From Chuck Taylors to Charles Taylor is my second blog, documenting my time in Cape Town, South Africa, from July 2009 to July 2011, and my further wanderings in San Francisco thereafter. While in Cape Town, I worked for an organization that seeks to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV by hiring mothers living with HIV to support and provide education to their peers.
Cape Town is in some ways a paradise of blue ocean, white sands, and breathtaking natural beauty. It’s also an ugly reminder of Apartheid, with vast racial and socioeconomic inequalities, where one drives by crushing shantytowns on the way to multi-million-dollar homes on the beach. My time was punctuated by contradictions and uncomfortable realities, which were exacerbated by being an expatriate. All the same, it will always be one of my favorite places on earth.
The title refers to my background in activism, African history, and living abroad (a longer explanation here), and the blog attempts to draw together the various aspects of my experiences with and thoughts on social justice, human rights, global health, travel, and tidbits from my life. There’s a post or five on music, film, and food as well, so it’s not all doom and gloom. It begins here.
