I grew up in South Africa. When I was about 11 years old, I was part of a youth organization that visited Soweto, a large black township outside of Johannesburg. That day changed my life.
As we drove into Soweto, I was taken aback by the inhumanity of it all. Open sewage flowed in the streets. Malnourished children in tattered clothes ran in and out of homes held together with no more than corrugated tin and mud. A single cold-water faucet served an entire neighborhood. There was no electricity and no sidewalks. The level of poverty was so base that no single human being should ever experience it – yet millions of men, women, and children lived as such, day in and day out.
I remember that day vividly because of its stark contrast to my own comfortable, middle class existence. You see, my family lived in a safe, pleasant neighborhood with flowering Jacarandas lining our sidewalks. Out back were two huge fruit trees where I’d play for hours with my sisters. The rest of our neighborhood was much the same with rows of brick homes along the streets. Each house was framed by trees, each yard filled with flowers.
I was also taken aback because in my very young life I didn’t know about the blackout of all news coverage about these dire conditions. I knew I was lucky to visit Soweto as well since white people were barred from entering black townships such as this one. All were efforts to mask the appalling conditions and oppression of black and brown people under apartheid, a system of legalized, institutionalized racism. I knew then I had to do something. I promised myself that day that when I grew up, I’d find a way to make a difference.
One of my favorite quotes is from John Gardner who said, “The spark from one fire lights another fire, and there is a wind that blows down the path of history.” Soweto was my spark—the one that lead me to make a life-long commitment to social justice.
No doubt you too have a similar story. Whether you’re fighting for campaign finance reform, keeping our rivers clean, or some other worthy cause, remember what inspired you and pursue it. A healthy democracy requires us all to follow our individual passions. If we do so and work together in the process, we have the power to create a decent, vibrant society that will benefit us all.
Follow me on Twitter at @diaviv.