Remembering and Honoring 1619 - 2019 Film and Discussion

                                      By Annette Walker

     "Genocide and slavery are crimes against humanity," said Roz Duman in her introductory remarks at the recent 1619-2019 commemorative event.

     Duman is the Founder and Executive Director of the Coalition Against Global Genocide (CAGG) which convened the recognition of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans to be sold into bondage on North American shores.

     She pointed out that genocide involves the intentional mass physical elimination of a group of people by a state, other authority or another group of people.  According to the United Nations over the past 40 years genocides have occurred in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, the Darfur region of the Sudan, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and northern Iraq (the Yazids).

     The United Nations estimates that there are approximately 40 million people currently enslaved worldwide.  The UN defines slavery as ". . . .forced labor so that the slaveholder can extract profit."  However, the UN has expanded the concept of slavery to include forced child labor, child soldiers, sex trafficking and forced marriage.  Although slavery exists throughout the world, the UN has determined that the highest concentrations are in the Asia/Pacific region, the Arab states and sub-Saharan Africa.  Canada and the United States are among the multitudes of nations listed for sex trafficking.

     "CAGG's mission is to educate, motivate and empower individuals and communities to oppose genocide and other crimes against humanity." said Duman who established the nonprofit organization in 2008.  The Denver Urban Spectrum and the Denver Film Festival co-sponsored the event which was held at the McNichols Civic Center Building.

     "The ravages of slavery and genocide continue to impact humanity on a global scale and while different, are not mutually exclusive," said Alonzo Porter, Denver Urban Spectrum Editor and journalism professor.  "There is purposeful dehumanization lending to unintentional apathy on behalf of the industrialized world, allowing these atrocities to continue to flourish." he continued.

     "We know that issues in films create conversations and that is part of the mission of the Denver Film Festival, said Kevin Smith, Director of Marketing and Partnerships.  "We are focused on building community partnerships for these important conversations."  

     There was a screening of "The Downward Spiral" which is Episode One of the 4-part series Slavery and the Making of America.  Directed and produced by Dante James, it opens in the 1620s with the introduction of 11 men of African descent and mixed ethnicity into slavery in New Amsterdam.  Working side by side with white indentured servants, these men labored to lay the foundations of the Dutch colony that would later become New York.  There were no laws defining the limitations imposed on slaves at this point in time.  Enslaved people, such as Anthony d'Angola, Emmanuel Driggus, ad Frances Driggus could bring lawsuits to court, earn wages, and marry.

     Narrated by Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman, the series examines the integral role slavery played in shaping the new country and challenges the long-held notion that it was exclusively a Southern enterprise.  The remarkable stories of individual slaves offer fresh perspectives on the slave experience.

     The series was broadcast on PBS in 2005.  "The vision for the series was that the enslaved were not passive victims," said James.  "They fought their oppression in every way possible.  Slavery was and continues to be a critical factor in shaping the United States.  Consequently, we must understand slavery if we are ever to be emancipated from its consequences," he continued.

     During the post-screening discussion, Dr. Rachel Harding, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, Denver campus elaborated on the need for the recognition of the 400th anniversary.  "It's important to acknowledge the 1619-2019 historical marker because it is one way to recognize the central role that Africans and their descendants played in the creation of our nation," she said.  "On the one hand, it's important to understand how fundamental Black people's forced, unpaid, and then underpaid labor has been to the creation of the extraordinary wealth of the United States.  Even after the abolition of slavery, the economic and social structures of our society continued to plunder the wealth and resources of Black communities through segregation, redlining, mass incarceration and terrible disparities in education, health and employment," she continued.

     "On the other hand, it's also essential to recognize that African-Americans have constantly pushed the country toward its most significant democratic advances.  That is to say, Black people have been at the forefront of most of the historical struggles that have moved the United States in the direction of greater democracy.  Among these struggles have been the Abolitionist Movement, the Labor Movement, the Women's Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  All of these efforts were either led by Black people or had crucial African-American participation."

    Rev. Quincy Shannon, who is also on the faculty at the Denver School of Science and Technology, commented on the current movement for reparations. 

"By definition, reparations means 'making amends for a wrong by paying to or helping those who have been wronged'.  My premise is that reparations within the yet to be United States is a joke because America has yet to fully be honest about our past.  It's difficult to make amends for something that some erase out of history books and downplay as a smaller event than it was."

     Shannon also pointed out issues facing the African-American community.  "Mass incarceration is plaguing the Black community," he said.  "Another problem is the way we have allowed media to develop what being Black is.  We are often associated with that which is bad and framed in a way that is detrimental to our communities." 

     Joel Odonkor, a native of Ghana and resident of Denver, reflected on the 400th anniversary.  "There is a spirit in Americans of African origin that can

never be killed nor destroyed no matter what.  I believe the awareness and the recognition of this 400-year period is a testament to the resiliency and strength of the African spirit no matter where and how it finds itself.  I believe the awareness should be more meaningful to the American of African origin than anyone else.  We should use it as a platform for renewal."

   (This article originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of the

       Denver Urban Spectrum)

   

           Sudanese Community Rallies Outside State Capitol.  

                 The Struggle for Justice in their Homeland Continues.

                                                    by Annette Walker

      Several hundred local Sudanese rallied on Sunday, June 30 at the Colorado State Capitol Building.

      The event was organized by the Colorado chapter of the Sudanese-American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA), a national organization currently headquartered in Denver.

      Although SAPAA's general mission is to promote and strengthen the well-being of Sudanese-American communities, the June 30 event was motivated by the political situation in the Sudan.

     "We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Sudan," said Wafa Saeed, SAPAA's Executive Director.   "June 30 is the anniversary of the beginning of the 30-year dictatorship, and we wanted to represent our opposition to that", she continued.

     Sudanese-Americans in other parts of the United States and internationally organized similar rallies.

     For the past few decades the Sudan has received global attention for the massive displacement and death of hundreds of thousands of its citizens due to political reasons. 

     "Since its independence from Britain in 1956, Sudan has been bedeviled by a succession of civil wars and political instability," said Ahmad Sikainga, a native of Sudan and Professor of History at Ohio State University.  "These conflicts can be attributed to the deeply rooted regional, political and economic inequalities that have persisted for decades," he continued.

     Sikainga noted the role of government and the social elite in the continuing conflicts.  "These inequalities are exemplified by the political, economic, and cultural hegemony of a small group of Arabic-speaking Sudanese elites who have held power and systematically marginalized the non-Arab and non-Muslim groups in the country's peripheries."

     Until 2011 the Sudan was Africa's largest nation in area.  Its regional conflicts have been serious enough to garner global attention.

     The northern region includes Khartoum, the capital city, and always the center of power.  Over 90% of the inhabitants are Muslims and many are of Arab origin.

     The southern region is primarily inhabited by Christians and practitioners of African indigenous religions.  Resistance to northern political dominance has been continuous.  Tension increased after the 1978 discovery of oil in the southern region.

     After independence from Britain, the idea of dividing the Sudan into separate nations became common and formed the basis of the establishment of various political groups in the South.

     The western region of Darfur has been a major conflict area.  Ironically, many of the inhabitants are Muslims, and conflicts are related to resources and governance. 

     On June 30, 1989 General Omar al-Bashir led a military coup against Sudan's elected government.  He was eventually appointed president, but established a military government.  His tenure in power was so oppressive that in 2009 he was among the first world leaders to be issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.  The Court allows the accused to turn themselves in.  Al-Bashir refused, but ceased to join other world leaders at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

     In 2009 the United Nations described the Sudan under al-Bashir as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis".  This was in reference to the Darfur conflict in which over 300,000 persons have been killed and thousands displaced into refugee camps, often in neighboring countries,

     There have been periods when political parties were banned.  When the bans were lifted, the Bashir government made life very unpleasant for vocal political opponents.

     In July 2011 South Sudan officially became a separate nation.

     In the Sudan (North Sudan) there was a steady increase in civil protests over a variety of issues.  The Bashir government responded with arrests and attacks on media coverage of events and general persecution of opposition politicians.

     On April 11 of this year the military toppled Bashir in a coup and pledged a two-year transition to democracy.  Protests continued with demands for participation in the political process.  In July, the military agreed to engage in discussions with the pro-democracy movement. 

  

                  SAPAA Responds and Local Activities

      "SAPAA is cautious about the agreement," said Wafa Saeed.  "We are watching the process," she continued.

       At the June 30 event, many were attired in light blue T-shirts, blouses and shirts.  This is in honor of a young artist killed by government forces in early June.  He used blue in his artwork and had suggested that it become the official color of the Sudan.

     Meantime SAPAA will continue its work with a Convention and Youth Summit in early August in Denver.  One of SAPAA's goals in to assist with the adjustment of Sudanese children and youth to U.S. society.

     SAPAA estimates that there are approximately 200,000 Sudanese residing in the United States.  There are approximately 5,000 residing in Colorado, primarily in the metropolitan Denver area.

(This article originally appeared in the August 2019 edition of the Denver Urban Spectrum(

 Joe Neguse Makes History and Will Work to 'Keep Hope Alive".

                                                             by Annette Walker

     “With so much vitriol right now in Washington and our political system, we must remember that, while fear is contagious, so is hope," said Joe Neguse immediately following his electoral victory last November.   "Tonight, I am deeply hopeful for the future of our country, as we work together to rebuild our democracy." 

     Neguse's victory is historic, making him Colorado's first African-American to be elected to the United States Congress.  He represents the 2nd Congressional District which encompasses Boulder, Fort Collins, Vail, Grand Lake, Idaho Springs, Broomfield, Clear Creek, and Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Summit and Park counties.  The district also includes Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster.

     Neguse has been a resident of Lafayette (Boulder County) for the past 15 years.  

     He replaces Governor-elect Jared Polis in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Neguse, a Democrat, won 60 percent of the vote over Republican Peter Yu's 34 percent as well as the Libertarian and independent candidates.

     At age 34, he is the youngest member of Colorado's Congressional delegation and one of the youngest in the U.S. Congress.  The son of Eritrean refugees who fled during the armed conflict against Ethiopia, Neguse is one of two newly-elected Congresspersons who are children of African immigrants.  (The other is Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota.  Born in Somalia, her family fled that war-torn nation and in 1995 received refugee status in the United States.)

     Neguse's parents were granted asylum and became naturalized citizens.  Born in Bakersfield, California, he came to Colorado with his family when he was six years old.  They lived in Aurora and Littleton, and he graduated from Thunderidge High School in Douglas County.

     At Thunderidge he commenced what has become steady engagement in organizing and public service work.  "I was involved with student government and served as class president," he said.

     He attributes his continued activism to his parents' influence.

     "At an early age my parents emphasized the importance of taking advantage of opportunities that do not exist in all countries," he said.  "My parents never forgot nor took for granted the freedom and opportunities the United States gave them and their children."

     After graduation, he entered the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Under CU's tri-executive system, Neguse served as co-student body president.  Other Coloradans who held that position and later moved into politics are State Senator Steve Feinberg and State Representative Leslie Herod.

     Neguse points out that Colorado's public education system is one of the lowest-funded in the United States.  "During my time as a tri-executive one of our goals was to increase funding for public education."

     He majored in political science and economics and graduated 'summa cum laude'.

     One of his first jobs was working for then-Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Andrew Romanoff.  During that time Neguse co-founded New Era Colorado, which became the state's largest youth voter registration and mobilization non-profit in Colorado.

     The organization, which has been featured in the New York Times and Time magazine, registered thousands of young people to vote across the state.  It also secured passage of legislation at the state level for online voter registration and voter pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-old persons.  Climate change has also been a key focus for the group.

     "New Era Colorado was an effort to encourage young people to get involved in the political process," Neguse said.  "We know that when more people participate, we have a better outcome."

     He enrolled in CU's law school and while there was elected in 2008 to represent the 2nd Congressional District o the CU Board of Regents.  He was the second African-American to be elected a Regent.  He served a six-year term on the Board, which oversees the CU System and is the fourth largest employer in the state with an operating budget of $3.4 billion.  For two years he was Chair of the Audit Committee.

     As a Regent, Neguse fought to make higher education more affordable and accessible.  He sponsored several resolutions that received bi-partisan support, including efforts to lower student health insurance costs and make voter registration more accessible to students, as well as working to increase wages for the University's lowest paid workers.

     In 2014 he was a candidate for Colorado Secretary of State.  He lost to Wayne Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%.  

     Following his term as Regent, Neguse was appointed at age 31 by Governor John Hickenlooper to lead the state's Consumer Protection Agency, making him one of the youngest people to serve in a state Cabinet across the country.  He led the department--an agency with roughly 600 employees and a $90 million budget--for two years, leading the fight to expand economic opportunities by protecting the civil rights of every Coloradan and strengthening consumer protections and safeguards.

     During his tenure the agency achieved key victories, including the recovery of millions of dollars for consumers, investigations culminating in significant financial-fraud cases, the championing of legislation to combat financial fraud against seniors, and the launching of the state's first online filing system for civil rights discrimination complaints.  

     In recognition of his work to expand the agency's consumer protection mission, Neguse was awarded the 2017 'Consumer Protection Award' by the International Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation.

     Neguse's campaign platform included supporting a single-payer Medicare-for-all type plan that Jarred Polis also championed in Congress.  During last year's campaign he elaborated on his health-care vision during an interview with Westword publication.

     "When I visit with folks across the district, . . . . .one thing is clear:  Folks are incredibly concerned about their ability to afford quality health care.  A family shouldn't have to choose between paying their mortgage and taking their children to the doctor.  Families shouldn't have to go bankrupt if a loved one gets sick.  From my perspective, the solution is universal health care," he said.

     "And we should fight for that not just on moral grounds, but on economic grounds.  In the current system, we spend more per capita related to our GDP on health care than any other country in the Western world, countries like Canada Australia and various countries in Europe.  We also have poor health outcomes on a number of different statistical fronts.  You look at infant mortality rates as one example, or maternal mortality rates compared to those countries that have some form of universal health care," he continued.

                                         Endorsements

     Given Neguse's passion for universal health care and lowering the cost of public education, it is not surprising that before the November election, Senator Bernie Sanders turned up in Boulder to stump for Neguse as well as Jared Polis.

     Neguse received an impressive range of endorsements.  Most notable was support from labor organizations, including Colorado AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America, United Food and Commercial Workers, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Association of Letter Carriers, Airline Pilots Association, American Postal Workers Union, Local 105 of SEIU (Service Employees International Union), Pipefitters Union Local 208, Plumbers Union Local 301, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), and the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. 

     He also received broad support from elected and former elected officials from the 2nd Congressional District and other parts of Colorado.  Former Mayor Wellington Webb and former State Representative Wilma Webb as well as current African-American elected officials endorsed Neguse.  State Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman, former State Senator Polly Baca, State Senators Leroy Garcia and Dominick Moreno, and State Board of Education member Val Flores were among the plethora of support received.

     Neguse is settling into his new role in Washington, D.C. with his wife Andrea (who is from Broomfield) and infant daughter, Natalie.

     "I will continue my work to raise the minimum wage and to ensure Medicare-for-all," he said.  He has some optimism regarding bi-partisanship in Congress.  "I believe Democrats and Republicans can work together on legislation regarding infrastructure, the drug crisis and immigration," he said.

     Joseph (Joe) Neguse joins Rev. Jesse Jackson (‘Keep Hope Alive’) and former President Barack Obama (‘The Audacity of Hope’) in using the political platform to inspire hope.

     He has confidence in his role to positively influence the daily lives of Colorado residents.  He is working fearlessly to represent the voice of the people with his favorite saying in mind, "Fear may be contagious, but so is hope".

     (This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of the Denver Urban Spectrum.)

Dr. Ben Carson, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Visits Aurora

                            Only African-American in Trump's Cabinet 

                                                by Annette Walker

     Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was recently in Aurora to focus upon a public housing development and the new Opportunity Zones.

     Carson, the only African-American member of President Trump's Cabinet, was accompanied by Aurora Mayor Bob LeGare and Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman whose district includes Aurora.   They toured the Village at Westerly Creek, which is considered an innovative example of public housing development.

     Located on an 11-acre site bounded by the waterway, E. Kentucky Place and Ironton, Westerly Creek is a public-private partnership funded with HUD money, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), some private and other funding sources.

     Established in 2012, Westerly Creek has developed in three stages, and the last phase will be completed by the end of October.  The $51 million project features 144 residential units for senior citizens and 50 units for families.

     Westerly Creek differs from the minimalist nature of most low-income public housing.  It boasts ultra-modern structural design and amenities such as community rooms for large events, exercise rooms, hair salons and attractive landscapes including community gardens.

     "Rents for seniors in the new section being completed now range from $462 to $968, said Craig Maraschky, Executive Director of the Aurora Housing Authority.  "A two bedroom unit ranges from $547 to $1155."

     Maraschky said that that residents in the new section are 28% white, 33% African-American, 28% Asian, 7% Hispanic and 7% others.

     Carson was impressed with Westerly Creek.  "It really goes to show what can be done when you plan it out well and when you spend time learning from other things that did not work well," he said, "and more importantly, when you have public-private partnerships."

     Westerly Creek, however, is a bright spot in the midst of the affordable housing crisis that has beset not only Aurora, but metropolitan Denver and Colorado in general.  Maraschky said that the waiting list for senior housing is five years long.

     Furthermore, in a statement released following Dr. Carson's visit, Representative Mike Coffman noted that "Undoubtedly access to affordable housing is a serious and growing problem in the Denver metro area."

     The Aurora Sentinel publication analyzed a wide range of real estate, housing and economic studies and released the following information about Aurora.  The Sentinel noted that for years Aurora was considered affordable in relation to other parts of the Front Range.  However, the situation has changed considerably.

          a)  The average home price in the metropolitan Denver area is now beyond $500,000.

               In Aurora, the average price is about $350,000.

          b)  The average one-bedroom apartment in Aurora is $1,125.

                Studies show that housing costs average about one-third of a person's gross monthly income.  Therefore, in Aurora in order to afford a one-bedroom apartment plus utilities, a person needs an annual salary of $44,000.

          c)  A person earning Colorado's minimum wage of $10.20 will have a hard time affording an apartment in Aurora and other parts of metropolitan Denver.

          d)  Many professional persons, such as school teachers, nurses and other medical practitioners are having a hard time making-ends-meet.

                                     Opportunity Zones

     During his visit Carson visited Aurora's newly designated Opportunity Zone.  Created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in December 2017, Opportunity Zones provide federal tax incentives for ire-investment in low-income communities.

     State governors were asked to identify potential zones.  Colorado has designated about 20 areas, mostly in small town and rural locations, as Opportunity Zones.  Aurora's zone is located just east of the Westerly Creek development.  Planning is just getting underway.

      

                                   Carson's New Endeavor

     Carson has stated repeatedly that he believes people should become self-sufficient.

     "Real compassion is not patting people on the head and saying, 'there, there, you poor little thing'.  Real compassion is giving them an opportunity to realize the American Dream," he told reporters after the Wesley Creek tour in Aurora.

     He has created EnVision Centers to offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency.  This, in turn, will make scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance.

     "Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someone's head," he has explained.  "These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish."

     In June, along with Detroit Mayor Michael Duggan, Carson inaugurated the EnVision concept in Detroit, his hometown.  There are currently 17 communities nationwide establishing the centers.  There are none yet in Colorado.

     EnVision Centers will be financed and operated as public-private partnerships, a concept that Carson favors.  HUD and other federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies are examples of potential partnerships.

     There are four key pillars of the self-sufficiency to be nurtured by the EnVision Centers:  1) Economic Empowerment, 2)  Educational Advancement, 3) Health and Wellness, and 4) Character and Leadership. 

                                 From Health to Housing

     As soon as President Donald Trump nominated Carson for the HUD Secretary's position, there were criticisms about his lack of housing policy experience.

     "Working directly with patients and their families for many years taught me that there is a deep relationship between health and housing," said Carson in a statement released by HUD after he was sworn-in to his position.  "I learned that it's difficult for a child to realize their dreams if he or she doesn't have a proper place to live, and I've seen firsthand how poor housing conditions can rob a person of their potential."

     His parents separated when he was five years old and he and his older brother primarily lived with their mother who married as a teenager and allegedly only finished primary school.  He often refers to his mother's demands that he and his brother perform well in school.

     A graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, he became a distinguished neurosurgeon.  From age 33 to 61 he served as Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.  

     In 2008 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is the recipient of numerous honors.  He has written nine books (several with his wife who he met at Yale University). Together they co-founded the Carson Scholars Fund, which has awarded more than $7 million dollars in youth scholarships.

     His memoir, "Gifted Hands" was the basis of a 2009 TV documentary of the same name and starring Cuba Gooding Jr.

(This article appeared in the September 2018 issue of the Denver Urban Spectrum)

Favourite Regina

     Transcending the Fate of the Refugee Experience

     Featured in New Film 'Sauti' -

                           by Annette Walker

     Although Favourite Regina spent her childhood and teenage years in a refugee settlement in Uganda (East Africa), she has broken many barriers imposed by that stark existence.

     A scholarship recipient and college graduate who was an exchange student in Paris, Favourite was invited last year to speak at a United Nations program.  She also is featured in a new film, 'Sauti', which focuses upon the refugee phenomenon.  She speaks 6 African languages including Swahili as well as English and some French.

     This contrasts with the reality for many who grow up in refugee settlements where secondary schools often do not exist.  Furthermore, there is a tendency for more boys than girls to complete whatever schooling is available.

     Favourite was one of 4 girls in her settlement to complete high school and go to college.

     In July she came to the United States as part of a Golden Bridge program in Boulder, Colorado. She also participated in events in Vermont and Texas.  Before returning to Uganda in August, Favourite was a speaker at a screening of 'Sauti', an event sponsored by the Colorado Committee on Africa and the Caribbean and held at The Mercury Cafe in Denver.

     The film 'Sauti', which means 'Voice" in the Swahili language, was produced by the Boulder-based NeeNee Productions and is directed by Gayle Nosal.

     Born in Rwanda which underwent a genocide beginning in 1994, Favourite fled with her family to the Congo.  Returning briefly to Rwanda, but finding the conditions inhospitable, the family made its way to the Kywangali Refugee Camp in Uganda.

     Kywangali was established in 1996 when the area was mostly forest and bush.  The refugees had to get involved in clearing the land and growing food, for which they were given seeds. 

     Most families survive on subsistence agriculture, carry water from borehole pumps, lack electricity and are sometimes afflicted by a variety of health issues.

     Since they are from traditional African societies, girls over sixteen years of age are encouraged to get married.

     "People think there is something wrong with a young girl who is not yet married," said Favourite.  "I thought about the cooking and what might happen if there were a baby," she continued.  "I decided that there was nothing I can do for a man if I get married now."

      She is the oldest child in her family and in the film describes her family unit.  "My father emphasized education, she said."  "He sold everything he planted, such as peanuts, beans and rice to pay for my school fees," she continued.

     "He also transported me 62 kilometers to school on his bicycle.  Later he insisted that I learn how to drive a motorcycle.  For many people a girl riding a motorcycle is almost a sin," she laughed.  "My father insisted that I learn how to prepare for the future," she continued.

     Favourite's father passed away before she completed high school, and she feels responsible for her mother and younger siblings who still live in the Kyangwali Refugee Camp.

     Currently, she has two main tasks.  First is her commitment to the people, especially children and youth, at Kyangwali.  She mentors and is involved in educational programs.

     Second is her commitment to Africa.  She is an active member to CIYOTA (Coburwas International Youth Organization to Transform Africa), an organization created by African refugee youth.  Its mission is to expand educational programs and generally help displaced children and youth prepare for their future.

     Favourite works with secondary school students in a CIYOTA program at Kyangwali.  According to their research, 50% of African refugees are under the age of 18.  With little access to education, which hurts their employment possibilities, their future is bleak and makes them dependent upon receiving different forms of aid.

     "My work is based on the concept of giving-back," said Favourite.

     People like Favourite are needed not only in Africa, but globally.  According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement in recorded history.  An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from their homes due to political conflict and persecution.  Over half are under the age of 18.  

     Over 10 million people are stateless and, for all practical purposes, have no recognized nationality.  This situation denies them access to basic rights, such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

Editor's Note:  Information about the film 'Sauti' can be accessed at www.sautifilm.org

     This article appeared in the September 2017 edition of the Denver Urban Spectrum.

South Africa: Book Portrays the Dynamics of the Transformation Process

South Africa:  Book Portrays the Dynamics of the Transformation Process

                                           by Annette Walker

     "I am optimistic about the future of South Africa," said journalist and author Donna Bryson.

     As an Associated Press reporter based in South Africa on two occasions, she has witnessed that nation emerge from the brutality of the apartheid system to governance by peaceful elections.  She was there in 1994 for the historic campaign, election and inauguration of Nelson Mandela as that nation's first African president.

     Since then the transfer of power to his successors (Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma) has occurred through democratic elections.

     "The period from 1993-1997 when I was there was one of euphoria and hope," said Bryson.  "The need to respond to voting was tremendous and even today the voter turnout is still good," she continued.

     When she returned in 2008 South Africa was engaged in working out the complexities of the transition process.  There had been much progress.  Some manifestations are symbolic, such as naming the airport in Johannesburg for Oliver Tambo, the renowned leader of the African National Congress (ANC) and lifelong friend of Nelson Mandela.

     There are also concrete manifestations.  "When I arrived in 1993 the customs and immigration staff at the airport was all-white.  Now they are primarily black South African," said Bryson.

     However, in 2008 South Africa was attempting to recover from a negative incident at the University of the Free State (UFS) in the central section of South Africa.  It is also the heartland of the people known as Afrikaners who established South Africa's apartheid system of separation of the races  Their language is Afrikaans, not English, and which, until recently,  was used exclusively at the University of the Free State.  The Afrikaners are descendants of the Dutch who began settling in South Africa in the 17th century.

     In 2007 four white students opposed to campus integration produced a video in which they harassed the Black janitorial staff.  Known as the Reitz video, it was posted on YouTube and went viral.  The university, the province and the nation was shocked and embarrassed since this incident challenged the idea that progress in race relations was taking place in South Africa.     

     Upon initiating routine journalistic investigations, Bryson discovered that race relations in South Africa were complex, and she was driven to engage in more profound analysis.

     "I had the privilege of engaging in many long talks with people of all ethnic groups who cared deeply about their university and their country, and who believe that change is a challenge to which they are equal," she continued."

     Bryson also contends that the subject of race relations is often discussed in easy cliches, and that everyone most guard against backsliding into suspicion, fear or stereotypes.

     She conducted numerous interviews with students, faculty and other individuals in the Free State province.  

      Bryson disagrees that race relations in the Free State and its university are the worst in the nation.  "Like the rest of the country, UFS and the Free State province are attempting to transform to become a place where blacks and whites live and learn together," she said.  "It is a microcosm of what was happening in the rest of the country."

     Her extensive interviews allowed her to juxtapose two realities present in South Africa:  1) The action of the four students represented a desperate attempt to cling to the past of white superiority and black subjugation; 2) Actions of other students and faculty represent a commitment to creating a multi-cultural, multi-racial educational institution.

     Her book It's a Black-White Thing, consists of stories of the transformation process taking place at UFS.  There are white students who refuse to speak Afrikaans because of their concern that black students will feel excluded.

     Other white students are learning Sotho, an indigenous South African language, to be able to communicate with some Black students.  South Africa has 11 official languages.

     Bryson emphasizes the crucial importance of the black and white leadership at UFS and documents the programs, policies and changes they initiated.  Equally important, she shares aspects of their personal stories that impact the challenges of creating a new South Africa.

     She recounts a former white rector's response to the Reitz video crisis.  He realized that the ghosts of apartheid were present on the campus as well as the nation.  "Transformation never stops," he told Bryson.  "It goes on and on."

     South African still has major problems, many of them economic in nature.  The wealth gap between blacks and whites remains.

     Bryson, however, believes in that South Africans have the capacity to ".  .be imaginative in finding solutions for the future" and that the nation possesses ". .a sense of the possibility of reinvention and determination to turn history of hate and racism into fuel to empower those committed to change."

(This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of the Denver Urban Spectrum)