After the unrest, Phoenix Massacre, and the follow-up consultations conducted by Africa Unite peer educators in Phoenix. On the 17th of September 2021, Africa Unite partnered with A women’s Pacts Organisation to conduct a Celebration of diversity focusing more on bringing Indian School Learners and Black School learners together. The program aimed at celebrating our diversity while learning from each other with the main aim of identifying underlining issues that lead to racial tension and possibly coming up with solutions.
The program gathered schools from Phoenix, Kwamashu, and Inanda, some were even dressed up in their cultural attires. The program started with a national Anthem and then after that, we had three learners, a Zulu speaking, Indian, and a Zimbabwean sharing with everyone the importance of being proud of your culture and learning other cultures as an African child.
It was a very eye-opening platform for everyone who was present as we learned different food and dresses with their meaning and why people wear or eat that. We then discussed the issue of racial tension as young people, and it was mentioned that most of the time these tensions are instilled in us by our elders and our history, what we read every day shape how we think and how we conduct ourselves.
Learners indicated that at school they are ok with each other, you will never hear that there was a fight between black and Indian children just because of colour unless there is a teacher involved or a parent. Most of the schools have both black and Indian teachers and they also tolerate each other at school we have never had such issues, a learner indicated. The school is a very relevant platform for such engagement especially if you want to change or influence change in the future because learners are still young with fresh minds, and they still have space to learn other than old people who think they know everything.
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