“The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart-hate is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate on another so you can run them all.”
“And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.
I remember the time when I was still struggling to learn English, and how hard I tried to learn quickly. Back then the people around me didn’t dare to ask me what I wanted to do because they always got the same answer. “Read with me, please.”
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
One of my most valuable English lessons came out of a book.
“You alarm me!’ said the King. ‘I feel faint—Give me a ham sandwich!’
On which the Messenger, to Alice’s great amusement, opened a bag that hung round his neck, and handed a sandwich to the King, who devoured it greedily.
It’s times like this when we need to read about encouragement and hope the most. Let’s never give up no matter what others might tell us.
I read Anne Frank’s diary for the first time when I was 13. It was a reading project in school and it totally overwhelmed me. I had just found out that I was part Jewish as well, a fact that had not been mentioned before by Grandmother or my family.
The Republican convention starts today in Cleveland, Ohio, just a couple of hours further north from my home. Protesters are gathered outside, they are all there to demonstrate against Donald Trump, and I wish I would live closer. I am older and wiser now -my protesting years are over since a long time- but in this case, I would make an exception.
