South African human rights activist Naomi Tutu spoke to about 25 enthralled attendees yesterday in Stamp Student Union’s Pyon Su Room about the interconnectedness of humankind and the importance of not judging others based on appearance.
Several audience members said Tutu’s personable style and her invigorating challenge to live by those principles made the lecture, “The Responsibility of Being Human,” more engaging than the typical speaker event.
Tutu — the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an activist who was heavily involved with the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa — couched her argument around a South African proverb, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.”
The phrase means that an individual’s humanity — what separates mankind from animals — is determined by his or her interactions with and treatment of others, Tutu said. She explained how her experiences growing up in the apartheid-divided country helped her embrace this crucial tenet of South African culture.
“When you raise somebody up, you raise yourself up,” Tutu said. “When you diminish and demean another, you diminish and demean yourself. When you oppress another, you oppress yourself.”
However, the first experience that cemented this belief in her mind was rather nontraditional. She said she had a revelation while sitting in detention one day while attending school in England.
Tutu said she realized the common punishment hurt the teacher and students because all had to sacrifice an otherwise free afternoon.
The same principle of mutual harm, she said, can also be applied to the discriminatory policy of apartheid.
She noted that the oppressive white minority suffered as much as the disenfranchised black majority because the whites were consumed by fear of revolt.
“They were so afraid that they built higher and higher walls and surrounded their homes with guards and dogs,” she said. “It didn’t matter what they did to protect their privilege, they couldn’t escape the fear.”
Student attendees said Tutu’s strategy of explaining the proverb in relatable terms before applying it to the broader context made her speech more enjoyable and helped them internalize her message.
“I appreciated how she spoke about this and moved from an interpersonal conflict resolution way to a global conflict resolution method,” said Beverly Pratt, a sociology graduate student. “I feel as if it’s more of a lifestyle to achieve peace and justice.”
Tutu also talked about the consequences of judging others based on preconceived notions, something she said everyone has a tendency to do. For example, she said many people fall back on the assumption that welfare recipients abuse the system even without hearing the story of an individual who’s desperately in need of the services provided.
“In doing that, we cheated ourselves of an opportunity to come up with a [welfare] system that was both supportive and empowering and that would be there for people in need and help them find new ways of living,” Tutu said.
Sociology graduate student Kendra Barber said Tutu’s emphasis on the importance of positive interactions with others was a welcome confirmation of the ideals she tries to convey to her students.
“In the U.S., we’re all about the rugged individual, and it’s really hard to get students out of that mindset,” she said, referring to the tendency to put individual needs first.
Tutu challenged the audience to live according to the proverb because, though difficult, it ultimately makes for a more satisfying life.
“Think about what it means to recognize that we are connected, that our humanity is based on the humanity of all,” she said.
“We can’t be fully human if we take away the humanity of others; we can’t be truly free if we do not struggle for the freedom of others.”
kirkwood at umdbk dot com
