Some of My Friends Are White

My So Fierce And So White Hot In Red Friend, Kate. Image:  Annie Escobar, NYC 2010.

There are many, many inspiring+note worthy+ohh lala, chase-worthy moments of awe in a day. My favourite hands-down is the amazing people who cross my path. Last year, I met a wonderful woman on the street outside mega-church style retail giant Macy's in nyc.  We made conversation.  Turns out she is behind American Friends of Phelophepa.  If you don't know about the train that brings primary health services to remote villages and communities in rural South Africa...get to know Phelophepa--ain't nothing fierce about a fashionista without a true cause. Then there's the lunch conversation I found myself having yesterday with an enigmatic, beautiful and brain-sunburst academic who understands how to shift American race-relations policy by tackling our prejudices from an emotional vantage first. After all, how can we fix something irrational with rational reason? But really, all of this is to say how blessed I am. For fierce friends, random encounters with strangers on the street and of course, people peeking (listened to Isaac Mizrahi's TED Talk yesterday--he confessed to finding inspiration by following strangers on the streets of Manhattan. OMG--I'm knew i had the genius gene all along, LoL...have been known to speed past traffic red robots ogling a hot pair of pumps!).

Witness: A Woman & Boy. Image: M. Makhene. Soweto, 2009.

And the random encounter of the image here, L?  Was in my hometown, Soweto. Holiday. Acting like a little americana tourist, snapping away. This woman, whom i don't know, insisted i take her picture and made her son (?) pose with her. He was a little shy/felt a tinge awkward. She walked away right after. Will never forget this woman. i think about this image a lot and i remember her, because i believe she wanted me to be her witness.  Well witness i have.

And if you haven't yet read the title of this blog, Some Of My Best Friends Are White: Subversive Thoughts From An Urban Zulu Warrior by Ndumiso Ngcobo--take the plunge and bite. It will bite right back and leave you bleeding laughter in roaring stitches. Also check out, Is It Coz I'm Black? Although i must admit i invented that phrase...imma have to start collecting copyright ca-ching-aling everytime ya'll infringe. Ndumiso, funny or not, ek kyk jou.