By Rosa Noriega-Rocha and Christopher Soriano

I’m sure many of us are trying to suppress our panic but let’s face it; there is an odd stench of apocalyptic reckoning in the air right about now. A virus is sweeping the globe, wars, destruction and many other biblical prophecies of the looming “end times” are being fulfilled. Maybe I’m the only one, but I feel myself being forced into this perpetual state of reflection, loneliness and longing to reinforce all my deep connections with the people I care about. The truth is, as humans, we’ve been getting ahead of ourselves, and we’ve been poking and prodding and exploring and experimenting which somehow caused us to forget everything that made us human. When did we forget that we are governed by emotions and that we need each other, when did we forget that our lives are so delicate that we can watch as populations of human beings get wiped out in hours. What gave us the idea that we will never face any consequences?

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by Ujala Yousaf ​

Recently during a high school research project, I stumbled upon a piece of artwork called No Racism, a surrealist oil painting by Italian painter Stefano Ilad. The first thing that I noticed were the various colors. The lizard green, chocolate brown, licorice black, and cookie peach all captivated my eyes. Additionally, I noticed that the painter painted a man with a Hitler mustache. I was surprised to see that the painter put something associated with Hitler; but then I thought about the message or idea that was being conveyed. I listed many ideas in my head and thought that it was about racial ideology because of the mustache. However, there is a deeper message to this painting. 

Due to recent events it seemed fitting that my next article be one that accounts for the narrative of the coloured discourse and culture. We’re reaching a time where coloured people are becoming exasperated from being “fence sitters” and living in a society that never has a place for us. We’ll make that place for ourselves now, by disrupting everyone’s perspectives of coloured people, the way we are represented in the media, underrepresented in politics, disregarded and underestimated in society. The cape flats, a place where gang violence thrives and regal drug lords build their empires. Domestic violence and all types of criminal activities are loose on the streets like a dark omen creeping around corners, robbing families of a safe place to live. On the 18th of July 2019 the residence of the cape flats felt hope restored to their futures as they watched the SANDF march eminently through the streets. The legitimacy of deploying an army to manage criminal activity, as opposed to war, brought up some conflicting opinions. Considering the crime rate of the country, the drastic way seems like the only way for change to come about. The trouble comes when we think the problem will be solved that easily when the root causes are overlooked and avoided.
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by Shauneez Rigney

by Sahrish Hadia
www.watermelaninmag.com

by Atter Kalsi
www.watermelaninmag.com