Oct. GIP Event: Masauko Chipembere














Masauko Chipembere 
A fascinating life story. Born in Malawi and raised in Los Angeles after his parents’ exile from Malawi due to their leadership roles in a failed coup against the dictatorial government, Masauko’s social and political messages are conveyed through the art of music. Having had the privilege to listen to Masuoka speak and play his music at Polytechnic’s GiP event last week, I gained fresh perspectives on two painful social issues that are separate yet connected in that they are both forms of oppression and in dire need of correction: racism in America and rape in South Africa. 
As a first-generation black American whose parents were unfamiliar with racism since it is virtually nonexistent in Malawi, Masuoko conveyed his difficulty growing up without guidance from his parents on this topic. Unlike the majority of his African-American peers whose parents could relate and offer support, Masuoka felt isolated and inadequate in dealing with social injustices at a young age. In time, Masuoka discovered the power of music as a source of personal and social expression. 
Having strong roots in his Malawi heritage, Masuoko’s music is a fusion of American and Malawi culture with strong elements of  jazz, reggae, funk and even a little hip hop. As Masauko played the song “Watch this Woman” on his acoustic guitar for Poly students, I was saddened yet hopeful that the staggering incidents of rape in in Malawi and S. Africa will finally come to an end as the world puts pressure on these countries to end senseless crimes against women and children. 
On a final inspirational note, I would like to bring attention to WIN, the project that Masauko Chimprere is organizing to introduce permaculture (permanent agriculture) to villages in Malawi. This sustainable solution to farming would allow Malawi families to grow food even in drought or flooding seasons, thushelping to solve the problem of food shortage. 
As Masauko makes clear, “We are all rooted in Africa.” As such, we cannot ignore her suffering. Whether it be through artistic expression, technological advances, or political means, Masauko Chipemebere reminds us to work with intention for the betterment of humanity.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chinese American Museum, Downtown L.A.

Image
Downtown, Los Angeles I hadn’t been to Downtown L.A. for over a year, so last night’s Summer Mixer at the Chinese American Museum was a cultural event for me on several levels. As we strolled by Union Station, Queen of Angels Church, City Hall, Olvera Street, the Italian American Museum, and a plethora of unique street art, I was reminded how fortunate I am to live in a city so dynamic and diverse.  I was especially struck by the mural located along the south side of the Hollywood Freeway between the Los Angeles and Main Street overpasses. Titled, “L.A. Freeway Kids,” I discovered that it was painted by Glennal Avila in 1984 as a “celebration of children and an expression of exuberance and happiness associated with the 1984 Olympics”. The artist chose the location because of its proximity to El Pueblo Historic Park and the Children’s Museum which attracts a large number of elementary students. She also liked the numerous palm trees that line the wall as she feels they symboli
Read more

iThuba Innovation Hub and Connecting Communities

Image
My Capstone project, i Thuba Innovation Hub & Connecting Communities marked the conclusion of my Global Scholar experience at Polytechnic High School. The collaborative presentation, led by WSL co-chair Megan Kellner and myself, showcased the efforts of Siviwe Mbinda, the founder of iThuba, and his two phenomenal students. Our audience consisted of approximately seventy Poly learners interested in learning more about the iThuba Stem school in South Africa.  Utilizing Zoom as our platform, Megan and I began the presentation with an overview of iThuba and the grant-writing process.  After providing information and answering questions regarding the topic at hand, our conversation naturally shifted to the present-day situation in South Africa in light of Covid-19. The visible difficulty Siviwe and his students had connecting to WiFi during our meeting reflected the new challenges presented to Ithuba’s Community. Siviwe explained that the grant Megan and I provided Ithuba wit
Read more

USC US-China Institute Webcast, 4/9/20

Image
  In sharing the highlights of her new book, Building the Post 1949 State in China and Taiwan , Julia Strauss presented a fascinating overview of key differences between the campaign and propaganda strategies utilized by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in relation to Taiwan, or the the Republic of China (ROC). Due to China’s vast size, Stauss focused her study of the PRC on Sunan (Southern Jiangsu), a wealthy and developed area near Shanghai approximately equal in size and infrastructure to the ROC.  One of the most important “preconditions for regime consolidation” was domestic security. Both the PRC/Sunan and the ROC/Taiwan utilized “campaigns of terror” against domestic enemies in order to consolidate the state. However, the campaigns differed in their presentation, as can be seen in the slides. In the PRC (pictures on the left of slides) trials were public and dramatic. Similarly propaganda was colorful and appealed to the emotion. The emphasis was on nationalism and loy
Read more