David Webster, Author at 1Africa

Purity demystified

David Webster

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June 8, 2016

Humans are messy creatures. No matter how successful, anointed, gifted, or responsible a person is, they will never be perfect. You may think you have found someone who could prove me wrong, but just give them some time… We make mistakes. It’s not that we are all intentionally walking around waiting to mess things up. For the most part, people are living the best they can.

With this in mind, I have always struggled in the concept of purity as a Christian. I’m not referring to only abstinence or sexual purity. Although this is a big part of who we are, there is more to purity – purity of heart and mind. Purity when it comes to intention and social standing. Purity that outworks itself in every decision we make and in our day-to-day behaviour.

The concept of purity definitely seems like a requirement to be perfect. You may have seen standards set by the church or religious people that seem unattainable. My immediate response to the subject of purity used to be guilt and shame. I knew very clearly where I was going wrong. And didn’t want anyone else to highlight my shortcomings and make that condemnation any worse…

But after walking a journey with God for a few years, I have learnt more about myself and about what he intends for me when it comes to purity. Here are a few things that have demystified purity for me:

1. Purity is about being your best self

We have all been made with the capacity to live pure: undiluted, uncomplicated, and completely ourselves. Being pure means being “unmixed” and “untampered”. It is all about the original substance being completely whole. You cannot be pure if you are not whole.

2. Purity is a standing more than a standard

Purity is a stance we are meant to live from, not an external thing that we should idealise. God wants us to be pure and he has made a way for us to be pure. Purity is not about comparison. It is about confidence. Being 100% confident in your motives, your choices, your ability, and your validity may still seem out of reach right now, but it is definitely more attainable.

3. Purity is achieved through obedience

In the Bible it says that purity is attainable because of Jesus. But the ball is still in our court. All of us obey something – whether it is our own desires, other people, or something greater. In 1 Peter, it says that we can be pure by obeying truth. There is nothing more true than God’s word. His word is living and active. It is there for revelation, not just reading. It is for confirmation, not condemnation.

I hope that this helps you understand purity better. You may think you’re doing pretty well with your life. You may feel like you are nowhere close to where you need to be. I hope you know that God wants you. All of you – your good and your bad. We don’t have to be perfect or pure to approach God. Jesus sorted that out for us. If you want a relationship with Him, He can help you work towards living the best version of yourself. I am living proof of that. I wouldn’t be close to who I am now if I didn’t choose to open my mess of a life up to God first.

Rise Up: Inspiration for the weekend

David Webster

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June 3, 2016

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Andra Day is one of those breakout artists who seems to have been around forever. And she has. Before 2015 there is not much to be found about her other than that she attended music school and was discovered on YouTube. But by the time she dropped her debut album in August, the world was very familiar with her inspirational song Rise Up, which featured on multiple online platforms and almost every major television talkshow. The media storm didn’t end there – with her performing at the Grammy Awards with Ellie Goulding, and her debut album being nominated twice. In six months, Day has gone from unknown singer-songwriter to a performer that holds her own when performing alongside veterans like Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Rait.

One of the most respected film directors – M. Night Shyamalan – directed the music video for her breakout single Rise Up. Check it out below:

This kind of drastic “rise” to success may seem more like a fairytale than real life, but if you let Andra Day’s music have any say you will hear the journey that she has been on. At 31, she has been in the industry for over 10 years. She would probably have been justified in giving up after that long. But she stuck at it. I definitely can identify with working hard – consistently doing my best and not seeing the results straight away. But I know that there is purpose and reason that far outweighs any sacrifice I am going through today. Hope you’re inspired!

The grace gap

David Webster

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June 1, 2016

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Every day I am reminded of how human and fault-ridden I am. It doesn’t take long for me to find what is wrong with my life; whether it be in terms of behaviour, relationships, health, self-respect, confidence, moods, or language.

The fact is, having everything together is an ideal everyone strives for, but in that striving we normally mess up a whole other side of who we actually are. There is a very fine line between running a “tight ship” and being a control freak. Being sociable and friendly without being irresponsible with your time and finance is no small feat either. I have found that when I have made an effort to improve in some area, I am normally in danger of tripping up somewhere else. And I know I’m not alone. While everyone is trying their best to make things work, we are also watching each other – judging silently. Using the incomplete pictures of others’ lives as a yardstick for our own.

Then we add Christianity to this conundrum. Not only are you meant to be a good person, but also a “good Christian”. I honestly struggle with what this term means to the world… Christianity has become this standard that has been held over the heads of anyone who has been raised a certain way, or chooses to find hope in a relationship with God. And as much as knowing God intimately does mean life is a whole lot better, when the focus is just on the external “actions” of a Christian, the pressure is on to “perform” the impossible and be perfect. In this performance, the focus is taken off of God, and we crumble internally.

Fellow Christians can be the worst when it comes to judging. Being a Christian has nothing to do with tradition or a set of rules, but due to many misrepresentations over generations it has become in some instances a very controlled, critical, and merciless label.

The truth is all of us – yes, all of us – have a gap between how we live and how we are supposed to live. There will always be room for improvement, no matter how much you work on your soul. So what’s the solution? Do we just get rid of any godly standard so that we can stop feeling bad about ourselves? I can tell you that may be a temporary solution, but there is a way more permanent, freeing, victorious solution: grace.

Don’t throw this word away as something sung about in famous hymns, or something that you do around tables to impress the in-laws. This word is made for the gap between your efforts and God’s goodness. It is meant to give you more than you deserve every time. It is meant to be the foundation of everything we do as people made by God for a purpose. We could never earn our way into heaven. God is too good. We are too flawed. That is why grace is so important.

If you have found yourself stuck in the gap – judging yourself or being judged by others around you – you are not alone. All of us have work to do. Knowing God just means that we build our lives from a place of grace first. Grace doesn’t highlight the deficit, but pulls us further than we think we are capable of going. It is the most liberating, humbling way to live: not praising our own actions, but looking to God for help constantly. If you would like to know grace in your life, click on the link below.

Adele: Send My Love

David Webster

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May 27, 2016

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The world is pretty much in love with Adele. I haven’t found anyone yet who has not been able to stomach her songs. I have written before about what the “secret formula” might be. It is very clear that she isn’t the best vocalist when it comes to technique – she admits it herself. She has had some horrid fumbles live – the ultimate being when the microphone in the grand piano fell onto the strings live during the Grammys this year. She is not the typical “size 0” pop star. Her relationship with the media is very guarded. She is not after the accolades.

So why is she the most respected woman in the business? (She just won best Female Artist as well as Artist of the Year, Best Top 200 Album, Top 200 Artist and Top Selling Song at the Billboard Music Awards…)

In many ways, you could say that Adele is immune to the poison called fame. She is not tempted to keep on adding things to grab attention. She keeps it simple. A great example is in how they completely rebuilt a stage over the X-Factor finale stage last year in the UK. It went from hundreds of lights and thousands of LED panels to a simple black square and a large projector in a matter of minutes. There is no doubt – the naked simplicity of Adele is what works. All she needs is her voice, her presence, and some excellently disciplined live musicians to make real music that people cannot get enough of.

This directive could be extremely intimidating for any director approached to do a new music video for this icon, but for director Patrick Daughters, it wasn’t a far stretch. Having directed for acts such as Kings of Leon, Muse, Beck, Feist, and Depeche Mode, you would say he had been building up to this point. Having shot the whole video in 12 continuous takes, have a look at what they came up with:

After the video debuted, there was a lot of buzz around the dress Adele wears. Interestingly, she chose it herself – there was no stylist. And to be honest there was nothing much to make a fuss about. Visually, it is still all about the music and Adele. The overlaying effect is extremely effective as it also refers to the many vocal layers on the track. Although you may not notice, there are a few elements that were carefully placed to make this concept work:

The reflective floor. With all of the lighting coming from above, there needed to be something to illuminate Adele’s features indirectly so that she would be seen in every layer without one shot being stronger than the next.
The use of two colours. In this case, rosy gold and a deep bottle green lighting keep the viewer interested. The lighting was enhanced on different takes to make the multiple “Adeles” more distinct.
The Dolce & Gabbana dress. The dress print needed to be busy and complicated so that no matter what the take, each piece of print would be in a different place at a different time so that the layers were distinct. The way it flowed was also a key element, so that when Adele moved, it would also extend itself in a unique way that would define that specific take.
The angel hair. The ‘messy’ hairstyle is not only very “Greek mythology”, but also works as it creates a halo around Adele with regards to the lighting. This brings texture to the shots and once again defines each layer.

I nerd out about stuff like this, but I hope you were also interested in how this video came together. It is definitely one of my favourite music videos of Adele’s – because it is distinctly her in every way.

Where feet may fail

David Webster

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May 25, 2016

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There has been a song that has captured the attention of our generation in many ways. I’m not sure if you saw Selina Gomez’s video diary heading into her AMA performance over a year ago, but in it she speaks about how Hillsong United’s song Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) helped her with her delivery. It took a song that was already changing the world to a whole new level. I believe it is a desperate cry of the human heart to God – whether they know Him or not. Check it out below:

I have been singing this song with conviction for a while now, but to be honest, I did not truly understand what I was singing about until a few days ago. I was recently given an amazing opportunity that required me to change a whole lot of what my life looked like. It has changed who I see every week. It has changed my responsibility. It has changed my lifestyle. It has changed my priorities. It has changed a big deal of what I do. But it was the right opportunity and I am so grateful for it.

The thing is, I have been learning more than ever that what God intends to do with your life has nothing to do with what you think you are capable of. Just like the song says: “You call me out upon the waters/The great unknown/Where feet may fail”. It is a reference to when the disciple Peter sees Jesus walking on water and steps out of the boat to join him. The fact is, our feet are not made to walk on water. But with Jesus, Peter was able to. I am in a place where I can see how more and more of my life is heading towards the “where feet may fail” situation. Without God, I will be drowning for days – trying to swim through a storm I was called to run over.

The song goes on to ask God to lead us to a place where our trust is without borders. Asking for this is probably one of the scariest things you could do. The only place where your trust is borderless is when there is nothing else to trust but God. God is the only unlimited entity you could trust; everything else – your bank account, credibility, social media impact, and physical health – has limits. I regularly set aside time to read my Bible and pray every day. But this week, due to the changeup of my schedule, I didn’t get to it for two days. And I could feel it straight away. Without God being the first thing I did that day, I could see how my soul began to drown in the circumstances I found myself in.

As much as it applies to me, I believe it applies to you. The things that we dream about – those deep heart desires that seem impossible – are just that: impossible. We were never made to do life on our own. Trying to make things work for ourselves, no matter how successful we are, is like trying to obtain something and missing half of the formula – the most important half.

I believe that you are called to live an extraordinary life – one that defies what people say is normal. I believe that you were created like no other person. You have skills and desires, temperaments and a story that are all tailored towards you changing this world for good. But all of it stems from knowing God. Knowing Him enough to trust Him. Trusting Him enough to obey Him.

My greatest concern in life is not whether I will be loved or remembered. It is not tied to how much I will have earned. It has nothing to do with success. Knowing God eliminates those fears. My concern is solely this: was my time on earth effective? Was I useful?

I don’t know where you are on the journey to knowing God. You may have not started; you may be further down the road than I am. But can I encourage you that there is more. There is more of God to be found in your life. There is more to who you are and what you are called to – and it all stems out of relationship with Jesus Christ. Click on the link to find out more.

Up&Up: Creativity with a cause

David Webster

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May 20, 2016

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Coldplay have been known for their innovation and unique perspectives when it comes to music videos, whether it’s the emotive story told in reverse in Fix You, the stop-animation puppet show of Life in Technicolor or the colourful Holi celebration in the slums of India for Hymn for the Weekend.

But Coldplay’s new offering is quite unique in its brilliance. The music video for their single Up&Up is a take on perspective that is both delightful and thought-provoking. A mixture of old lifestyle footage, topography, cityscapes, and nature create a world where everything blends together. The sky becomes the sea. A teacup becomes a synchronised swimming pool and a turtle swims through the subway.

These different worlds have been fused seamlessly – with clouds surrounding the drum kit crash cymbal just as they would have enveloped a mountain peak. Vania Heymann – an Israeli director – has become extremely popular online. You may recognise his work: the new comedic Sodastream advert with Thor, the Grammy Awards advertisement and the genius music video where you can flip TV channels and all the characters are singing Bob Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone”. All of these examples hearken to the fact that Heymann is good at combining different realities to create something artistic and remarkably visceral. But working with co-director Gal Muggia, Heymann trumps all his previous work.

The social messages, mixed with comical moments, truly create a piece that achieves what all art should strive for: to affect how someone views the world. Check the video out!

Just in case you missed a few gems, I thought I would list a few poignant scenes within this absolutely genius film collage:

The fun stuff

Some awesome quirky moments include a volcano popping popcorn, a speed boat with horses running next to it (a literal representation on “horse power”) and a soccer match being played on a washing up sponge near the sink. Another favourite is the baby lounging on the wing of a small aeroplane. Humour is a signature of Vania’s that breaks up the more poignant messages and balances the intensity of life with aspects of wonder and quirkiness.

Man’s impact on the environment

Whether it be the lonely turtle swimming in the train station, the white seals playing over the New York skyline or the dolphins overshadowed by South American favelas, there is a definite environmental theme that runs throughout. One of my favourite moments is the giant butterfly resting on an oil rig during a sunset. It is extremely beautiful and seems to carry some sort of ease, but it is a clear message about what carbon emissions are doing to our atmosphere. In many ways, it is a message about how we are the butterfly – hanging gracefully off of the very thing that could destroy us.

Comment on society: both then and now

Starting out, one of my favourite scenes is the superimposition of the Israel West Bank barrier blocking beach goers from the sea. It is a powerful statement – especially since the film makers originate from Israel. In many ways, they are saying that separating land with a wall is like taking the sea away from the beach. It just doesn’t make sense.

Another interesting superimposition is footage of the Civil Rights March on DC, where Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I have a dream” speech. Superimposed is footage of a black athlete doing high jump over the crowd. You could draw parallels of overcoming and victory, while also recognising the significance of the more open inclusion of African-Americans in sport in the late 1960s. All of this makes for an amazing few seconds of footage.

The final scene worth mentioning is the overloaded refugee vessel in a bath tub. This image is a very current reality, with many escaping Syria trying to find a better life in Europe. Unfortunately, there has been a considerable amount of resistance from many European nations, which has resulted in some very interesting debates on society and social responsibility. The bathtub – a symbol of cleanliness and luxury – juxtaposes this harsh reality and highlights the plight of a group of people, literally placing this problem in the bathtubs of those who would have us do nothing.

Whether you saw all of that, or simply enjoyed the footage, I hope you can appreciate how art can do more than just entertain, but influence as well!

Your point of reckoning has come

David Webster

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May 18, 2016

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For a long time, I thought my insecurity was a result of other people. I thought that it was something that came as a result of things that happened to me – or didn’t happen to me. At times I thought it was an affirmation problem. Other times, I thought it was the way people had shaped my thinking. But in the end, after all of the elements in my life changed – once I had awesome people around me, and I stopped reliving the past – I realised that who I thought I was hadn’t changed much…

So I came to the conclusion that my insecurity is something I need to take responsibility for. Now, believe me, there are a whole lot of factors in my life that I could use as an excuse. I was bullied in school. I had a very different upbringing to most, which meant people don’t always understand me. I have had to deal with abuse. I have faced some crippling financial challenges. Many think that I would be justified in allowing myself to be shy and self-deprecating. But I have learned that in the end, it is a vicious form of selfishness that actually threatens my well-being and my future.

The simple fact is, there needs to be a point of reckoning where you realise that, no matter what has happened to you, you are responsible for the way you are going to live. It takes a whole lot of bravery and tough determination to face yourself and be ruthless with how you think, but it is vital for moving on with your life and building personal credibility.

All of us have an unseen account of credit. It is where we invest into ourselves – whether it be in rest, knowledge, confidence, or a clear conscience. The currency of our thought stems from this account. When things aren’t going well with your personal “investments”, this account runs into the negative – resulting in aspects of insecurity, which are self-pity, isolation, offence, and bitterness, just to name a few.

Personal credibility is not fed by what we desire. It is fed by what we need to do for ourselves. A simple example can be found in the US Army’s Code of Conduct. I recently saw an interview with a decorated general from the US Army. When asked why they are so strict on neatness in their barracks, he responded with a profound statement. He said that before facing anything out on the training field or battlefront, each soldier had to make their own bed and clean their personal space so that they could approach their day with a sense of accomplishment. You see, treating yourself with dignity sets you up for victories elsewhere. It could be as simple as making your bed in the morning. It could be as complex as ending a relationship that has destroyed your confidence for years.

I have found there are a few detractors from your personal credibility. These things will bankrupt your soul and take you out before you even step onto the battlefield of your life:

1. Guilt. If you need to deal with behaviour that is resulting in guilt, then do whatever it takes! Speak to someone about it. Get a revelation of God’s grace. Change your surroundings. Be ruthless about weeding out any root of guilt in your life. Don’t allow condemnation to mull around in your thoughts. Even if what you have done has affected others significantly, all guilt will do is paralyse you and make you ineffective in redeeming the situation.

2. False humility. There is nothing worse than pretending to be something you are not. And as much as it may seem admirable to pretend to be “humble”, internally you lose all credibility for yourself. When your thoughts don’t line up with your words, how can you respect yourself? This may seem full-on, but hidden pride will be the death of your self-esteem. Rather be open about what you are proud about – you will discover that it actually is a cover-up for some of your deepest insecurities. In the audit of your soul, pride is the indicator of what you should red flag and deal with.

3. Hero worship. This may not be an obvious one, but for me it has been a big detractor. There are people around me who have been used to change my life. They are just ordinary people, with immense influence both publicly and privately. But putting anyone but God on a pedestal is like signing away your identity. Honouring others is vital. Serving others is definitely the best way to live your life. But abdicating who you are in the presence of people who you admire is dangerous. The best thing you can do for the people in your life that you respect is be yourself – I can guarantee that there are many people who “act” around them. Genuine respect for yourself will immediately set you apart in your own eyes, and in theirs.

You may have never thought about it like this, but your whole life stems from how you treat yourself. So I want to encourage you to get honest. How is your personal credibility? The only way I believe you can move from being “in the red” of your soul to thriving is with the help of a loving Father who sees all of your issues and knows how you can deal with them. Knowing about Him won’t help you, but being in conversation with Him daily will change you quicker than you would think!

How do you see culture?

David Webster

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May 13, 2016

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Culture. Some may think it’s a natural amalgamation of tradition, taste, history, and perspective. I believe it is something that is inherently learned and reinforced by those around you.

There is no way to escape culture. But it doesn’t have to define your life or how you do things. Many times, culture can be a barrier, the grounds on which offence is taken, and the scapegoat for disagreement – in Africa especially. How we have learned to think, respond, feel, and express does define a lot of what we look like to the world and to ourselves. But it is not who we are. It is the context of who we are.

Racism has been a growing topic in my country, South Africa. After the initial silence once Apartheid ended, people are beginning to become vocal about it’s repercussions in life today. Many people have allowed culture to be defined by colour, but there is nothing more incorrect. I have heard first-hand how the difference of culture within the same race has resulted in atrocious mistreatment as well. Xenophobia is a very real monster in Africa and even Donald Trump’s radical views are becoming more popular in the USA.

So if race cannot tie down culture, then could your area do it? Maybe one hundred years ago it could, but with the improvement of transport, and the internet redefining where people can work and how people can learn, culture is becoming more dispersed. This means that there are more people with different cultures in closer proximity – which could result in a higher amount of tension, as seen is South Africa.

But I have also had a different experience. I visited my family in Canada a few years back and was confronted with a completely different approach to culture. Getting into the taxi at the airport, a Pakistani emigrant asked me where I was from. When I said “South Africa”, he responded by asking where I was really from. For a second I was offended. I am a proud South African. My family has lived here for many years and although we have benefitted from a horrible regime, my love for my nation and its people is definitely a fundamental part of how I live.

After I had my moment of offence, I allowed myself to continue the conversation – only to hear the taxi driver’s story of relocation. He mentioned how most of Canada’s population is originally from somewhere else. And there is a mutual respect and genuine interest in everyone else’s cultures. This was enforced further when, arriving at my cousin’s school, I was met by a huge fair where every child was encouraged to showcase their culture – with food, clothing, traditional games, and historic moments from their families’ upbringings.

Culture was being celebrated! People were not defensive or ashamed of where they were from or how they see life. They shared it enthusiastically. Some of the things I tasted were horrific to me, but other things were surprisingly scrumptious. But no matter what my personal response, all of the different elements – the clothing, the language and the food – painted a clear picture of how a certain group of people lived, enjoyed themselves, and even how they thought about life.

I believe we need a whole lot more understanding and openness when it comes to culture. Culture can be celebrated and appreciated when there is respect for each differing party. What is personally experienced by someone of a certain culture can never be completely replicated in someone looking in from the outside. But people can still identify and learn from each others’ way of life and thinking.

Every culture is defined by how it is different to another. But with the world converging in so many different ways, I think it is high time we put down our defences and pick up our notepads. Let’s take note of the way we live and of those who live differently. Let’s celebrate culture, valuing the person above it all. I hope this made you think!

How to rest well

David Webster

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May 11, 2016

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I recently took leave for the first time this year. You may think that staying alone in the suburbs for five days – while my parents were at a resort – would have been the most boring thing I could have chosen to do, but after a very busy season of shows and no weekends, it was absolutely amazing.

Well it should have been… I had dropped my car off for a major service. I had stocked up on food and had some cool books to read. The plan was to also spend a whole lot of time reading the Bible (something that I really enjoy doing. I don’t mind if you think I’m crazy). So I seemed to be set and ready to take it slow and be completely refreshed.

But another pastime of mine is being a couch potato. I am very, very good at it. And after subscribing to Netflix so I could watch series legally, that rest became less important than the next entertaining episode of Great British Castles or Luther.

Now you may think that I am being ridiculous, but one day into my holiday I realised that I have no idea how to rest. Let alone rest well. The fact is, I thrive off of the craziness and pressure of my daily life. I enjoy things that challenge my capacity to lead and be creative. So although being surrounded by silence was extremely refreshing, it was also a frustrating time for my soul.

I am a big fan of the hustle of life. I believe we were made to make a difference in the world, and the only way we do that is hard work. But you can only “go” for so long before your resources are exhausted – spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. So after ignoring the fact that I had no idea how to face rest for a day and watching ten hours (yes, ten hours) of series, I realised that I may need to learn what it means to truly find rest.

In my faith, I have found that the way you address the external issues of your life is by beginning with the internal struggles first. We live from the inside out – not allowing situations to affect us, so that we can have an effect on those situations. It is a biblical concept that had kept me going through all my crazy, so I started addressing the issue of rest by seeing what God says about it.

The first thing I read, was that God wants to lead us to rest. Rest is a strategic part of our lives that we need to be led in. Not resting is actually a form of disobedience. I realised that there were moments where I had been pushing for progress when it was actually time to lie down and chill for a bit. And that had affected me more than I was willing to admit at the time.

The second thing I read was that He restores my soul. There is no ten-step process. No quick recharge. It all stems from knowing God and allowing him to work with your life. Everyone knows we heal faster and more effectively from illness when we sleep. Rest is where God wants to deal with the “viruses” and destructive parts of who we are – “operating” on our souls. I found myself being challenged about emotions I simple bypassed in my business. There were things in my relationships and in my thinking that were really affecting me and my ability to function healthily. But it was only when I stopped for longer than a day that I could actually deal with the state of my soul and be restored.

The third thing I read was that God shelters us. He pulls us in and protects us when we need to rest. I realised I couldn’t rest well without first going for refuge. Everyone has areas in their life where they feel like they are out on a limb – those areas that challenge your resolve and make you question what you are doing. But there is no place for that in your rest! I really had to press in to God and not let the “questions of life” haunt me while I was allowing myself to be restored.

You may think these are pretty deep points coming from a momentary hermit, but I have been able to take them into my day-to-day life. For the past two weeks, I have rested more effectively than ever before and I have seen the difference in how I approach my responsibilities.

If the stress of life is really getting to you; if you genuinely believe that rest is just not part of who you are; if you are struggling to see how you could make it through today, let alone this week, then I want to firstly let you know you are not alone! I have been there. And even though my external situation and pressure did not change, allowing God to work with me in times of rest has allowed me to thrive. The only way you can rule the situation, instead of it ruling you, is if you rest well.

As I have said, true rest begins with – and is directed by God.

Celebrating the African woman

David Webster

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May 6, 2016

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The last few weeks have been exciting in the media. Having previously written about Beyoncé’s new secretive world premiere, it turned out to be a vivid artistic expression of womanhood, addressing issues of infidelity, self-worth, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It would be accurately stated that it is a celebration of black feminism – from cultural references to voodoo, colonial oppression of the American South, and Afro-futurist utopian imagery.

This artwork places the power firmly in the hands of the “black” woman, mainly represented by Beyoncé, but also in moments – Serena Williams, Zendaya, and Quavenzhane Wallis, to name a few. The mothers of Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner are featured – all of their sons were killed by police mainly on the grounds of their race. A quote from Malcolm X is also used: “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected woman in America is the black woman.” Well, Beyoncé, many others are having no more of that!

This film, if nothing else, is a world where those who have faced injustice – whether by culture, sexism, infidelity, violence, or racism – are reinstated and hailed. It shows how the world should be. Not how it is. With powerful imagery of Beyoncé walking out of a courthouse with water pouring out, possibly symbolising the verdict on injustice (in the context of the unfaithful relationship portrayed, as well as on a larger scale), there comes a whole stream of important emotions and messages. Whether it is the anger, combined with reinstated self-confidence portrayed as Beyoncé wreaks havoc on some cars and property in downtown New Orleans, or the sorrow and sombre reflection portrayed in the meeting of women in a rural farm setting – everything is intentional and packed with meaning.

Closer to home, Laura Mvula, an African-British artist, recently filmed and released her new single, Phenomenal woman. Filmed on the streets of the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town, it is a colourful celebration of Africa, featuring only black people and a plethora of different cultural fusions. The song itself has strong similarities to Maya Angelou’s famous poem “Phenomenal Woman”. If Laura did use this as inspiration, it is a genius adaptation with the same imagery reshuffled to create a song that is all about texture and vibrant repetition. Check the video out below.

You may find it strange that I – a white South African male – am writing about African women. But I believe that this portrayal of strong women in Africa is not only definitely needed, but extremely important for our future as a nation and a continent.

The way black women are portrayed in the media – the rolemodels young girls have when they turn on the radio, watch on television or read about – is important, as it socially defines what they can become. Today’s impressionable girls are the future leaders and mothers of the following leaders of Africa. If things continue, this representation of powerful black women will directly affect two generations, at least. If valuing them highly is being a feminist, then I am one.

Art is meant to make people think. It is meant to challenge our perspective and our actions. I hope that there is a whole lot more where these examples came from. We need it to direct our future both culturally and socially. I hope you agree.

David Webster

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