Colour blocking is the current trend in fashion. It’s an array of bold colours combined into one outfit – black and white are not factors. And young people seem to have embraced this trend with open hearts and minds.
Seeing this got me thinking: since fashion has evolved so much, why can’t we do the same as a nation, especially the youth who are the future leaders.
The youth of 1976 stood up against unjust laws and fought for future generations. Why can’t the youth from every race join together to celebrate these privileges and embrace equality?
If we are stuck on old ideas of matching one colour we will never be able to embrace our rich cultural diversity. And we will not be honouring our fallen heroes of 1976 who sacrificed their lives for us to enjoy those freedoms.
My wish is for the youth to leave racial tendencies in the past and realise that this country is a pallet of different colours. It is up to us as artists to paint a beautiful picture on the canvas to create a vibrant and dynamic nation. Let’s start now to eliminate poverty and illiteracy despite our ugly, apartheid past.
Let us empower ourselves with the education fought for in 1976 and stop depending on others, realise our true potential and join hands in raising the South African flag high.
Let us have a “colour blocking” mindset. On this Youth Day let’s approach the future with a colour blocking mentalityand revolution.
Khuleka Mbanjwa, Pretoria