Week 8: Top 10 Resources for Understanding South Africa

Here's my aggregated list of the top ten resources to look at before we depart for South Africa:

1. Interactive PBS timeline: In the case of studying an entire nation's history, context is important to be able to digest any contemporary news. This one pinpoints significant political and social events in South Africa that led up to the collapse of the apartheid system.
2. South Africa's Ticking Time Bomb: Not the most encouraging title, but an important read about the reality of youth unemployment and the country's economic crisis. 
3. Factbox: South Africa since Apartheid: For the best story-telling, a mix of anecdotal and hard evidence is needed. This article provides the gritty details of what the ANC has managed to improve (or not) in the nation since 1994. 
4. Not White Enough, Not Black Enough: The history of the word "colored" in the United States is starkly different from what it means to be "colored" in South Africa. This is an important (and well-written!) op-ed that explains the history of the arbitrary way in which racial identity was - and still is - determined in South Africa.
5. Realizing Women's Humans Rights in South Africa: You would think that the collapse of the apartheid system would advance human rights for black men AND women, but an unintended dynamic has emerged: "Women feel they have to choose between preserving culture and promoting human rights. In a society where the majority of its citizens’ culture was assaulted for centuries, cultural preservation is a priority in black African communities. Today women discuss the way men use their desire to preserve culture as a reason for continued gender violence."
6. Here's how South African students talk about race and gender: This article - made up of interviews with a variety of South African students - demonstrates that young people are conscious of what is left to be improved in the nation.
7. Op-Ed: In South Africa, it's often said that being gay is a "Western" thing: We've talked race and gender. Now it's time to discuss sexuality. This article states that the stress on "cultural identity" post-apartheid emphasizes traditional, conservative family values and that homosexuality is viewed as a legacy leftover from colonial westerners.
8. Invictus trailer: Let's take a break from all the heavy reading. This movie tells the story of how Nelson Mandela used the unifying power of sport to bring together apartheid-torn South Africa. His challenge? Rallying the national rugby team to the 1995 World Cup Championship match in the fresh aftermath of the collapse of the apartheid system. 
9. Ultimate Bucket List Trip: South Africa: Let us not forget that South Africa is a beautiful country - not only its people, but the land itself. This article goes beyond the typical safari recommendations and suggests tips for appreciating Capetown's landscape.
10. District 9: A must-watch. Not only because it's just a good movie, but because it reflects the ugly parts of the human experience that manifest when we maintain an "us" vs. "them" mentality (i.e. xenophobia, segregation). The premise is that aliens (named 'Prawns') land on Earth with no malicious intent; their planet is dying and they're seeking a new home. Instead, they're confined to a militarized ghetto called District 9 in apartheid-era South Africa. I'll hold my tongue about the rest, but here's a fun fact: The producer is Peter Jackson, same guy that produced the Lord of the Rings trilogy.