All Quotes

"As long as we have not won the war on racism in this country, we have not won the war on hair policies"

"The hair policy is a symptom of a greater diagnosis of institutionalised racism and systemic racism"

"Too many young people are over-mentored and underfunded"

"I believe young people are not as engaged in various aspects of activism, primarily because of being excluded"

"I hope that my activism leaves a trail of impact by Empowering more people to feel empowered to see the power in their voices and use their voices to effect change around them"

"There was a pencil test [during the apartheid in South Africa],” she said. “If a pencil was put into your hair and when you shook your head, it did not slide out, you would pass for coloured, if it stayed inside you would be considered Black"

"I was being forced to assimilate to whiteness and being forced to assimilate to an image that I did not fit into"

"You can't separate any expression of Black hair from Black identity, especially because for Black people it's more than just hair"

"I’ve always kept that close to my heart, understanding that everything I do is not just for me but for those who came before me who walked so I could fly, who did not have the means to do what I do but ensured that I would"

"You don’t need to justify your place, you are valid and so is your place here"

"You are capable of being great regardless of anything anyone says."

"I would like to see a South Africa where young people and the tools to empower them — such as education, literacy and employment — are prioritised"

"The most important message is that bravery doesn't have a size or age"

"You don't have to be a famous person person to bring about change in the world or in a community"

"Fear, anxiety, self doubt is normal. But at the end of the day, bravery is doing it regardless."

"Asking me to change my hair is like asking me to erase my blackness"

"I believe no young person should abandon their childhood to fight struggles that should have been fought decades ago"

"My activism has thrust me into the public domain from a tender young age, and ultimately I spent all my teenage years growing up directly in the public eye, which at times became difficult as I had to grow up much quicker than my years in order to navigate public commentary and critique"

"the 1956 march continues to remain a “source of inspiration for me on the power that women’s voices hold and a source of inspiration to continue advocating for justice and human rights."

"A huge part of my activism has been to empower people to use their own voices to change the world and their circumstances"

"The world is changed by ordinary people that have the audacity to use their voices for change"

"I strongly believe that seeing yourself represented in the pages of books empowers one’s existence"

"I wanted to ensure that no other Black child that comes after me should ever experience this severe form of intimidation"

"Even in communities of colour, there is a lot of anti-blackness"

"Gender-based violence isn't only physical, there's TGBV (Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence) and a lot of it starts on social media."

"When you wear your Afro out, you are already starting your politics"

"Small acts begin in your home"

"[My conviction] is inspired by a deep desire for change and justice, and the fact that as young South African people we are defined as ‘Born-Free’, but have never had a chance to interrogate freedom and ask questions about our democracy"

"We’re not seeing enough young people at the decision-making table"

"When we demand change for the future that we’re going to inherit, we’re told we’re overly radical or that people at the [decision-making] table speak for us"

"Activism is playing such a big role in shaping the future. It’s giving young people and marginalised communities a voice to define their future,"

"South Africa is a perfect example of how destructive reform is as opposed to abolition"

"Young people also belong where policies are being drafted, where policies are being made"

"Stay genuine to your cause, constantly ensure that you listen"

"So I believe that there is power in choosing to select your thoughts in the same manner that you select clothing in the morning"

"take a seat, look at how far you've come, congratulate yourself and work on bettering yourself in whatever skills you have because we will never get a time like this ever again"

"I do not like being labelled as a born-free because I've always questioned whether the freedom is a reality"

"My activism located me at a time when I couldn’t reject it due to the conditions"

"I want a young black girl child to understand her capabilities are not limited by her physical appearance but are enhanced when she is confident and owning who she is"

"I think i just love danger"

"If you re not surprised, how do you expect the reader to be surprised?"

"We can have the policies and constitution in the world, but if we're not working on these issues at home and school, then we're never going to get it right."

"Don't allow anyone or anything to make yo feel like you cannot fulfill whatever it is that your heart says you're here to fulfill."

"Living in South Africa, crime is something that is always with us, in our conscious and subconscious minds"

"Flashiness is off-putting, but it is something that we live with amongst the black middle class – with people who made a lot of money very quickly. I understand the temptation to say, I started at the bottom, now I’m here, and I want everyone to see. But at the same time, it just puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people. That’s why, right now, mental health issues are such a big thing in society – it’s not the only reason, but it is one of them"

"There is always that question: is this who we are as a society? How do we question our value system and what that means for the society we are raising"

"It was tricky trying to find the balance between the producers’ instincts on what works on screen versus the creator’s instincts for what their character would or would not do in a certain situation"

"As much as my writing is diverse and sometimes straddles different categories, it’s clear that placing any of my books under a section marked “chick lit” is patently sexist"

"If all African writers only wrote about race (for instance), which is a major factor that contributes to the inequalities faced by black people across the world, we would miss the opportunity to bring out the other human aspects of our people"

"In a country that has as many inequalities as ours, volunteering should be second nature"