W^2= White-Washed

So when coming to South Africa, I was excited that I was going to the motherland. When I asked people about South Africa, I was always told "its not real Africa" or I received frown as if I was going to the "snuddy" part of Africa. As an black person living in America, it has always been a dream for me to get to Africa somehow and somewhere. I am excited to have the opportunity to get here, but it really bothered me that going to South Africa wasn't respected as much as going to Ghana or Kenya or etc. What does that mean-white part of Africa? Africa is Africa, one continent with a bunch of beautiful countries full of millions of different cultures. Africa is the motherland and will always remain to my knowledge and what I believe of course. The motherland is the country and a common mis-conception believed is that many people in this continent are tribal and very traditional style-not modernized and when you are, you are considered white-washed? Why is white considered modernized and better? ---Big issue when it comes to how brain-washed people minds have become.
Anyways, Thanks to colonialism and a terrible history of black people being stripped from their cultures and the way they live, yes there are a lot of white people here. But there are also a lot of black people, colored people (mixed race-the only country in the world that uses this term) and Indians (people from Asia). But I kept constantly hearing how white-washed and Europeanized South Africa is. I could never understand this expression or illustration of such a modern place until today when I was in my African Dance lecture. My professor said that "people are always down-playing South Africa as being Europeanized not realizing that this was the last place in Africa to gain its independence and that it will take longer than 15years to get things together.Yes we are just like london-accent and even the way the street is set-up. It has become so bad that when I went to London, I was not lost at all."
Now, in class this was funny, but once you sit and think about this, it is crazy. Around only 15years that Apartheid has ended, this is crazy. I see some of the same structures in the United States and segregation has been over since 1960s and we are just getting a black president. --Now racism is over---lmfao what a joke and then I digress.

So yes, South Africa is not your typical African country that is seen on TV, but it is absolutely Africa. It is Absolutely a part of the motherland so when you think about calling South Africa White Washed-think again. Many of the things done and seen in this country are just modern derivations from the past. This country is still in the phase of changing and maintaining the culture that was stripped away from them. Yes, when you read about it-just as any place-the tourist places come up and the real nooks and crannies of the country are not shown. There is beauty in this culture as well as difference just as any other. I find it to be very disrespectful to insult someone's culture based on the fact that there was nothing that could done to change what has happened in this country. Many lives have been taken and many have been born to have better privileges based on the struggles that their ancestors had to go through.

When arriving here myself, I was very surprised at how modern the place was. I mean I didn't feel as if I was in stereotypical Africa at all. But then why is that? On infomercials, we don't see the modern Africa, we see the poverty and not what is good about a black nation. We are constantly exposed to what is bad and never get the attention needed or deserved when a black nation has something positive going on. Don't be fooled by the media, it is all part of a system that continues to build places in society for people. Black people are some amazing people and definitely have a lot to offer, but when there are only negative pictures and models of them, there is nothing to look up to huh? Be smart and read because history does repeat and many things that happen in one part of the world affects what happens in another part.

Stay Royal!