Week 6 Blog Prompt: Independent Research

1.     Winnie Mandela: this film focuses on the active role Winnie Mandela takes in the anti-apartheid movement, especially during the 27 years in which her husband is imprisoned. It gives a more detailed idea of the actions taken by others in the fight against apartheid, as well as a look into the interesting dynamic of the Mandela’s marriage, and how the circumstances surrounding their imprisonment shaped Winnie’s more aggressive role in the movement.

2.     Invictus: this film showcases Mandela’s efforts as the newly elected president of South Africa to unite the country by partnering with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team. Mandela inspires the struggling team to great success, which speaks for his great ability to rally together support and work toward the ultimate goal of unity and equality.

3.     Cry Freedom: This is a very influential movie focusing on the bond of a black activist and South African journalist in apartheid South Africa, and the sacrifices they make toward the eventual goal of equality. This film in particular gave me a greater understanding of the class and race-based division of apartheid era society, and the rigidity of these divisions throughout the period of apartheid.

Week 5 Blog Prompt: A Comparative Analysis of South Africa’s Apartheid and Slavery in the United States

After watching the films Selma and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, I can definitely see the key similarities and differences between the two movements highlighted in these important films. The most noticeable difference is that Selma focuses on the most climatic time of the civil rights movement—Martin Luther King’s march of protest that led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act, a huge milestone in the strife for civil rights laws. Comparatively, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom serves as a biopic of Nelson Mandela’s life, from his start in political activism through his fight against apartheid, and eventually to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Most importantly though, both films chronicle two globally crucial movements for equal rights led by these extremely influential and powerful individuals. The Civil Rights movement is one of the most important fights for justice in American history, and the resilience displayed by Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as all of the countless others involved in making a difference is truly awe-inspiring. It was definitely remarkable and very thought provoking to learn more about the history of another, very similar fight for equality in the country of South Africa, and the similar obstacles that Nelson Mandela overcame. I feel more prepared for the program in South Africa with a new, deeper understanding of the anti-apartheid movement, and I feel that my prior knowledge of the Civil Rights movement has increased my understanding of South Africa’s struggle, as it is a similar event to compare it to.