Walking through the city, there is an interesting, eclectic mix of the beautiful old architecture and new businesses. Below is the W.M. Cuthbert building, located on Adderley Street, as an example. The bottom floor is used, as it has always been (from my quick Google search), as a retail space- though these days it seems to sell more food and fewer boots, as it had once done. But, this is one example of the blend of the old and new, wherein the top floors retain the old character of the original building while the bottom floors (due to their easy accessibility) are used for new retail ventures.
I took the time today to visit two museums, the Slave Lodge (iziko.org.za/museums/slave-lodge) and the District 6 Museum (districtsix.co.za). Both museums, it should be noted, are housed in absolutely gorgeous buildings, with kind staffers and really well-curated displays. The Slave Lodge was the space where slaves were brought for holding between assignments or until they were sold; later, the building was used as the Supreme Court for the municipality. Not only does it address the historical aspect of slaves that were brought into the Cape, but the overall message is an overall focus on human rights and discusses the issue of modern-day slavery, as well.
However, one of my favorite parts of the museum was the discussion of how music was used in the struggle for independence. What I didn't realize was how large a role the local hip-hop community played in the anti-Apartheid movement, bringing people together and providing them a means of communicating their feelings and ideas. I loved this quote from the museum (mainly because I happened to watch most of Step Up 4: Revolution over the weekend and it kind of reminded me of it... yes, I'm semi-hanging my head in shame and shaking my head in disbelief that I actually admitted to watching it):
But how great is that? This medium, which was so foreign a concept at the time, became an integral voice in the anti-establishment movement. While I am by no means a rap aficionado (I do like Shad, but he is one of a very few artists in that genre I will wholeheartedly listen to), I am interested in listening to Emile YX? Jansen now to better understand the message that was being put out to people during the Apartheid Era.
So, after spending a bit of time at the Slave Lodge, I walked a few blocks over to the District 6 Museum. This would be a perfect moment to mention that many of the side thoroughfares and some of the sidewalks are filled with vendors selling pretty much EVERYTHING. I have yet to visit any of the booths (I have to work up the nerve to do so), but it's really interesting to me how very congested the streets are due to the vendors, yet no one seems interested in removing them for the sake of the traffic flow in the city. On another sidenote, I do believe that living in Chicago for the past three years has been a perfect traininground for visiting here: it's crowded, no one follows the traffic rules, everyone jaywalks... They can add that to promotional materials for potential corporations.
So. District 6 Museum. I have been wanting to visit this place for two years and I was not disappointed. I will say that I was slightly confused, since there are actually two separate spaces: the actual museum that I visited today and the hands-on space, which was closed to the public when I attempted to break into it today. (I was quickly pointed in the right direction by a friendly staffer.) Once inside, though, I saw photos and documents, as well as the historical and political stories of how the District was formed, regulated, destroyed, and rebuilt. The reason that I wanted to visit was not only to see, firsthand, the story of a place I had been researching and writing about for two years, but also to see what I had missed in my research over the last two years.
(I love this quote- how amazing is it?) For those who are unfamiliar with the history of the District, it was a space where Coloureds (Black Africans), Indians, Jews, displaced Europeans, and people of other ethnicities and races lived separate from the White population of the city. What I had forgotten (or perhaps never knew) was that a large part of the reason they were removed from their land and their homes destroyed was because a Swiss urban planner told city officials that they would never be a great city until the space was reorganized into a geometric grid. That, coupled with the plan of local investors to redesign a piece of the waterfront, led to the destruction of the community within District 6.
These are the actual street signs that once proudly hung in the District. They were, ironically, saved by a man that had been sent in to help demolish homes, businesses, schools, and churches; he kept them and later donated them all to the museum once it opened.
This, I think, is one of the coolest pieces of the museum. It is a map that was drawn of the District, and was only supposed to be a temporary exhibit (if I remember correctly). Once the museum had opened, old residents began to visit and many were able to point out where their home had once stood, as well as neighbor's homes, churches, stores, etc.
It's a bit more visible here, although not great (plus, I can't get the stinkin' picture to rotate). But the map has become a permanent piece of the museum, with personal notes from former residents about, for example, how they used to visit local parks on the weekends and play on the swings. A very touching memorial to the communities that were unfortunately ripped apart due to the ignorance and indifference of others.
And... last but not least, a friendly art project, drawn on a train window, that intrigued me on the way home tonight. The trains in Cape Town... they are an adventure in and of themselves. If ever I complain about public transportation in Chicago- even about the people who ride public transportation in the city- someone please pinch me and remind me that it could be worse. I will have to save my train stories for another day. Until then, cheers!
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