Robben Island
On Friday, we had the opportunity to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and many other political prisoners were imprisoned during apartheid. The island has been a place of confinement for several centuries, first as a prison, then as a leper colony, then once again as a prison for political prisoners during apartheid. Our tour guide, Jama, was in high school when he was sentenced to 5 years on Robben Island in 1977 - for organizing a walkout of classes taught in Afrikaans. As a similar walkout happened at Bellarmine last year, it was shocking and revealing to learn more about just how extreme and totalitarian apartheid-era South Africa was. Finally, we were able to see the cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. Overall, our tour at Robben Island was a fascinating and solemn experience.


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