Africa. Below, You will find a list of activities that I have taken part of for the past week.

Class registration: I had the opportunity to experience class registration at UCT (University of Cape Town), which is very different from the way we do it in the States. I stood in a long line for about an hour to get 4 classes approved, once approved, I had to stand in another line for an hour to get the data transferred into the computer system. I then had to stand in line for about 2 more hours in order to receive my student ID. The entire process took about 4 ½ hours to complete. I was tired after class registration and I have realized how privileged I am at Smith to simply wake up and register for classes in a matter of 15 min.

Mzoli’s Meat: Mzoli's is meat restaurant located in Gugulethu, a township outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The restaurant is internationally acclaimed and it seems to be a township tourist attraction. While there, I was with a group of people from my program; which is prominently white, in a town surrounded by blacks. The restaurant has the best meat that I have ever eaten. See pictures above.

District 6 Museum: The District 6 museum displays the history of an area that was once a vibrant mixed community of freed slaves, artisans, labors and immigrants. By the early 20th century residents of District 6 lost a significant amount of land, due to forced removals and marginalization. The first to be removed was of course, the Africans. These removals gave way to the creation of townships, which divided South Africa into racial categories. The word township describes the movement of Africans from the city into rural areas. Learning about the history of District 6 really made me realize that no matter where you are there will always be a struggle for Blacks.