During the past week, social media has been dominated by beautiful pictures of new graduates celebrating their success and i'm loving every second of it.
Any varsity student or alumni rather knows the struggles that one has to go through before actually obtaining their qualification. Such struggles might be academic, financial, spiritual, emotional and sometimes all four at once, (p.s I can relate to this).
The best thing about all this is that most of these students are black females and i'm definitely here for it. Black girls are succeeding in life and it is so beautiful to see; this is what i like to refer to as black girl slayage.
For most of these graduates, the journey has not been a walk in the park, as a black woman these spaces are not always the safest. we face risks of rape, being taken advantage of by those in positions of power as well as general patriarchy.
Although graduating does not always guarantee employment in South Africa, it does however guarantee a sense of independence. The fact that one was able to achieve all that on their own makes one wonder what else they are capable of.
So many amazing stories are shared with the pictures posted and it is always inspirational to see or rather hear what some students had to go through before they could get that paper.
Some lost their parents along the way, some fell pregnant and some had to drop out at some point in life due to finances. None of these obstacles pulled their spirits down. They could've given up but instead they continued the fight because they knew the prize at the end of the day was worth it.
One can't help but smile when you see parents taking pictures with their children at the Library Lawns of Wits or the Fountain lawns of UJ and the like. you can see the glow in their faces and just how proud they are of their children.All those years of support finally paying off and seeing their children one step closer towards being independent adults
Let's not forget the Accounting Sciences graduates getting their board exams results. screenshots of sms's telling them that they have passed their exams bring nothing but smiles on one's face. Seeing just how many black women are becoming CA(SA) feels more like a dream than a reality and it's beautiful to see it unfold right in front of you.
So yes ladies, continue filling our timelines with those degrees and diplomas as well as those amazing outfits you guys are pulling off. You deserve all of it and more. You are inspiring some of us who are still in the process of it all. Womandla is the way and you ladies are examples of it. Thank you for the inspiration. In you we see ourselves.