Collective History at the Apartheid Museum

June 16th is a holiday in South Africa, Youth Day, so I had the day off from work. I decided to go to the Apartheid Museum as I had not yet been and I wanted to make sure I visited before going back to the US. A visit to the Apartheid Museum is not enjoyable or fun, but is a must-see for anyone visiting South Africa as it presents the struggles experienced by South Africans from early history of the African continent up to the elections in 1994.

I did not know this when I planned my visit, but Youth Day is celebrated to remember the victims of the Soweto Uprising that took place on June 16, 1976, when students joined a peaceful protest march in Soweto to Orlando Stadium. The South African Defense Force ended up firing on the crowd and 13 year old Hector Peterson was killed. He now has a memorial in his honor in Soweto, and the image of a bleeding Hector being carried by a fellow protester, with his sister sobbing next to them is one of the long-standing symbols of the anti-apartheid movement.

The entrance to the museum is prefaced by large columns that display the central tenets of the new South African constitution: democracy, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect and freedom. Then, the actual entrance is split into two categories. Each visitor is randomly assigned an entrance card that leads you to either a "Whites" or "Non-Whites" door. Each door leads to different introductory displays with varying information, however each corridor is viewable through spaces in the exhibit, thus furthering the feelings of division and separation. After this section, the actual museum is accessed via an uphill walkway that features life-sized photographs of modern South Africans superimposed onto mirrors. In order to look at the faces of the subjects, each visitor will also see their image reflected back. This area emphasizes the personal reflection and introspection that will take place over the course of the visit.

The museum is built on a raised area in Johannesburg that is the remnant of a gold mine tailing. This historical location underscores the history of Johannesburg as a mining town. When gold was first discovered in the area, the prospectors who flocked to the area were of all races and lived communally. However, as large mining companies moved in and received concessions, they forced out white workers and hired unskilled black workers. Meanwhile, both Dutch and British governments feared the racially diverse communities that were springing up and began to specifically enact legislation that specifically prevented racial mixing and intermarriage. While there is not one specific root of the apartheid policy, this introductory exhibit implies that this was one major cause.

The museum continues by highlighting many aspects of apartheid, from its supporters to its victims, to acts of violence and non-violence and eventually, its resolution. Most of the exhibits are upsetting in that they showcase a violent and prejudiced world that existed in our lifetimes. For someone who grew up in the United States, living in the world of apartheid seems incredibly remote and hard to grasp. Even having the proper capacity to process such an experience is difficult and I am still having problems expressing how the museum made me feel. The museum also allows for visitors to share their stories of oppression and protest which contributes to the emphasis on a shared experience. The museum ends with a peaceful garden to encourage reflection and introspection. It was the perfect place to end an upsetting, moving and eventually emotional experience.

Thankfully in the sun it was warm, so I sat in the garden for a while and read while waiting for my parents to pick me up. I appreciated the time to myself. South African has come a long way and I am thankful to be here now and that they were able to host the World Cup this year to show the world just how far they have come.