By: Tiragalo Josephine Masibi
The take-away i made this week is simply that history, ugly as it may be, needs to be dealt with diligently. My sense of responsibility towards fighting for justice in all forms has been heightened and renewed by the visit to Alabama, Montgomery. I had the opportunity to tour the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the Legacy Museum, and the Rosa Parks Library. Painful and sad as it is, I learned that every country has its own struggles and the real solutions to societal problems lie within the society itself. For example, in the US with the struggle for emancipation from slavery, lynching, racism and segregation, it is black and white people themselves within the US who committed their lives to fight for freedom. The fight for freedom and justice by these Americans required not much tangible things but dedication, bravery, creativity and collaboration of resources. I learned through these documentary heritages of how Americans from all walks of life, education and backgrounds have died in the civil rights movement. I was amazed by the grassroots to national mobilizations and partnerships that have been developed during the civil rights movement.
The case studies presented by the Court Appointed Advocates, Free Legal Clinics and the Leadership Montgomery also provided a learning curve on how to make positive change through civic engagement. I believe every learning activity in this fellowship opens my eyes and mind to the millions of possibilities and alternatives of problem-solving strategies that I can share, initiate, and partner with my community back home to resolve our own social ills.
To sum up my experiences this week, I learned that leaders are not born but are nurtured. This simply means one can be born to lead, however to lead with intention, responsiveness and strategy requires nurturing.
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