Thursday, July 28, 2016

7/28 Amy Biehl Foundation

This is our last day in South Africa. We went to the Amy Biehl Foundation. Amy Biehl was an activist based from the United States. She moved to South Africa on a scholarship and she was fighting against apartheid.  

On August 25, 1993, while Amy was driving three black colleagues back to Cape Town's Guguletu Township, a group of youths pelted her car with stones and forced it to stop. Dozens of young men then surrounded the car repeating the militant Pan Africanist Congress chant, "One settler [white person], one bullet!" Amy was then pulled from the car, struck in the head with a brick as she tried to flee, and then beaten and stabbed in the heart while she lay on the ground. During the attack, Amy's black friends yelled that she was a "comrade" and friend of black South Africa to no avail. Amy was carried back to the car after the attack by her friends who then drove her to the nearest police station where she died. Amy was 26 years old.- RJGEIB website

Originally the people were charged with her murder. Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Biehl's family was able to forgive the murders and they were released from prison. In exchange, the men were to join the Biehl family and advocate to other people about the effects of Apartheid.

Looking form the outside in, I'm not too sure if I would able to forgive the murders of a love one; let alone consider them as family. I wouldn't consider that as being "strong" or "bold". I would just consider it a different way of dealing with death. Better her than me. I'm not too sure if I could justify the pain that I would deal with due to their disadvantaged backgrounds. Outside of this situation, I battle with sympathizing with disenfranchised backgrounds with condemning their behaviors. I do believe in reward/ consequences system especially when taking personal responsibility. This battle extends in teaching, from a sociology group- viewing a group of people commit crimes against people and use their backgrounds as an excuse. Whether they are Black, Women, Caribbean or other diverse backgrounds. I definitely battle when people commit acts against me and "forgiving" them. Only for a possibility for them to commit the behavior again.

We went to one school site where ABF is located. It's an after school program where children are learning dance, literacy and sports. This program to decrease the chances of students being involved in gangs and being susceptible to drugs and alcohol. The talent the the children exuded were speechless and amazing. Whether it was seeing children playing sports and instrument, learning how to deal with societal pressures or seeing young boys engage in "Boot Dancing". This observation reinforced the importance of supplemental programs within at-risk communities. When funding is removed, the people that are affected the most are the children as they fall prey to the societal trap pressures.

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