The Systems Of Exclusion & Oppression

Vusi Thembekwayo

11 Jul 202015:09

Summary

TLDRThis script tells the inspiring story of a young man born in a small village in Limpopo, who defied the odds to become a successful businessman in Johannesburg, the 'city of gold.' Despite facing immense challenges, he persevered, embodying the spirit of resilience and foresight. The narrative explores themes of opportunity, societal structures, and the importance of framing one's perspective to see beyond current circumstances. It challenges young people to recognize the potential for change and to actively shape their futures, breaking free from the constraints of historical systems of exclusion and oppression.

Takeaways

🎓 A young man from a small village in Limpopo, born 100 years ago, dreamed big despite the impossibility of his ambitions at the time.
🏙️ The man migrated to the city of opportunities, Johannesburg, also known as 'eGoli', where he aimed to become a businessman.
🏢 Today, a mall stands in his name in Johannesburg, a testament to his achievements, celebrated even a century after his birth.
👀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of perspective, stating that how we frame what we see determines our actions and responses.
🔍 The concept of 'hindsight' is introduced, suggesting that it provides insight based on past experiences, while 'plain sight' refers to current, visible realities.
📉 The script highlights the stark unemployment rates in South Africa, particularly for young black females, as a harsh reality that is 'plain sight'.
💡 'Insight' is derived from the information given, urging the audience to learn from the data presented about unemployment and gender-based violence.
🌟 The story of Dr. Richard Maponya is used as an example of resilience and foresight, someone who lived in a time with limited opportunities but still achieved success.
🚀 The speaker shares a personal story about starting a fund to finance small businesses, illustrating the challenges of breaking new ground and the importance of resilience.
🌈 The 'rainbow nation' of South Africa is examined, with a focus on the economic opportunities and the structures that have been built, which may not be as inclusive as they seem.
🛣️ The speaker discusses the physical structures of South Africa, like the layout of townships and industrial areas, as a form of systemic exclusion and oppression.

Q & A

What is the significance of the young man's birthplace in Limpopo and how does it relate to his ambitions?
-The young man's birthplace in Limpopo symbolizes the humble beginnings and the seemingly impossible dreams he held. It highlights the contrast between his origins and the ambitious goals he pursued, which were not only improbable but also barely conceivable for someone from his background.
How does the speaker describe the city of Johannesburg, and what does it represent for the young man?
-The speaker refers to Johannesburg as 'eThekwini', the place of gold, symbolizing opportunity and wealth. For the young man, it represents the destination of his migration and the starting point of his journey to become a businessman.
What does the speaker mean by 'plain sight' in the context of South Africa's current situation?
-The term 'plain sight' refers to the evident issues and challenges that are directly in front of the people, such as the high unemployment rates, especially for young black females in South Africa. These are the realities that need to be acknowledged and addressed.
How does the speaker define 'hindsight' and how does it differ from 'insight'?
-Hindsight is described as the knowledge or understanding gained from past experiences, often with the saying 'hindsight is 20/20'. It's what you know after an event has occurred. Insight, on the other hand, is the ability to gain an accurate and deep understanding of something, often based on hindsight.
What is the importance of 'foresight' in the speaker's narrative about the young man's journey?
-Foresight is crucial as it represents the ability to envision and prepare for the future. The young man, Dr. Richard Maponya, had to live in the world of foresight, focusing on opportunities that were coming and not just what was currently available.
What does the speaker suggest about the concept of resilience and how it relates to the future?
-The speaker suggests that resilience is not merely about enduring the present but is fundamentally about maintaining a positive attitude and actions in the present due to a strong belief in a better future.
How does the speaker's personal story about starting a fund to finance small businesses relate to the theme of breaking rules and innovation?
-The speaker's personal story exemplifies the theme of breaking rules and innovation by recounting the challenges faced in setting up a fund without established guidelines. It highlights the necessity to break existing rules to create new opportunities and how such actions were initially chastised but later recognized as innovation.
What does the speaker reveal about the economic structure in South Africa and how it limits opportunities?
-The speaker reveals that South Africa's economic structure is not as broad-based as perceived, with few large banks, clothing retailers, and real estate investment trusts, suggesting a lack of opportunities and a need for systemic change.
How does the speaker describe the system of exclusion in South Africa and its impact on young people?
-The speaker describes the system of exclusion as a set of structures intentionally designed to limit opportunities for black Africans, such as subpar education and proximity to industrial areas, which confined them to low-wage jobs and prevented upward mobility.
What is the significance of the lack of billboards in townships according to the speaker?
-The lack of billboards in townships is significant as it symbolizes a deliberate effort to limit the aspirations of the residents. Billboards encourage people to look up and dream, which the system of exclusion aimed to suppress by keeping the focus downward.
How does the speaker suggest young people in South Africa should approach the existing structures of exclusion and oppression?
-The speaker suggests that young people should rethink, reframe, and restart the context of their environment by challenging and redesigning the structures of exclusion and systems of oppression to create new opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Dream of a Young Man in Limpopo

This paragraph tells the story of a young man born a century ago in a small Limpopo village with ambitions that seemed impossible at the time. He nurtured his dreams and migrated to the city, known as the place of gold, where he eventually became a successful businessman. His journey took 100 years, and his legacy is celebrated in the form of a mall named after him. The narrative emphasizes the importance of perspective and how young people today have opportunities that were unimaginable in the past. It discusses the concepts of hindsight, insight, and foresight, explaining how these perspectives shape our actions and decisions. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for young people to prepare for the future, to have resilience, and to believe in the opportunities that lie ahead.

05:00

🚀 Overcoming Challenges and Breaking Rules

The second paragraph delves into the challenges faced by a young black person in South Africa, particularly focusing on the limited opportunities and the high unemployment rate. It uses the story of the speaker's own journey to establish a fund for small businesses, highlighting the difficulties of breaking new ground without established rules. The narrative underscores the importance of innovation and the courage to challenge the status quo. It also provides a critical analysis of South Africa's economic landscape, pointing out the lack of diversity in major industries compared to other countries like Kenya. The paragraph concludes with a call for young people to recognize the systemic barriers and to work towards changing the structures that limit their potential.

10:01

🏭 The Structure of Exclusion and the Path Forward

The final paragraph discusses the systemic structures of exclusion in South Africa, using the physical layout of townships and their proximity to industrial areas as an example. It explains how these structures were designed to limit opportunities and perpetuate a cycle of poverty and low expectations. The speaker challenges the audience to rethink, reframe, and restart the context of their lives by reimagining these structures. The paragraph also touches on the subtle ways in which oppression is maintained through systems that are not overtly biased but are designed to exclude certain groups. It ends with a call to action for young people to not just complain about the system but to actively work towards changing it, suggesting that this requires more than just social media activism and requires a deeper, more sustained effort.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Ambition

Ambition refers to a strong desire to achieve something, often requiring determination and hard work. In the video, the young man from Limpopo keeps his ambition to heart, which is a driving force behind his journey to become a businessman despite the odds. This concept is central to the video's theme of overcoming challenges and pursuing one's dreams.

💡Opportunity

Opportunity signifies a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something or a favorable juncture for action. The video contrasts the limited opportunities available to the young man a century ago with the broader, yet still challenging, opportunities that exist today for young people, particularly in the city of Johannesburg, referred to as 'the place of gold.'

💡Foresight

Foresight is the ability to anticipate future events or trends. The video emphasizes the importance of foresight in shaping one's future, as opposed to being limited by past experiences (hindsight) or only recognizing opportunities that are immediately apparent (insight). Dr. Richard Maponya, mentioned in the script, is portrayed as someone who lived in the world of foresight, envisioning and working towards a future that was not yet realized.

💡Unemployment

Unemployment refers to the state of being without a job and actively seeking work. The video highlights the stark unemployment rates in South Africa, particularly among young black females, to underscore the economic challenges faced by the youth. These statistics are used to paint a picture of 'plain sight' realities that young people must confront and overcome.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The speaker discusses resilience not as merely enduring the present but as a product of a hopeful view of the future. This concept is integral to the video's message about the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and working towards future opportunities despite current hardships.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the introduction of new ideas, devices, or methods. The video recounts the speaker's journey in establishing a fund for small businesses, where they had to break existing rules and create new ones, which was initially met with resistance but is now recognized as innovation. This term is used to illustrate the necessity of challenging the status quo to bring about change.

💡Exclusion

Exclusion is the act of deliberately leaving out or not including someone or something. The video discusses systemic exclusion in South Africa's past and present, where structures were designed to segregate and limit opportunities for certain groups, particularly black Africans. The concept is used to critique the historical and ongoing social inequalities.

💡Oppression

Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. The video describes how systems of oppression are subtle yet pervasive, using historical examples from South Africa to show how structures were intentionally built to maintain inequality and limit the potential of certain groups.

💡Reframe

To reframe means to change the way something is perceived or understood. The video encourages young people to reframe their perspectives on their circumstances and opportunities, suggesting that changing one's viewpoint can lead to new insights and actions that challenge existing structures of exclusion.

💡Rainbow Nation

Rainbow Nation is a term used to describe the ethnic diversity and harmonious coexistence of South Africa post-apartheid. The video uses this term to contrast the ideal of a unified and diverse nation with the reality of ongoing economic and social disparities, urging viewers to consider the true extent of inclusivity and opportunity in the country.

Highlights

A young man born 100 years ago in Limpopo had dreams that seemed impossible at the time.

He migrated to Johannesburg, the 'city of opportunities', with aspirations to become a businessman.

Today, a mall stands in his name, a testament to his journey and success.

The importance of perspective and how it shapes our actions and reactions to our environment.

The concept of 'plain sight' and 'hindsight' in understanding opportunities and past experiences.

The stark reality of unemployment rates in South Africa, particularly for young black females.

The speaker was mentored by Dr. Richard Maponya, emphasizing the importance of foresight in achieving success.

The idea that resilience is not just about enduring the present but believing in a better future.

The speaker's personal journey to establish a fund for financing small businesses, despite initial challenges.

Innovation is often born out of breaking the rules that were not designed for new endeavors.

The economic argument that as young people, our relevance and resilience should be about foreseeing future opportunities.

The social argument on how exclusion is built into structures and systems of oppression.

The historical design of South African townships and their adjacency to industrial areas, creating a cycle of exclusion.

The importance of rethinking, reframing, and restarting the context of opportunities in South Africa.

The speaker's vision to create a fund for small businesses, which was initially met with skepticism and resistance.

The comparison between South Africa and Kenya, highlighting the disparity in economic opportunities and infrastructure.

The challenge for young people to not just accept the status quo but to envision and work towards a different future.