Fire, It Leaves Us All To Burn

The fire in Pilanesberg Park, South Africa, set by an arsonist, had burned for several days as rangers and fire fighters were unable to get it under control.

The photographs in this series serve as a metaphor for South Africa’s long, turbulent struggle against apartheid-representing the oppression and atrocities against the black majority. Once the fire is out (apartheid ending)- it leaves you to burn-symbolizing the economic apartheid that continues the injustice. Over 96% of the wealth is still held by the 5% minority, mostly Afrikaners.

After such a fire, there is an opportunity for new growth to emerge out of the ashes. The South African leadership has successfully made the transition from the struggle for freedom to a struggle for economic justice and equality. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a model for the world, having survived the “fire,”opened the nation’s wounds in order to begin the healing process.

The photos from this series are dedicated to Dr. Wyatt Tee and Ann Walker, whom I have the privilege of knowing, and the late Dr. Walter Sisulu, whom I had the privilege to meet and escort to the podium on one of his many visits to the United States. They are my role models for social justice and I honor them for their years of dedication to both struggles.

The civil rights movement in the United States paralleled the struggle in South Africa, with Dr. Walker, as Chief of Staff for Dr. King and Dr. Sisulu as founder of the Youth League of the ANC with Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. Dr. Walker’s Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem served as the official center in the United States for the then exiled members of the ANC. I honor their courage, as members of both movements faced overwhelming obstacles.

I wish success for the next generation of South African leaders as they repair the damage from years of oppression, discrimination and substandard education and build a new nation. Once again, the United States and South Africa are engaged in a parallel struggle, but this time for economic justice. Nelson Mandela’s leadership has brought South Africa forward, as did Dr. King and his staff in the United States, bringing hope for a promising future for both nations.