Guest Speaker Shares Her Experiences with Apartheid

OES sixth-graders had a special guest this week who spoke about what it was like to grow up in South Africa during the apartheid era. The sixth-grade humanities students have been reading Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, which prompted the parent of one of humanities teacher Charley Adams’ students to reach out with the connection. Maureen Harwood coached tennis at OES for several years and is now a private tennis coach in the Portland area.

Maureen spoke about how she grew up in South Africa and how her family had to make great sacrifices just to stay together. Being biracial, Maureen often felt like she didn’t fit in outside of her own community. She experienced racism and ultimately joined riots during the later apartheid years, where she saw firsthand the tragic repercussions of a thoroughly segregated society.

The students (the entire sixth grade attended) were rapt, listening to Maureen. In addition to answering their many questions, she drew some interesting points of comparison between the two countries at various points in their histories. Her willingness to share her story helped to underscore how profoundly both individuals’ lives and the world are shaped by history. 

Learn more about Trevor Noah and Born a Crime.