Day of the African Child: June 16

I went to a second Uhuru community slam (see May 25 for explanation) in an area outside of Harare called Chitungwiza. The slam was on June 16, in commemoration of the Day of the African Child, sparked by the Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976, where 1000 students were shot dead while protesting the new apartheid law that directed all schooling to be in Afrikaans.

Thirty one years later, people gather to honor that mournful day, as well as celebrate the beauty and the hope that today’s children inspire us with. The idea of the slam was to honor this history and to remind today's children that they can and should stand up against oppression and injustice in their communities.

It was a beautiful and fun event, filled with poetry, theatre and music to inspire and connect people. I admire Uhuru for reaching out: they are bringing music and words—popular education!—right to the heart of crowded but often forgotten neighborhoods around Harare.