Our Sense of Commonality Focuses on Freedom We are constantly learning how to move from our complicated past to create a future dynamic we all will love
T By Kate du Toit
The Lyceum on the University of Mississippi campus in many ways is a symbol that communicates the values of Mississippi, the challenges it faces and the triumphs it has celebrated.
2
Reflections on Freedom 2013
he city of Port Elizabeth isn’t the most “hip� or modern city in South Africa, but it definitely has something which the other South African cities do not. The wind, absolutely, but far more importantly, our genuine interest in those around us. We are warm and inviting. Meet us for the first time, give us half a chance, and we will invite you to a family braai (barbecue) or out for drinks with friends, simply so that you feel welcome in your new city. It is difficult to know what the students from the University of Mississippi felt as they flew across the Atlantic on their first venture into Africa. However, when they arrived, they most certainly must have been surprised. As educated individuals, we know they were not expecting to see elephants walking in the streets (although we do have our fair share of donkeys and cows) or for everyone in the class to be wearing grass skirts (or less). They would definitely, however, have had anxieties about some subtler issues: Will I be safe? How will I be treated as a person of color? Will I clearly see the effects apartheid has had on the nation? These questions are undeniably relevant in a nation known internationally for its crime rate and for having only had its first democratic elections 18 years ago. What they most likely did not expect, but came to realise, is the number of similarities our nations have. Yes, we are 14,135 km (8,779 miles) apart, and yet we are dealing with many comparable political and cultural issues. It was on this premise that a small group of students from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and our Ole Miss guests spent a week in evening lectures by Professor Will Norton, dean of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at The University of Mississippi. This exchange provided not only the opportunity to fine tune our writing skills, but also
