Day 4 gave us a deeper look at South Africa’s history, democracy, inequality, and ongoing work toward justice.
On the way to the Constitutional Court, we drove through several very affluent neighborhoods. Many homes had large walls, gates, and security features, and some had their own tennis courts. After visiting community-based schools and programs yesterday, the contrast was very clear. It gave us another view of the income inequality Daryl had told us about when we first arrived.
One small thing I keep noticing from the bus is that people are often curious about us. Many people look up as we pass. If I catch someone’s eye and smile, they almost always smile back, and most wave.
Our first stop was the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The Court is built on the site of the former Old Fort Prison Complex, where prisoners were once segregated by race. Instead of erasing that history, parts of the prison were preserved and incorporated into a building dedicated to protecting human rights.
Daryl explained that the building was designed around the idea of “justice under a tree.” Traditionally, people gathered under trees to discuss community issues and resolve conflicts. Inside the Court, the columns suggest tree trunks, the ceiling openings allow light to filter through like leaves, and tree-stump seating reinforces that idea. The space was designed to feel open and accessible rather than intimidating.
We also saw the carved wooden entrance doors, which represent the 27 rights in the Bill of Rights. The doors include multiple South African languages, Sign Language, and Braille. As an art teacher, I was especially interested in how much of the building uses art, architecture, language, and design to teach the values of democracy.
The courtroom itself was also intentionally designed. Advocates stand at the same level as the justices, which reflects dialogue rather than hierarchy. Behind the judges are low windows where only the legs of people passing outside can be seen, a reminder that justice should not be influenced by race, clothing, appearance, or status. The press area sits above everything else as a reminder of the important role it plays.
After the Constitutional Court, we visited the Apartheid Museum. I was glad I had read Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom before coming because it helped me understand more of the history as I moved through the exhibits.
The museum begins by randomly assigning visitors a ticket labeled “white” or “non-white,” and they enter through separate doors based on the label. It is a direct reminder of how apartheid classified and separated people by race.
The most difficult part for me was a video about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. One story that stayed with me was about Siphiwo Mtimkulu, a young anti-apartheid student activist who was detained, poisoned, and later disappeared and was killed. His mother, Joyce Mtimkulu, held up his hair and scalp as evidence of the poisoning. Watching families face people connected to the suffering and deaths of their loved ones was very hard to process.
After the museum, we ate lunch at Chez Alina in Soweto. The food was incredible. I tried every dish and had a Castle Lager from South Africa.
After lunch, members of KYP, the Kliptown Youth Program, performed a gumboot dance for us. They also invited us to learn a rhythm with them. A woman sang for us before we left.
Before we left, Alina spoke to us about the importance of giving local youth, especially boys, opportunities to gain work experience. She said, “I’m just polishing them for their own future,” and explained that she encourages them to take other jobs when they get the opportunity. Her restaurant is not only a place to feed people; it is also a place where young people can learn and prepare for future work.
We then continued through Soweto and passed Mandela House on Vilakazi Street.
Our final major stop was the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Darryl told us the story of June 16, 1976, when students protested the use of Afrikaans as a required language of instruction and police opened fire. Hector Pieterson was one of the students killed.
The famous photograph shows Hector being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo, with Hector’s sister Antoinette Sithole running beside them. As we arrived, we saw Darryl embrace a woman. After telling us the story, he explained that she was Antoinette.
Darryl also shared that on another visit, he met the mother of Mbuyisa Makhubo, the student carrying Hector in the photograph. After the photo was published, Mbuyisa was harassed, went into exile, and his family never knew for certain what happened to him.
Day 4 connected several major themes from the program: inequality, history, justice, memory, art, education, and community. The Constitutional Court showed how a public building can teach democratic values. The Apartheid Museum showed the brutality of racial classification and state violence. Chez Alina and KYP showed how community members are investing in young people. The Hector Pieterson Memorial reminded us that students have played a powerful role in South Africa’s history.
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