Troublemaker

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White = superior, desirable. Black = inferior, undesirable. Colonial mentality and racism have plagued many countries for centuries; we cannot even pretend that these prejudices no longer exist in the society we live in. But once in a while, someone comes along, dares hope for change, and succeeds. 

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Nelson Mandela’s tribal name, Rolihlahla, was a Xhosa word that colloquially meant “troublemaker.” Indeed, he knew that in order to cause change in a world where injustices are seen as the norm, one cannot simply sit idly by. One must cause a stir, one must challenge these norms. Today, December 10th, the day of his memorial service at a 95,000-seater stadium in Johannesburg after succumbing to recurrent lung infections last Thursday, we we honor him and all he has done for South Africa.

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This post is a small tribute to Mandela’s life and works. He who, like most heroes, did not set out to be one; who simply dreamed to see equality among people of all colors and gave all that he had for this dream to come true. He who, despite suffering in the hands of his oppressors, was not embittered by his experiences, and instead remained forgiving and positive. He who hated whenever people thought of him as a legend, who wanted to be known simply as a person who fought for justice.

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I’ve written about this many times, for school papers, magazine essays, this blog. As a result of having been colonized by whites, the pervading mindset among many Eastern countries, including ours, is that the whiter your skin and the more Western your features are, the better. What Mandela fought against—the apartheid (Afrikaans word meaning “apart-hood” or segregation)—was more extreme and damaging than any of today’s typical glorification of white skin in the media. 

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South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch in the 17th century, and apartheid laws were introduced in 1948. The basic premise is that people are judged by whether they are white—superior in every way, or black—inferior in every way. By the color of their skin, people were entitled or deprived of basic rights and privileges. Everything from where one lived, studied, took the bus, or who they married or associated with was dictated by skin color. In South Africa under the apartheid, the Japanese, South Koreans and Taiwanese minorities were given honorary white status, while Indonesians, Indians and those of Malay descent were seen as colored/non-white. They enjoyed better treatment although they still faced discrimination. And Filipinos? We were classified as black and treated the same way. 

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Mandela spent 27 years in prison and dedicated his entire life fighting to overthrow the apartheid, striving to make the world a little better in this sense. In his own words, “Hope is a powerful weapon, and [one that] no one power on earth can deprive you of… No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Thank you, Madiba. Rest in peace. 

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Outfit details: Sugar Rush skirt worn as top, long skirt from 12 years ago that I rediscovered in my closet. Two different pieces that I got 12 years apart but somehow found a match in each other.

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CMG platform wedges. 

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SM Accessories necklace, cinch belt and bangle, Japanese Candy contact lenses. Left side of my hair didn’t feel like cooperating that day and just went wherever the wind went. 

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Photos by my mom (whose birthday it is in 2 hours—Happy birthday Mama!). I end this tribute with another of Nelson Mandela’s beloved quotes: “I would like to be remembered not as anyone unique or special, but as part of a great team in this country that has struggled for many years, for decades, and even centuries. The greatest glory of living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time you fall.”