In 1991 the South African schooling system desegregated and
historically white schools opened up and accepted children of all
races. The first black students in these schools seemed to live up to
their place in history. They populated the school awards ceremonies,
became prefects and notice boards with black, African names featured
for the first time. This was seen as a victory.


In 2015, the generation of students who followed the 80s cohort into
previously white schools led a nation-wide protest movement which
would become known as #FeesMustFall. For this 90s cohort who entered
universities, the reality of an untransformed society hit. They called
for free education, increased funding to universities, the removal of
colonial and apartheid statues, and the decolonization of education. If
that was the fight of the 90s cohort, where does that leave the
“victory” of the previous generation, the 80s cohort which was the
first to enter previously white schools? What did it mean to be a
black body, a guinea pigs in the desegregation of the South African
schooling system?

Award-winning news and current affairs editor, journalist, gender
rights activist, speaker, and social commentator, Nolwazi Tusini
delivers an edited version of her Ruth First Lecture titled The 80s
kids: A story of collaboration as disruption. The lecture is based on
her research on the first generation of black children to enter
desegregated multi-racial schools in South Africa.