June 16, 1976.... (#SARAFINA!)

June 16?! It has kinda lost its meaning, and we've begun to just see it as a day off and don't remember that on this day, Tupac Shakur was born... Issa joke, Baypes. Phola! In cause you haven't noticed, I tend to use comedy as a coping mechanism.
Okay but all jokes aside.
This is the day that thousands of black, South African students mobilised to protest against mainly the education system that was in place. Tbh there was so much injustice that black people were experiencing on the daily, I feel like this was just the tip of the iceberg, that was Apartheid.
When we hear June 16 we think: 1976, Hector Pieterson and it's become a sort of tradition to watch Sarafina (it was actually playing on e last night and even trending on Twitter).

Every single time I watch Sarafina, best believe yo girl is gonna hate ALL 1652's for a young minute. (If you don't know what a 1652 is, I guess it's better that way). Because Sarafina is a movie, there are many things they couldn't show because it was simply too much. This is why this "Get over it!"mentality issa problem. It's been 23 years but what has changed really. We can vote... ohhhhh and nahh, I think that's about it. I say this not to downplay the work, sweat and blood of our "heroes"in any way. However, I (me, Jubilee Mukosi, it's my opinion, k? Don't catch feelings!) think we as the "born free generation" are now experiencing the side effects of not enough equity controls being implemented at the same time that apartheid was ended and we were all told to live happily ever after, well on paper atleast (cause racism is still very much alive). Again, this past statement is just my opinion.

Sarafina has a lot of music, some things to laugh at and a lot of choreography we've learnt over the years, BUT let's not forget how Safa Saphel' Isizwe leaves you feeling some type of way, Crocodile's death, his murder, does this funny thing to your heart, and by the end of the movie you're all so emotional and angry, everyone just leaves the living room and goes to bed. SO until we can watch Sarafina and feel that we have come a long way since then, we still have a long way to go South Africa...

So this June 16 if there's one thing I would encourage us to do it educate our younger siblings and other children around us about what happened on this day and why they're not going to school. Cause remember how when you were younger and you hurt someone, and they asked you explain what happened you made it seem like everything was a mistake and that the victim is exaggerating. I don't know about you but this was often the case in pre-school. So likewise, how do we expect the "oppressor" to objectively teach them (our little siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc) about South Africa's history.

Stay Woke