Resilience is a trait that many people posses, but there is something about the resilience of the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized that is, in my opinion, truly remarkable. The hope that emanates from the spirit of the people is just as noteworthy. During our stay in Cape Town, we were able to tour Robben Island, where political leaders were imprisoned during the apartheid era. We sat in the maximum security sector where hundreds of men were placed, walked through the B section cells, including that which housed Nelson Mandela, and passed by the lime quarry where prisoners performed hard labor in the hot African sun. The physical abuse at the hands of guards, the psychological trauma of solitary confinement, the unsanitary conditions they were forced to live in, and the overall disregard for human rights and dignity were atrocious. One of our tour guides was a former Robben Island prisoner, and he openly shared his own story with us. Many people would likely be hesitant to do such a thing. However, it appeared to be a cathartic experience for our guide, as he stated that, “In order to not forget, you must reflect.” We also visited the District Six Museum, which commemorated the area from which several thousands of South Africans were forcibly removed during apartheid. Although we did not have a tour guide for this visit, the stories of the people and families who lived in District Six were reflected through the exhibitions.
Visiting both of these sites served as a painful reminder of the oppression, dehumanization, and discrimination my African ancestors endured for centuries. Yet, I found the more powerful takeaway from these experiences to be the reminder of the unbelievable faith, strength, courage, and love for one another they had in the face of such hardships. Members of our group questioned how people managed to keep their spirits uplifted and their faith strong in such circumstances. I, on the other hand, was not surprised. I know very well the resilience of my ancestors, and history has shown that the spirit of the oppressed cannot be easily broken.
At Robben Island specifically, I was impressed with the sense of community that the prisoners built among one another. These men willingly shared not only what few tangible items they received (such as food), but they also shared their abundant wisdom and knowledge. The apartheid museum talked about Robben Island serving as a sort of “university” for its prisoners; the nation’s top political leaders were able to have intellectual discussions and debates with one another inside the prison’s walls, and many left as better men than when they came in as a result. Empowerment is a concept discussed in Chapter 8 of the book A Bed Called Home (Ramphele, 1993). Ramphele, the author, presents empowerment as a process that takes place when a privileged group basically comes to the rescue of the subordinate, but critics of the concept of empowerment hold the belief that, “People have power in themselves and do not need outsiders to come and ‘empower’ them” (Ramphele, 1993, p. 107). The prisoners on Robben Island are perfect examples of the self-empowerment that the critics are referring to. As Nelson Mandela said in a letter excerpt from his book Conversations with Myself (2010), “The chains of the body are often wings to the spirit” (p. 45). The men used their time in prison to not only better themselves, but also better one another, and in doing so they liberated their minds, hearts, and souls.
It seems as though social support or a sense of community is intertwined with resilience. Social support is a topic that I know quite well, as it is a part of my honors thesis. It can be summarized as being a resource that provides reassurance through a network of supporters during times of stress and hardship (Arvinen-Barrow & Pack, 2013). I know from my research that in athletes, social support can be used as a motivational force and stress reducer when they are coping with injury (Mitchell et al., 2013). Although imprisonment is a much different situation than injury, I believe that social support served a similar function for the prisoners, in that it buffered the negatives of their condition and created a motivational spark within them. It is inspiring to see how greatly a solid support system can benefit people during times of adversity. You never know how much being present and providing encouragement can boost another person’s mental state. Sometimes, all people need is just that push from someone else to turn things around. Unfortunately, in America, it seems we have become so engulfed with this idea of an individualistic society that we forget it is our communities that make us. We need to start placing more value on our communities, and less on our own personal interests. As a classmate has said, we are all interconnected, and we are all one, and we need to start acting like it.
Our visits to several townships in different areas of the country showed me that South Africans still carry the resilient spirit of their ancestors. I have never met more beautiful people than those living in the informal settlements and townships here in South Africa. Despite the impoverished conditions many people here are forced to live in as a result of systemic/institutionalized racism and the lingering effects of apartheid, they manage to live everyday with a smile on their face and hope in their hearts. In the township of Imizamo Yethu, one of the tin shacks had, “a light shining in the darkness,” painted on the side. For me, that was quite unexpected. You look around and all you see is poverty, yet here at the center is this reminder that there is always a glimmer of hope in the future no matter how dismal the present may seem.
Optimism is almost a rarity in the United States now. We tend to lose hope so easily. Just about everything is the end of the world, and it is honestly because we are a bunch of drama kings and queens. I think this especially true of my generation. As Americans, we have an abundance of resources at our disposal, yet we often choose to focus on the negative. Take that and compare it to the people in the townships who barely have anything at all, but still choose to focus on the positive. It is really a reality check and a reminder to check our privilege before we complain about our first world problems. Sure, material assets are fine, but how can we learn to love one another, support one another, and protect our hopefulness like our South African brothers and sisters? It is these actions that will lead us to a better and brighter future for all.
Works Cited
Arvinen-Barrow, M., & Pack, S. (2013). Social Support in Sport Injury Rehabilitation. In M. Arvinen-Barrow & N. Walker (Eds.), The Psychology of Sport Injury and Rehabilitation (pp. 117-131). New York, NY: Routledge.
Mandela, N. (2010). Conversations with Myself. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Mitchell, I., Evans, L., Rees, T., & Hardy, L. (2013). Stressors, Social Support, and Tests of the Buffering Hypothesis: Effects on Psychological Responses of Injured Athletes. British Journal of Health Psychology, 19(3), 486-508. doi:10.1111/bjhp.12046
Ramphele, M. (1993). A Bed Called Home: Life in the Migrant Labour Hostels of Cape Town. Cape Town: D. Philip.
