“Being born a black woman was an act of defiance and protest, particularly when my life is constantly being measured against Eurocentric standards that tell me that I’m always coming up short,” said Tiffany Caesar, Ubuntu Dialogue guest speaker.
Caesar, PHD candidate in African American and African Studies, joined the Stellenbosch University (SU) Museum and Transformation Office, in collaboration with Michigan State University in the hosting of an Ubuntu Dialogue event.
Ubuntu Dialogue guest speaker Tiffany Caesar speaks about the relevance of the Black Lives Matter movement. PHOTO: Kadzamira Modjadji
The event focused on the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement and the hashtag’s ability to become a tool for activism in the wake of institutional racism, police brutality and economic injustices experienced by the black population.
“There is continuous cultural and physical violence occurring on black bodies globally, and the statistics are a sobering reality for black people,” said Caesar.
The hashtag resonated with local individuals as the social movement unified both grassroots tactics used in South Africa during the Black Consciousness movement and the structural critiques of institutional racism and economic injustice used during the Black Power movement.
“Although originating in America, Black Lives Matter is not an isolated movement as it remains very relevant in Stellenbosch as it continues to create a community that goes beyond geographical borders,” said Rachel Piggott, SU Economic Honours student.
Ubuntu Dialogues MC, Nomzamo Ntombela, and Tiffany Caesar answer audience questions. PHOTO: Kadzamira Modjadji
In response to the need for various spaces to overtly affirm the contribution of black lives to society, exchanges and questions posed to Caesar by audience members quickly turned to global education systems and their failure to acknowledge black identities and achievements.
“The first thing we learn in our history classes are about slavery, not the existence of black empires or the overriding intelligence of black individuals … students of colour don’t know their true history,” said Caesar.
The evolving of the Black Lives Matter movement both online and offline has not only been reflected in the numerous race-related protests in America but has shared sentiments of turning racial consciousness into a weapon against institutional change with local audiences.
The movement has thus disseminated into various acts of solidarity among oppressed individuals who continue to fight for their liberation. This was seen namely in the Open Stellenbosch and Fees Must Fall movements.
“Change often doesn’t occur quick enough and that vacant space becomes occupied by student activists who collectively challenge the status quo,” Caesar continued.
Infographic showing the presence of black lives in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Kadzamira Modjadji
“Although black people may not always share the same geographical locations, this discussion proved that there are shared experiences between black people and how we choose to challenge the system regardless of where we live,” said audience member Whitney Prins.
“It has become evident that there is an ongoing Pan-Africanism in the world that is shared among black people, making us part of a broader universal movement,” said Zintle Magazi, SU International Studies student.
Linguistics teacher at Multi-Lingua School, Helene Lambrechts, attended the event in order to “discover how the deeper Ubuntu values can be revived, relived and rediscovered, with tonight being a painful and necessary learning opportunity for me to understand the struggles of black people, particularly in this country and I am touched by the stories shared tonight”.
The Ubuntu Dialogues event not only proved the need for full acknowledgement of black human rights but demonstrated how the history of the Black Lives Matter movement is still being written.