In The 21st Century, The Capacity To

Poetry Cannot Block A Bullet Or Still A Sjambok, But It Can Bear Witness To Brutality-thereby Cultivating A Flower In A Graveyard.

Live Life As Though Nobody Is Watching, And Express Yourself As Though Everyone Is Listening.

No Problem Is So Deep That It Cannot Be Overcome, Given The Will Of All Parties, Through Discussion And Negotiation Rather Than Force And Violence.

Like All Xhosa Children, I Acquired Knowledge Mainly Through Observation. We Were Meant To Learn Through Imitation And Emulation, Not Through Questions. When I First Visited The Homes Of Whites, I Was Often Dumbfounded By The Number And Nature Of Questions That Children Asked Of Their Parents-and Their Parents' Unfailing Willingness To Answer Them. In My Household, Questions Were Considered A Nuisance; Adults Imparted Information As They Considered Necessary.

Racism Is A Blight On The Human Conscience. The Idea That Any People Can Be Inferior To Another, To The Point Where Those Who Consider Themselves Superior Define And Treat The Rest As Subhuman, Denies The Humanity Even Of Those Who Elevate Themselves To The Status Of Gods.