NEW CHAPTER

LEAVING SOUTH AFRICA AND RETURNING AND READJUSTING TO THE STATES HAS REALLY BEEN COMPLICATED...IN THE SENSE THAT MY EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS REALLY OPENED MY EYES TO A LOT OF DYSFUNCTION IN THE UNITED STATES IN GENERAL. WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND ME MY COMMUNITY, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND AS A WHOLE NATION. BUT WITHIN MYSELF, I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT BEING APPRECIATIVE AND NOT TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED. MY SELF CONFIDENCE AND PRIDE SHIFTED IN WAYS THAT I RENDERED INVISIBLE BECAUSE OF MY CIRCUMSTANCES SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE TO COPE WITH. NOW THE IMPOSSIBLE EXPRESSES POSSIBILITIES IN THE LONG LIFE AHEAD OF ME. LITERALLY IT IS LIKE I EXCHANGE MY OLD SET OF EYES WITH NEW ONES THAT OBERSEVES MORE CONDITIONS IN THE WORLD TODAY...ALSO AS A SIDE NOTE: I TAKE A CLASS ON DEVIANCE IN SOCIETY AND WE LEARNED THAT SOME CONDITIONS AND INSTITUTIONS ARE RARELY SEEN AS DEVIANT BECAUSE THE POWER AND HIGH STATUS THEY ARE PERCEIVED WITH. I RELATE THIS TOO HOW MUCH AMERICA(N) HAS SO MUCH POWER THEY ABUSE IT AND THAT IS WHY MANY EVENTS RESULT IN SUCH TRAGIC MOMENTS. SO MUCH SOCIAL CONTROL TAKES PLACE IN OUR LIVES THAT DRIVES US BIZZERK PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY AND THAT IS WHAT CREATES AN UNSTABLE SOCIETY. UNLIKE SOUTH AFRICA EVEN THOUGH THEY JUST RECENTLY ENDED APARTHEID-THEIR SOCIETY SEEMS TO BE AT A STABLE STATE WORKING TO RECONCILE THE TRAGIC EVENTS. WHEREAS AMERICA WE SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE OR NO COLLECTIVENESS TO BECOME UNITED. THANKS TO THIS EXPERIENCE I CHANGED MY WAYS OF LIVING AND THINKING TO HELP BETTER NOT ONLY MYSELF BUT ALSO THE WORLD...IT STARTS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEN A GROUP-MICRO TO MACRO LEVEL CHANGES THAT HELP A SOCIETY!!!... I RECONSTRUCT WHAT IS AND WHAT I CONSIDERED THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS IN LIFE INTO POSITIVE WAYS TO HELP GET OUT ME OUT THE SITUATION...FAR TO LONG I LIVED IN MESSED UP SITUATIONS AND THOUGHT NEGATIVE ABOUT THEM AND TO THINK ABOUT IT IT ONLY MADE THEM WORSE; SOMETHIMES GOOD AND DISTRESSFULL. BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT SOUTH AFRICA IN GENERAL AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF "MAN THEY MAKE THE BEST IN EVERY SITUATION" SOOO LITERALLY I TRAINED MY WAYS OF THINKING INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS AT MY MOST STRESSFUL AND HARD TIMES. OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW. THIS WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR ME IN ALL WAYS...ACADEMICS, PERSONAL/INTRAPERSONAL AND FUTURE GOALS. EVERYDAY IS LIKE I LEARN SOMETHING NEW; EXPAND MY BRAIN AND THE KNOWLEDGE. THIS EXPERIENCE WAS ACTUALLY AN EGO BOOSTER IN THAT EXTENT I FEEL MORE CONFIDENT AND HAVE MORE PRIDE IN LIFE AND ACTUALLY TO WANT TO HELP THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT TO HELP THEMSELVES...I SEE THIS ALOT IN THE COMMUNITY-LACK OF HOPE OR SOMETHING. AS ALMOST IF THEY ARE FOLLOWERS OF FOLLOWERS AND NOT SELF LEADERS. I TEND TO THINK I AM A LEADER AND ROLE MODEL TO MOST PEOPLE AROUND ME AND THAT IS A GREAT FEELING TOOO HAVE OLDER ADULTS YOUNG ADULTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN LOOK UP TO AND REFER TO ME AS A POSITIVE AND INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODEL. THANKS SOUTH AFRICA FOR THIS EYE OPENER AND LITERALLY SEE YOU LATER!!!-LOVE ALWAYS N'YKEYIA N.CHAMBLISS

HOMELESS VS. POVERTY

THIS IS MY APPRECIATION TO SHOW NEW BEGINNINGS IN LIFE...IT WAS BEFORE I LEFT TO SOUTH AFRICA THAT MY VIEWS ABOUT "LIFE" WERE THE "HARD KNOCK LIFE" FOR US-MEANING USA. I WAS AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN AS WELL AS AN INSIDER SEEKING THE WAY OUT!...SOME ENTITIES RENDER INVISIBLE BEFORE YOU MAKE THEM THE VISIBLE AND POWERFUL. REALIZATION IS ONE POWERFUL SOURCE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO RECONSTRUCT VIEWS ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AS WELL AS HOW ONE LIVES THEIR LIFE. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE FULL POTENTIAL OF POSSIBILITIES BECAUSE OF THE IMPOSSIBLE WAYS THAT SOCIETY HAS SHAPED UNDERPRIVILEGED PEOPLE. WHEN I WENT TO SOUTH AFRICA, I HAD THE MENTALITY OF STEREOTYPICAL VIEWS ABOUT HOW LIFE IS-WAYS IN WHICH THE USA TE-LIE-VISION SHOWED US ABOUT AFRICA. I COULD NEVER IMAGINE AND EXPERIENCE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE POOR PEOPLE LIVE...GENERALIZING MY "UNDERPRIVILEGED" LIFE COMPARED TO THEIRS. IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM IS THERE A COMPARISON TO THE WAYS THEY LIVE AND THE WAY USA POVERTY LIVES. ONLY RESULTING IN THE SAME POSITION-OPPRESSION AND STRUGGLES. BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POVERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNITED STATES IS EVERYONE WHO IS IN POVERTY IS IN POVERTY TOGETHER. POVERTY CAN BE VIEWED AS A COMMUNITY THAT HELPS ONE ANOTHER WITH THE SAME STRUGGLE, ALSO TO FIND WAYS AND TECHNIQUES OF SURVIVAL. IN THE US HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE A COMMUNITY AND RESOURCES TO HELP AND ELIMINATE STRUGGLES OF HOMELESSNESS. IN THIS CASE POVERTY IS CONCRETE AND REAL WHILE HOMELESS IS ABSTRACT AND UNREAL. WHAT I MEAN IS IN SOUTH AFRICA, PEOPLE DO NOT HOLD DOCUMENTATION ABOUT WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES OR HELP THEY NEED IN ORDER TO SURVIVE AS THE USA HOMELESS PEOPLE WOULD DO. INSTEAD THEY WOULD MAKE THE BEST OF POVERTY-BUILD THEIR HOMES FROM MINIMAL MATERIALS THAT THEY FIND, SEARCH FOR THEIR FOOD AND ADAPT TO OTHER UNIQUE WAYS TO LIVE DAY BY DAY. WHEN IN THE USA PEOPLE MAKE HOMELESS INTO A JOB-THEY HOLD UP SIGNS WITH WRITINGS DETAILING WHAT THEY WOULD DO FOR MONEY AND TELL A SHORT STORY ABOUT THEIR CURRENT STATUS, HAVE UNLIMITED RESOURCES TO EAT, SLEEP, BATHE, CLOTHE ETC.FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY LIVE AROUND. SOME ARE CAPABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC NEEDS AND SOURCES TO FIND JOBS OR FOOD. JUST THROUGH A LIVED EXPERIENCE EXPLORING POVERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA...THE USA HOMELESS HAS NOTHING TO COMPARE TO THE DISPARITY THAT THEY FACE YET IN REALITY THEY COULD BE CONSIDERED "STREET WORKERS" THAT MAKE THEIR ENDS MEET AT THE END OF THE DAY. THE CONDITIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA'S POVERTY IS FAR WORSE THAN WHAT WE THINK AND TEND TO COMPARE WITH "POVERTY" HERE IN THE USA.

RACIALIZATION AND DISPOSITION

Racialization and Disposition
Social Psychologist Don Foster and Melissa Steyn made very good points in regards of racialization and disposition. Don Foster goes to say that “race” is a myth that everyone uses to categorize groups of people however there is no scientific explanation to determine what skin color is A, B, or C; along with the notion of whose skin color has higher standards than the next. It is the social name blame that we stigmatize and labels others without using accurate meaning-the myth of skin color. He details and outlines chronological and imperative dates that “tell” stories of how and why racialization became the problem. In 1652 the Europeans-or whitties as Don would say, came and invaded South Africa and structured slavery of Africans. Along these lines, one could infer and agree that violence occurred, Moreover, sexual violence. African women were raped, abused, and “forced” to reproduce babies for more slaves. This entails that A, B, or C “blood” has been mixed throughout and dictated by how light or how dark a person is. With this observation, we all may be black-some disagree and some may agree. However, race is racialized and is a social constructed in society. This illustrates a complicated picture of the system of race discriminates among the “others” who are not white. Speaking of political terms, there is a race hierarchy that determines a race status such as: European, Coloured (mixed), and Indians, than Africans with the worst treatment than any other group. In that order distinguishes the good and the bad people. But, as a whole nation in general, whites only make up 8% of the population and Africans/Blacks make up 80%. This is ten times the amount of white people which shows how systematically race has been colonized. Therefore, with the racialized system brings forth the colonization of Blacks through class. Now a system of class status plays a major role in the nation depriving Black groups from privilege and opportunities.
Melissa Steyn goes further more to talk about how “disposition” can be detrimental for one’s life. She explains a little bit about how she grew up during the Apart-heid era and how segregation played benefactors and disadvantages in roles of white and Black people. The “reality” of her life during this time consisted of being the beneficiary of white privilege. It was natural for whites to live a life of no worries because their privilege was so concrete and exclusive, it automatically made them superiors over all others. It was to the point that a society constructed a country that literally divided and spaced out white and the others through highways, houses, provinces, identification cards, gates etc. Any entity or area was claimed by whites and continued to use informal segregation to dissimilate the inferiors. I also like the way she pointed out that South Africa is a “Non Contact” society in fact it cut off Blacks as citizens. This demonstrates a good point that actually Mr. Foster speaks of as Racial Harmony; in essence the have and have not’s. There is a clear distinction of wealth vs. poverty also who actually recognizing the disparity; which is Black Africans.
With this information I think about who really is in a “DISPOSITION”-the white people or the Black people? Socially we would say that it is the Black people because of the disadvantages and underrepresentation of them, but in this theory, I attempt to help visualize that white people to the extent are in this disposition because their “position” really reflects how one has to socialize and become powerful to attack or invade another’s humanity. This inconsideration and negligence to socialize and stigmatize hurts the nation and the natives when in reality it was not their fault to begin with. “WALK IN THE SHOES OF THE OPPRESSED”

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

IF A CHILD LIVES WITH CRITICISM
(S)HE LEARNS TO CONDEMN
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH HOSTILITY
(S)HE LEARNS TO FIGHT
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH RIDICULE
(S)HE LEARNS TO BE SHY
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH SHAME
(S)HE LEARNS TO FELL GUILTY
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH TOLERANCE
(S)HE LEARNS TO BE PATIENT
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH ENCOURAGEMENT
(S)HE LEARNS TO BE CONFIDENT
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH PRAISE
(S)HE LEARNS TO APPRECIATE
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH FAIRNESS
(S)HE LEARNS JUSTICE
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH SECURITY
(S)HE LEARNS TO HAVE FAITH
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH APPROVAL
(S)HE LEARNS TO LIKE HER/HIMSELF
IF A CHILD LIVES WITH ACCEPTANCE & FRIENDLINESS
(S)HE LEARNS TO FIND LOVE IN THE WORLD

PRISONER THROUGHOUT LIFE

In many ways possible, people can be prisoners of their own life “locked” through the system of oppression by society. Not by choice, but by force. Many people are “Forced” to be locked up by many social factors that contribute to their lives which cannot be avoided such as disadvantages and attributes. Other reasons such as norms created by those who are dominate and powerful in society. There are laws that rule and regulate certain groups of people that deprive them from becoming successful or exceeding further in life, moreover equality and justice. South Africa’s history of Apartheid details many aspects of “in-carceration”, yet Incarcerated through body, mind, and soul as a human being. Black Africans were mainly imprisoned because of racial markers that bleed through the minds of the white colonizers who came to a land and took something that was not theirs and called it their own. Nelson Mandela was “in-carcerated” and taken to Robben Island our tour guide, Thabo lived “in-carcerated” as a former military soldier, and how a nation as a whole country is imprisoned by the effects are examples that exemplifies in-carceration- internally and externally.
These are few examples of how one or a whole can suffer from implications that are placed on the lives of people. This discriminates and humiliates the rights and dignity of people who has done nothing but try to establish relationships among the uncommon groups of people. In this case, the others who came over to the country and violated and forced burdens on the natives “stole” their indigenous land and gained total control over the nation. This symbolizes who is “free” and who is “in-carcerated”. The significance of this representation distinctly shows how South Africa’s history of Apart-heid reflects the present as well as our future. This is shown from many events that has taken place throughout history and still occurs in its peculiar ways. Throughout Nelson Mandela’s life, his humanity and “freedom” has been in-carcerated. His life essentially was forced to be locked up in many ways, but in this aspect with the law physically. Thabo, the former solider suffers mental –incarceration because of the battles that he lived in wars fighting for his humanity, yet now to “recover” events from a different mind frame. There are many ways to experience “in-carceration” meaning that an oppressed individual or a group of people are affected and not only them, but it affects society in general. Particularly that oppressed group of people’s community. The connection through the different experiences relates back to the same crisis because of the commonalities of the struggle.
It is the nation’s creation of injustice and differentiating people that makes the experiences of those who go through difficult situations the lives as the oppressed. The transformation of experiences that the Africans have overcome, shows through varies forms of endurance slightly in particular ways that does not require physical will power always. It also takes the oppressed individual to exert themselves in other ways grasping the notion that the nation is against them. This symbolism of strength is displayed through struggles and tragedies tolerated. Moreover, how it takes strength to “revolutionize” a nation as an “in-carcerated” oppressed person in order to defeat the system of oppression.
The connection of being a prisoner of one’s life “in-carcerated” means the accomplishments that are rewarded in the end. The challenge before the victory and South Africa as a nation as represented the prime example of defeat through strength and tolerance. Especially Black Africans in this situation, along with the other oppressed groups and a meager portion of the support from whites. This created a strong sense of emergency throughout the history of South Africa. Just like in the South Africa, the United States experienced similar events relating to the suffering and in-carceration” through mind, body and soul. It is a process that one cannot endure alone without the cooperation and support of the authority in power.
To be free is better than beyond satisfaction. To practice behavior and ways of thinking about what it means to be free is through body, soul, and mind to freely to as one please without judgment from a society is possible through common goals and understanding to want better from a nation. But the process is the challenge that makes it seem impossible
“We want Robben Island to reflect the triumph of freedom and human dignity over oppression and humiliation”-Ahmed Kathrada: Prisoner 468/34

ATTITUDE

The sense of differences creates conflict and animosity about life. Race is a category that separates the indifference of people according to skin color. This is a typical, although challenging, subject to address. There are views about race that are intangible to certain groups and the system that created race seems obliviously concrete. The significance of difference among race is that it deprives those who do not fit the hegemonic script of race. The attitude of race continues to be a skeptical social issue that rarely gets attention in positive ways. The complications still reflect the lack of commonalties among black and white. Therefore, it remains a binary standard that displays color-blindness throughout society which is portrayed as a “good” deed being done by silencing the problem when in reality it “hurts” the situation by not acknowledging the “benefits” of attacking the dilemma to come to an agreement and understanding of differences. This is a positive process to accomplish in ways that disregards negative notions about particular groups and it fights the system of oppression. The people’s attitude is what can reconstruct the negative notions about race into positive ideas about race; essentially executing the race as a category like any other category. This opens many opportunities to the better conditions of life as a nation. The article, “Intergroup Contact: The Past, Present, and the Future” by John Dovidio, Samuel Gaertner, and Kerry Kawakami, entails the theory of the Contact Hypothesis as a long and considerable psychological strategy for improving intergroup relations. The contributions to this theory highlight common themes and identifying findings that discuss directions for future change. This correlates to Thabo and his views about white people. Throughout the discrimination and Apart-heid era, his experiences as a former military servant and other relevant situations that pertained to dysfunctional events, conceptualized negative notions about other groups, dealt with the issues he faced as an African.
The significance of this representation includes weight from both ends of the spectrum of white to black. Without addressing the race problems like if it was not a problem creates a massive destruction of animosity and conflicts throughout the nation. The value of participation is highly needed from all individuals, whether it is at a fast pace or slow pace, involvement is key to the collectiveness that matters as long as both in the end agree upon the same goal-equality. To accomplish this goal as an entire nation takes various forms of communication and understanding. Comparing and contrasting meaningful terms and deconstructing the stereotypical barriers of each group. It is the direction, we as a whole, take in order to achieve by the freedom of choice and not by forced choice meaning. For instances, Thabo talks about his transformation about the ways he thought about white people back in his military service compared to now. It was a process that took time to recover and reconnect to the white people as an African. It was the hate and disadvantages that he faced because of white people put Black Africans through. He also goes to say that he thought that it was impossible for him to overcome the hatred and continue to fight the system of oppression created by society with power. But with more interaction with whites and his job description as a tour guide, helped him overturn most views about the past; like forgiveness of the past but not forgetting the problem. The article explains how there is substantial evidence that intergroup contact is effective at reducing intergroup bias although it does not eliminate the features of intergroup contact successfully and completely. There are still some questions in regards of the attitudes and stereotypes about aspects of contact.
I thought that in Thabo’s relationship to white people happens to similar incidents back in the USA and among the issues that it is the victim’s “duty” to reconcile the past and not the offender’s responsibility to help along the process. Support from the authority to create change is an important aspect to reconcile the past and have positive effects on the future. To achieve the common goal of a nation through influential guidance and acknowledgment from each other can be practice through intergroup contact; meaningful dialogue everyday improves relationships and balances out settlements.

IDENTITIES AND WHAT IT MEANS TO ME

Today was very interesting listening to Bliqees and her overview about the Muslim culture. Having some previous knowledge about Muslim culture and hearing and envision more culture illustrating in my own mind and eyes enhance my knowledge. This was beautiful to understand and recognize a community that is generally overlooked. The community is so acceptable of many cultures and individuals as well as denies those who disrespect that particular culture. I enjoyed listening to all the exciting stories that made so much significant facts about each meaning, such as the colorful houses that represented that it was an “official” home to call yours and that the community shared different communal identities. Most importantly, it was more inspiring to know when the Muslims from India were taken away from their land and brought to Up Cape-Uptown Cape Town, South Africa-as slaves; they struggled, fought and strived to keep their cultural traditions. Although, they were deprived from practicing their cultural beliefs and losing their native names, they still found ways to keep their heads held high. They were taken away for labor purposes from one place to another from the notions of the colonizers or oppressors that would make the “others” use of work. Speaking back to dignity, when the people were brought here they were stripped from their identities and given another. This made it harder for the natives to relocate their roots and ancestors. Living a life two identities only meant that a person did not exist because a name was an important part of who a person was. Now created into a person who they are not, reshapes their mentality and the way they perceive the world.
The community has put up a struggle and fight to maintain the remaining of dignity and identity that they have. With that being said it is as though I relate to this situation similarly with a different aspect. I live in Denver and I commute to Boulder for school. Although when I get to Boulder I “switch” my personality into an identity to relate somewhat to the life of a Boulder college student. Compared to at my home, I am freely to be myself and do what I like to my satisfaction without being judged or told something different. It would make life easier if both sides of my life could know me as N’yKeyia NaShar’ee Chambliss and not judge me or over generalize me. I wonder what it could be like to have two different communities joined by one person and know them for who they are and not what they are.
This reminds me of a conversation that I had with Lebo at the Backpackers about community. This community is continuously building and creating many optimistic ways to a stronger community. Again to reiterate the great job that Lebo is doing providing good deeds to himself and the community he cares about. It tells and shows me that there is a possibility. Also he mentioned that he is working on expanding this idea to other parts of the country. This was inspiring to know because I look at his project in the eyes of the kids and what future that they can have.