Lauren's Introduction

I am a second year graduate student in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department at the University of Louisville. My particular interests in South Africa lie in anti-apartheid activism, women’s movements, and community organizing. I am especially excited about the opportunity to do archival research on Ray Alexander Simons, an influential activist who fought for equality in South Africa. Additionally, while the chances may be slim, I would love to meet and/or interview those who knew her. I am also looking forward to attending a workshop with the staff of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation. It seems that IJR members are very aware of the nuanced difficulties they are dealing with, and I believe that it will be an important opportunity to be able to sit in on an IJR workshop and learn more about the organization firsthand. While it is valuable to read and learn as much as one can about various communities and histories of the world, it is equally important to visit the places one has studied.  I feel lucky for the opportunity to do this, and I am excited to explore as much as I can of South Africa in the two and a half weeks that I will be in that country.