A UConn in Cape Town co-educator who was on this program 8 years ago sent me an email earlier this week with her reflections on what it was like to be in Cape Town when President Obama was inaugurated. She wondered how different it might be for those participating in the program this year during the transfer of power that will take place in the USA on 20 January 2017.
I asked her permission to share her email with this year's co-educators and on this blog. Her reply "I'd be happy to have you share my email with this year's co-educators and/or post it on the blog, so feel free to share it however or with whomever you like."
Therefore I've asked this year's class to read Chelsea's email and then respond to how it is being in Cape Town during this year's inauguration and how different they think it might have been had they been here in 2009 as Chelsea was.
Below is Chelsea's profound and thought-provoking reflection:
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From: Chelsea
Date: Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at
12:03 AM
Subject: Cape Town 2017
To: marita4peace@gmail.com
Dear Marita,
I hope this email finds you well and back amidst the
beauty of Cape Town. As I look forward to reading the blog posts from
this year's students, it got me thinking about our program in 2009, and the way
the pending Obama inauguration, as well as the imminent South African
presidential election, shaped our experience that year. The political
climate was filled with hope and positivity, at home and abroad, so different
from what is happening as we approach the 2017 inauguration. I am struck
by how dramatically different the rhetoric and the messages are today from
eight years ago. While a contingent of Americans might have been
apprehensive about Barack Obama, the majority seemed to be filled with an
optimism and excitement about what the next four years would bring, and it was
a sentiment that extended over seas, as we landed in South Africa.
The spring of 2009 was an incredible time to spend in
Cape Town (though, to be fair, there are probably not many "bad
times" to be there!). The positive energy around the Obama
inauguration was palpable, as front pages of the Cape Argus shouted
"Obama" headlines from street posts, and minibus passengers eagerly
engaged us in conversations about America's new "African
president". So many South Africans shared with us their impressions
of Obama and what he may be able to do for the world, not just the United
States. Undoubtedly, many South Africans were unrealistically optimistic,
imagining a world of vastly diminished racial strife and greater equality.
It seems they expected their lives to improve tangibly and quickly with the
inauguration of Barack Obama, and they may have been disappointed in the years
that followed. But there were also those whose expectations were more
tempered, recognizing that change is often subtle and incremental, and that
their fellow South Africans might be setting their expectations too high.
What was clear to all of us in the 2009 Cape Town program, however, was that it
was a time of hope and promise and progress, and those things created an
optimistic atmosphere conducive to positive and productive change.
I find myself considering all of this, now,
as your newest class of students arrive in Cape Town, amidst what I imagine
must be a very different global political climate. We've all experienced
the atmosphere at home, the last few months, and I'd be very interested in
whether this year's students find it echoing on the ground in Cape Town.
How has the election of Donald Trump affected Capetonians' view of America(ns)?
In what way is the current social/political discourse in South Africa similar
or different in tone to the United States? 2009 was just 15 years after the
first democratic elections in South Africa, and I remember how interesting it
was to be present for the presidential election that April, to see the
enthusiasm for democracy, faith in the ANC flagging only slightly in light of
Zuma's less than savory history. In fact, it's not a huge stretch to find
analogues to Trump (his target base, his populism, his alleged misogyny) in
Zuma, though they certainly have very different origins. I would be
interested in this year's students' take on some of these ideas, if any feel
compelled to address the topic(s) in their posts.
I'm sure everyone is busy with
"introduction week" adventures right about now, and it makes me a bit
nostalgic to think back on my own experience eight (eight!) years ago.
Wishing you, Vernon, and all your students a
wonderful semester!
Best,
Chelsea
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