So tomorrow, classes start! I’m actually excited though, because I only have two! At 10 AM I have Religion, Conflict, and Violence (which will count for my Justice & Peace Studies minor), and at 11 AM I have Political Economy of Social Service Professions (a Social Work course). I was really sad because there was an amazing Social Development course centered on community organizing that I was supposed to take, but they cancelled it at the last minute. But the class I’m replacing it with should be pretty interesting – it focuses on regional and local social issues, and how government and non-governmental organizations deal with them. The other one is pretty self-explanatory: it explores the role religion plays in local, national, and international conflicts. Should be really interesting!
The past week has been pretty good, a mix of resting my foot and trying to have just a LITTLE fun! On Sunday I went to church with a bunch of beautiful people and just had a really really nice time. I got sooo hype because they sang almost all my favorite songs, including one that Terrance sang his first time singing on the praise team, with Babs, Faith, and William. And the sermon was really great as well, about active faith and conversation with God. Then we went to Nando’s, my friend came to visit me, and then I headed back out for an evening concert at my church. It was a great concert and I was excited because my good friend Taf was co-MC! And my friends Zwee and Tawanda were playing in the band and I’m sure they felt like superstars because there were sooo many people there and an elaborate set and everything so it was really cool!
Monday was my chill day – I literally stayed in the dorm ALL day! I just read and worked on this scrapbook I made of me and Terrance. It was a nice, relaxing day. Tuesday I had an interview for this volunteer tutoring program I’m going to be doing, and then I went up to campus just to check out what Orientation Week is like. I ran into a bunch of friends and got to sign up at the little tables they have advertising the different clubs, so that was cool. Then, that night we went and saw Secret Life of Bees! It was an AMAZING movie. But I’m glad I read the book first cuz you know the book is ALWAYS better!
Wednesday (yesterday) I tried to sit in the house all day and rest but then some friends convinced me to go see the musical Beauty and the Beast! It ended up being so so beautiful!! It really brought me back to my childhood… the costumes were so detailed and all the actors were really great. I’m so glad I went! But it was interesting to be seeing a South African production where there were literally 2 Black actors in the whole cast of like 20-30! That disturbed me a little bit. But all in all it was a good experience.
Today I went to the mall with a friend and then I attended my first Liesbeeck cell group meeting! I was so excited to start going. See, my church (His People) is really big and mostly consists of UCT students, so they have group meetings in all the different residences. Last semester it was difficult for me to get involved for some reason, but this semester I jumped right in and I can already tell I’m going to love it. I’ve been working on sharing my faith with others more over the past couple years, and I think it’s really going to help me, having a community of believers to grow with, even just for one semester. They all seem so nice, so I’m really excited!
Oh, I can’t leave without mentioning that today is the 100th birthday of the NAACP!! The organization was founded on February 12, 1909, on what would have been Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday. In the past 100 years the organization has been at the forefront of the civil rights movement, and today it continues as a reminder that the struggle is far from over. Yes, we have a Black president, and the barriers that were broken on November 4th, 2008 serve as an inspiration to us all. But the fact remains that our society is incredibly unequal, and until we can guarantee quality education for ALL children, equal treatment in the justice system, and economic opportunities for all, the NAACP and organizations like it will continue to be relevant. It is more important for us now than at any time in our history to remind people that this fight has not yet been won, and complacency is not an option. I carry my NAACP membership with pride and I hope that on this historic occasion, you will consider what you can do to make our communities and our nation more just and equal.
That’s all for today… wish me luck on the first day of classes! 
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