Johannesburg: The Apartheid Museum

I thought what I was most looking forward to seeing in Johannesburg was the wildlife.  That is definitely not something I would do in the US.  Yes, I can see elephants and zebras and giraffes and rhinoceros at the zoo, but not one foot from my car like at Pilanesberg.  Little did I know...

 

The museum is divided into two parts: One part about Nelson Mandela's life and the other about the apartheid.  I learned so SO much.  It was awesome having my personal guide through the museum because Chris lived through the apartheid.  And he was not just a bystander.  He knew people who were dragged to prison and tortured.  He knew David Webster, one of the activists profiled.  Mr. Webster was assassinated while walking his dog with his wife.  It was clearly an emotional experience for Chris walking through the museum and telling me about what he saw and heard and experienced.  

There was so much to read.  I couldn't stop.  I felt embarrassed that I didn't know more about Johannesburg, South Africa, or the apartheid.  I remember some of the images from the news.  I remember the acronym ANC (African National Congress).  I remember hearing about the violence...but I didn't really pay attention back then.  It was easy to ignore being a whole world away.  But there I was that day, immersed in photographs and news clips from that time.  It was overwhelming.  I was not only embarrassed by my lack of knowledge about a time that was quite significant in world history, but a bit ashamed that I grew up not having to worry about bombs at the restaurant around the corner or getting caught in a violent protest or any of the awful things that was very much a reality for Chris and his family living in Johannesburg in the 80's and 90's.  He said the events changed him and everyone in his family.  I can only imagine.

What struck me talking with Chris is how much he believed in a better South Africa.  I recognize the same look in the eyes of those photographed.  The look of someone determined to stand up for what he or she believed in.  I walked through the museum wondering how I would have responded if I had grown up in a place like Johannesburg.  Meeting Chris and touring Johannesburg frankly made me ponder my own existence and life's purpose.  I grew up in a bubble!  What do I believe in and what would I be willing to stand up for?