Friday, June 16, 2006

Youth Day: 30th Anniversary



Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Soweto riots where 700 people, many of them children, were killed for standing up for their rights as human beings. I want to dedicate my blog today to the memory of those students and others who have put their lives on the line for what should be basic freedom. This is for you Ntshiuwa. Amandla!!!! Awetu!!!!
Peace to everyone~
Please click title to find out more about Youth Day in South Africa.

24 comments:

Amara said...

Thanks for this post. Forgiveness is what we all learn for we cant hold on to the past. may such memories in no way raise up prejudice nor hate. great blog.

Stephen A. Bess said...

amara-
Thank you for stopping in and thank you for your comment. I am fortunate to be married to a woman that teaches me forgiveness everyday. She grew up during those weary years in South Africa and she still does not hate. Her testimony is one of love and forgiveness, but to never forget. Thank you. Please come back to visit.

Ananda said...

stephen. the photo is so powerful. thank you for sharing. and the love and forgiveness, but not forgetting lessons that your beloved one teaches you through her living example is a mighty blessings. amandla to you both. ananda

Anonymous said...

I have to agree, Love and Forgiveness, but not forgetting are the best things we all could learn! If the whole world were like your lovely wife, what a great place it would be!

Another powerful post. I must admit, I never knew anything about the Soweto riots until your posts. What a horrific event! I continue to learn so much from you! Thank you again!

Have a great weekend!

Stephen A. Bess said...

ananda-
You're welcome. Yes, it's important that we are with someone that will have a positive impact on our lives. I'm fortunate.

faith-
Thank you so much. You're so great and so positive! :) I'm happy that you can take something from here each time. Have a great weekend!

Unknown said...

I think I'd heard of the riots, but was too involved in my teenagehood to really have it impact me the way it would today.

Thanks for reminding us of something important.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Pamela-
Hello and welcome back. I'll be attending an event commemorating Youth Day this evening sponsored by the South African Embassy. I'm looking forward to that. I'm going to see if I can take some pictures to share on the blog. Enjoy your weekend. :)

Another Conflict Theorist said...

I, like Amara and the rest, would like to thank you for this post as well. Those of us who desire to challenge tyranny can never forget how so many have suffered for their freedom and ours.

JD richey said...

hi steve, so happy to see your message again in my blog, i have been burdened by my thesis on rousseau and the world cup recently, to be honest, the last time i checked out your blog was last month, hahahaha... have a good weekend and i will be definitely liberated in any way on the deadline of my thesis

JD richey said...

and i watched the news of the anniversary of the riots on tv this morning just before i got back to school.

blowin' in the wind...

JD richey said...

hi steve, suddenly i remember that i did have some writings in english...... of course, english in the sense that grammatrical mustakes wont be counted

http://jakelam.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_jakelam_archive.html

http://jakelam.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_jakelam_archive.html

http://jakelam.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_jakelam_archive.html

http://jakelam.blogspot.com/2006/05/wien.html

NML/Natalie said...

Thanks for this post and thanks for remembering. It's good to be reminded of those we have lost through these senseless acts.

Stephen A. Bess said...

theorist-
Thank you! I went to a reception last evening in honor of this day. I hope to share my experience there on Monday.

lamkaho-
Thanks for stopping in! Your thesis sounds wonderful! I'll have to check out your post in english. Take care and I'll be visiting. :)

nml-
I went to a reception last night honored those that lost their life and for those that took risk. It was great! Thank you so much and have a wonderful weekend!

Steve Hayes said...

Thanks for your comments. I've tried to links some different views on Youth Day with mine, to create a kind of collage.

Darius said...

Yeah, just heard a report on that on NPR. Guess that right around the time people in the US started getting complacent, people in South Africa started getting real.

If only we could keep on being real, even when there's no immediate major crisis at hand...

Meanwhile, Global Warming Cometh...

Lyrically speaking said...

So so sad reading this but thanks for sharing

Rose said...

This is a great reminder of something so important. It is amazing to me how others have died and fought for their rights and sometimes we forget and become too confortable. We should stand up more in this country...

the prisoner's wife said...

Bless (yes, that is your bboy name now *smile*)

thanks for always educating us!

Stephen A. Bess said...

steve hayes-
Thank you as well for your part.

darius-
I'm feeling that. The US did very little coverage on what was going on at that time as well. Meanwhile, there looking toward sugar for fuel. You think it's too late????

delaleuverses-
Very sad. I felt through the people involved at Friday evenings reception

rose-
So true! Most of our youth are so caught up in the trash of this world. Many of them are fine as long as they can get there hands on the new this or latest that. It pacifies them while Hannibal the cannibal is eating their brains. (I know...gross analogy) :)

prisoner's wife-
I love it! Why didn't I think of that back in 1984 when I was a B-Boy for real. :)

Anonymous said...

Sweetheart, I am truly humbled. Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

A lot of those kids fled to Lesotho. Where else would they go? I went to school with many. Most were disciplined freedom fighters who couldn't wait to engage the enemy.

It was during that time that I was continentally politicised, as opposed to locally politicised, which I was from birth. That's when I memorised Mandela's defence speech from the dock, as he defended himself against the apartheid government.

I also made valuable friends. Xola. Teboho. Zeb-zeb. Pazo. And many others from Jo'burg, Bloemfontein, Thaba-Nchu and all over. Together, we listened to the ANC broadcasting from Tanzania and Zambia. Together we cursed when the apartheid regime fucked up the wavelengths so that nobody could hear a thing.

1976 was a turning point. But perhaps 1960 was a bigger turning point. Gosh, I miss those days and those guys.

Anonymous said...

Very nostaligic Rethabile, brings tears to my eyes.

Anonymous said...

Sorry nostalgic

Stephen A. Bess said...

Rethabile-
I can tell that this touches very deep with you. I feel the passion in your words and recollection. You still haven't lost your fight. It's an amazing thing to be part of such changing times. They were revolutionary times and the struggle continues. Thank you.

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