South Africa has a long and checkered past with apartheid, and many of the scars of this time period can still be felt–and seen–throughout the country. On our recent visit to Cape Town, students from Semester at Sea got the chance to visit Robben Island, the prison that Nelson Mandela called home for 18 years. Amidst incredible injustice, the prisoners of Robben Island still found ways to communicate with one another, working together towards their quest for freedom at all costs.
Visiting Robben Island and the District 6 Museum, which tells the story of resettlement in one of the largest black communities throughout Cape Town, helped many students to understand the tattered making of what is today known as the “rainbow nation,”and inspired a sense of international justice in all.
Watch this heartfelt video as students react to their visit to Robben Island, the District 6 Museum, and the township of Langa, and learn how their time in South Africa has impacted and inspired them.
