Category Archives: ReClaim Your Activism

2014 Aug. 23: Relatives and friends shed tears at Gift’s funeral and some fainted

Text by Lerato Dumse Photos by Lindeka Qampi When the casket carrying the body of Disebo Gift Makau (23), was lowered six feet underground at a Ventersdorp cemetery, in the North West, on August 23.     Family and friends … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Allies, Alternative career choices, Anger, Another Approach Is Possible, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Articles, Articulation, As we are, Attention, Audience, Awareness workshops, Before US, Before You, Being Scene, Black, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian mothers, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Black lesbians in remote areas in South Africa, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Born Frees in South Africa, Body, Body Politics, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Crying, Feelings, Female being, Female masculinity, Female Photographers, friend, Friendships, Gender articulation, Gender Based Violence (GBV)., Gender distinction, Gender expression, Gender naming, Heroes of our struggle, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human body, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, I was here, Identity, Inkanyiso media, Insulted, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Invisibility, Politics of existence, Queer community, Queer Power, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Records and histories, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Sexual Liberation, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South Africa, South African rural areas, the writers, Townships, Victims, Violence, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, What black lesbian youth wants, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

2014 Aug. 22: Photos from Disebo Gift Makau’s Memorial Service

by Lindeka Qampi & Zanele Muholi Where: Stadium Hall, Ext. 2. VentersdorpCamera used:  Canon 6D with different lenses                                             … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', 'We live in fear' by Zanele Muholi & HRW, 20 Years of Democracy, Act, Action; Referee, Active Black Lesbian Artists in South Africa (ABASA), Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Articles, Articulation, Before US, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian visibility, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Black Queer & Gifted, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comment, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Community work, Complicated Lesbian Relationships, Confrontation, Corruption, question of history., Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Rumours, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Silence, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Solidarity, South African Black Female Photographers, South African politics, South African struggle, South African townships, South African Visible Arts, South African Visual Activism, South African Youth, Speaking for ourselves, Struggling, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive mother, Survived by..., Textualizing Our Own Lives, Togetherness, Victim of hate crime in Ventersdorp, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right, Where & Who is Justice?, Women loving women, Women suffering, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, young women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

2014 Aug. 11: My experiences of Paris, Mpumalanga and Durban Gay Pride

by Luh Cele My perseverance and the love of the game once upon a time resulted in a progressive life of meeting interesting people and travel abroad. In this note I’d like to share share my lifetime experiences, of pride marches … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Paris Pride, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, African, Africanised, Africans Abroad, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Articulation, Arts & Sports, As we are, Audience, Beautiful faces, Blessings, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Clear with own plan, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comments from the audience, Committed, Community, Community based media, Contests, Corruption, Creating awareness, Democracy, Demonstration, Details, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Durban Pride march, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, Event, Evidence, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Facing You, First Mpumalanga Pride, Gender, Gender activist, Gender articulation, He(ART), Health bodies, Health matters, History, homonormativity, Homophobia, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, Identity, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Queer visibility, question of history., Rainbow flag, Readers, Readings, Real, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Teaching, Teaching young women photography, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, videographers, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Women loving women, Women's power, Writing is a Right | Tagged , | 4 Comments

2014 Aug.1: InterGenerational conversation with current and future stars

by Lerato Dumse Seizing opportunities was the central message shared with more than 15 teenage girls at Aurora Girls High School, in Soweto on 1st August 2014. The girls are part of the Siyafundisana Photo XP, a photography training project founded … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Aurora Girls High School, Before You, Documenting our own lives, Elisa Pica, Future, Group photo, Group photo with the stars, Honors degree, Lerato Dumse, Lindeka Qampi, Mbali Vilakazi, Mfundi Vundla of Generations, Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Phumla Masuku, Politics of existence, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professionals, Proud to be, Public spaces, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Soapie, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thobza Zwane, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Transcription, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, When Love is a Human Right, Women's Arts In South Africa (WAISA), Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Years, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 8 Comments

2014 July 26: What I want as a black lesbian youth

My name is Lebogang Mashifane, I’m 25 years old and I live with my mother in Kwa-Thema, east of Gauteng, South Africa. I have recently relocated from Cape Town, South Africa. I hold a Diploma in Multimedia Technology from CPUT … Continue reading

Posted in 1976 Youth, 1986 -, 20 Years of Democracy, Academics, Acceptance, Activists, Activists Act, African Queer Beauty, Another Approach Is Possible, Apartheid, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Is A Human Right, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Before You, Being conscientized, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black Lesbian Graduate, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Professionals, Cape Town, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community based media, Community outreach, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, creative artist, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Education, English, Feelings, Freedom of being, Generations, Issues, Lack of Resources, Language, Lebo Mashifane, Legacies of Violence, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, Poverty, question of history., Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Related links, Relationships, revolution, Seeing difference, Seeking help, Self acceptance, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Social responsibility, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Supportive mother, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Unemployment, Videographer, videographers, Visual activism is a language, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, What black lesbian youth wants, Women loving women, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Youth voices | 1 Comment

2014 July 28: Memories never fade away – ‘Foot for Love’

My reflection on our 2012 Paris trip that we, Thokozani Football Club (TFC) had. It all started at the Thokozani football club that I joined voluntarily in 2008, hence I’m proud of myself for making such a good decision. Firstly … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Africans Abroad, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Articles, Artist Talk, Arts & Sports, ARV's, Beautiful faces, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Black Lesbian soccer players, Durban, Eiffel Tower, Equipe Les Degommeuses, Evidence, Experience, Fitness, Gratitude, In memory of Thokozani Qwabe, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Insulted, Intellectualism, Interviews, Know Your SA Queer History, Language, Laurence Prat, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lesbianism, Lesbiennes of Color (LOCs), Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Mainstream media, Media works, Memories, Memory, Moments in our history, Mourning, My body, Networking, Organizations, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Paris Pride, Parisians, Participants, Participation, Performance, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Political Art, Politics, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Education in SA, Queer visibility, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Reflection, Reflections, Relationship with own body, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Safety, Safety and Health, Self discovery, Self portraits, Self-worth, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silent voices, Soccer is a human right, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Socio-economic, South Africa, South African Black Lesbian Filmmakers, South African Visual Activism, Speaking for ourselves, Sport Activism, Supporting each other, Teaching young women photography, Team Spirit by Thembela Dick, textbooks, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thokozani Football Club, Together we can, Togetherness, Video archiving, Visibility, Visual activism is a language, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual Power, We Are You, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Woman, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Xhosa is a South African language, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 2 Comments

2014 July 20: Wet Pride in Paris

by Lindeka Qampi 28/06/2014                                                                         … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Paris Pride, Activists, Africans Abroad, Another Approach Is Possible, Artists, Arts, As we are, asylum seekers, Came out of the closet, Cameras, Committed, Communication strategies, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Connected souls, Connections, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Crying, Cultural activists, Culture of reading and writing, Darkness, Dating, Demonstration, Description, Details, Different positions, Disappointment, Discomfort, discourse, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting realities of the townships, Drag queens, Dress code, Edited, editors, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, English and French, Event, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Expertise, Exposure, Expression, Facilitators, Facing You, Faith, Family, Family and Friends, Fantasy, Fear, Feelings, Food, French-South Connections, Gay, Gender expression, Gender naming, God is with us, Grateful, Gratitude, Gratitude to my lover, He(Art)less, Health bodies, Hearts, Heroes of our struggle, homonormativity, Homophobia, homophobic, Homosexual, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human Equity and Art (Heart), Human rights, Hurt, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Independence, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Inner feelings, Intellectualism, Intervention, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Mixed audiences, Organizing, Paris, Privilege, Proud to be, Public spaces, Public toilets, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Readings, Real, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, recognized, Records and histories, Reflection, Relationship with own body, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Self acceptance, Self love, Self recognition, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Speaking for ourselves, Subject of Art, Supporters, Supporting each other, Together we can, Togetherness, TUK Paris, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language | Leave a comment

2014 July 16: Through the eyes of young women photographers

  2014 June, 3rd Lindeka Qampi sharing her PhotoXP experience to Valerie Thomas “I am proud of the Aurora visual project. It is a very powerful and strong project, if I were to compare it with previous projects I have … Continue reading

Posted in 20 Years of Democracy, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, albino, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Aurora Girls High School, Beauty, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Black lesbian visibility, Bringing photography to schools, Cameras, Career, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, colored, Comfort, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Comments from the audience, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Connected souls, Connections, Contests, Contributors, Corruption, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, Death, Documenting realities of the townships, Experience, Housing, Humiliation, Independence, Inkanyiso media, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Interview, Interviews, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Life, Life Stories, Lindeka Qampi sharing her PhotoXP experience to Valerie Thomas, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Matters of the He(Art), May her soul rest in peace, Media works, Memories, Modeling, Moments in herstory, Motherhood, My collaborators: Linda Mankazana, My name is Zanele Muholi, normal black, Open relationships, Opinion, Orange Farm, Organizations, Our lives in the picture, Poverty, Power in our hair, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, RDP, Readings, Real, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Reflection, Related links, Relationships, Reports, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Reviews, revolution, Sadness, School portraits, Seeing difference, Seeking help, Self discovery, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, sickness, Social responsibility, Society, Solidarity, South African Artists, South African politics, South African Youth, Soweto, Struggling, Support, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive mother, Teaching, Teaching young women photography, Textualizing Our Own Lives, The Fair Ladies, the writers, Together we can, Togetherness, Tomboy, Touch, Townships, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Womanhood, Women loving women, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young black female photographers, Young black lesbian traditional healer, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | 18 Comments

2014 July 12: From Soweto to Paris for the love of photography

  Teaching photography to young women at Aurora Girls High school with my 3 collaborators/ facilitators: Lindeka Qampi (SA photographer and activist), Linda Mankazana (SA educator and activist) and Valerie Thomas (French physician and activist). We started the visual project … Continue reading

Posted in About PhotoXP, Aurora Girls High School, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Conference, Connected souls, Connections, Cultural activists, Emotional support, Empowerment, Exhibition, Freedom of being, French is a language, Guest speakers, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Lack of sponsorship, Language, Lessons learnt, Life Stories, Lindeka Qampi, Love, Love is a human right, Mainstream media, Media works, Memory, Open relationships, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Professionals, Proud lesbian, Publication, Queer & Straights, Queer Power, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Response, Social responsibility, South African struggle, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, Soweto, Speaking for ourselves, Students, Subject of Art, Support, Supported by French Institut - Johannesburg/ Paris, Supporting each other, Uncategorized, Valerie Thomas on 2014 Photo XP, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | 18 Comments