Professor lectures about South Africa

"In my country we say that South Africa is actually the beginning of Africa," professor Simeon Maile joked as he began his lecture, "Learning About Africa," Wednesday in Ashton Center. \nMaile lectured about his personal experiences and opinions and statistics about his native country, South Africa. The lecture was made possible by Sachiko Higgins-Kanté, administrative assistant for the African American Cultural Center. \n"It is always good to be closer and learn more," said Higgins-Kanté. "The more we learn about the similarities and differences of other people, the more we learn to appreciate them and understand the world." \nMaile gave an overview of African culture saying Africa has a liberal and successful constitution and economic policy. He also discussed the country's industry saying the inner cities of South Africa rely on gold and diamond mining as well as tourism, while the coastal cities are involved in international trade.\nIn talking about the people of South Africa, Maile said Africans, especially in the rural areas, care for one another. Their culture lives by a rule called ubuntu, which translates "as a person is a person through others," and means that people should help others. \nReligion is unique in South Africa, he said. People believe in god, but pray through their ancestors, Maile said.\nSouth Africa has to constantly deal with many problems such as housing, unemployment and racial discrimination. High unemployment rates in South Africa are caused by many people not wanting to hire blacks, Maile said. In some cities, such as Pretoria, where Maile used to live, there are also discriminatory rules, similar to those found here in the 1960s. \nMaile recalled a time he personally was confronted with prejudice. He entered an elevator where he was the second passenger along with an elderly white women. Upon seeing him, the woman clutched her purse to her chest and backed into the corner. Later she told Maile she didn't trust his type of people. \n"We are a very vulnerable society," Maile said. \nOne of the things that contributes to this vulnerability is the high rate of AIDS infection in South Africa, he said, and this problem is further increased by ignorance. The only way to combat ignorance is through education, Maile said.\n"Without education, you will never go anywhere," he said. "This kept me ticking, kept me going in life. This is how you can be somebody." \nShelita Compton, a graduate student who attended the lecture, agreed. \n"For us to understand people, really understand people, we must listen to people and learn from them," she said. "I hope that more students take advantage of these lectures." \nCompton said she attended the lecture to learn more about Africa and be closer to her history. There will be several more lectures about "Learning About Africa" Oct. 18 and Nov. 15 at noon in Ashton Center Coulter Hall.