If We Were Thrown Into The Meltin’ Pot, Would We Tie A True Lovin’ Knot?
Rhodes Must Fall
18:00
If We Were Thrown Into The Meltin’ Pot, Would We Tie A True Lovin’ Knot? is a series on reshaping identities, curated by Ifrah Osman. The series discusses how to navigate identities in a world that has not been fairly constructed, and how actions relate to how we form our own identity.
The final part of the series is a lecture that reflects on #RhodesMustfall, which was a movement on institutional change. The University of Cape Town (UCT), known colloquially as the Harvard of Africa, underwent a transformative process following the student protests of Rhodes Must Fall in 2015. Originally a protest for the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, who was one of the most committed imperialists of the 19th century, the movement evolved into a broader discussion on how to decolonize the institution as a whole. This entailed a 180 degree shift into incorporating more indigenonus, black and colored perspectives, knowledge systems and epistemologies. The emphasis on concurrent struggles and intersectionality made the institution's commitment to justice even more clear.
How do institutions reflect over their history and colonial relations? And can oppression be undone, or does one have to gradually increase awareness and direction towards a more transformative future?
In this introduction, newly graduated clinical psychologist Grace Tabea Tenga will speak on her exchange to the University of Cape Town in the spring of 2019, with a particular focus on her experience of the successes and challenges of the transformative process. It also provides additional layers of the complexity of South African life and society.
Grace Tabea Tenga (she/her) is a dancer, activist, writer and performing arts critic with a focus on dance. She reviews for Klassekampen, Shakespearetidsskriftet, Scenekunst.no, Periskop.no, Ballade.no and more.
