June 16th: They Dance, but Do They Remember?

By: Augusta Osmatu Bangura

African Child's Day. What is it exactly and why do we celebrate it? June 16 marks the day of the African child. It's a day set aside to honor the brave students of the 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa. Those events were captured in the musical Sarafina, which has become essential viewing every Day of the African Child.

The saying, "wait till you're older" didn't apply to them. Bravery comes in different age and size.

The story reflects the courage of young people who stood up against Apartheid and demanded the right to quality education. It's been decades since the uprising, but their bravery and courage still lingers on, or well, it did for a while!

She still remembers the excitement; going to the tailor for her pink Africana outfit ahead of June 16th. Pink was her favorite color. After the fitting, they stopped by the market to get her a pair of “karankay afbak” slippers. Her hair was braided and adorned with African beads. Her brother, too, looked proud in his Africana rappel.

The joy of being all "swanked up"to honor history.

Going to school that day felt different. No need to carry lunch from home. Instead, they brought empty bowls. The teachers cooked food using ingredients from the school garden — ingredients everyone had helped grow. After the meal, they sat at the school’s hut, holding hands, eyes fixed on the big screen, watching Sarafina! At first, they didn’t fully understand what the movie was about. They were just amazed by the music, the energy, and the dances. But afterward, the teachers gathered them and explained. Told them about the students who had stood up against apartheid, about children who had fought for freedom, for education, for a better life. Children, just like them.

Back then, wearing Africana wasn’t about who looked the best. It wasn’t about fashion competitions or who had the neatest hairstyle. It was about honoring those young heroes. Africana was a symbol of pride, of identity; a reminder that even though we wear uniforms inspired by the West, we are still African, and we carry our culture with us.

But now, things feel different! The celebrations still happen, children still wear their Africana, get their hair done, and go to school. But for many, it’s become a day of fashion shows, dance battles, and who slayed their look best.

The bravery of those kids are now lost in fashion shows

The deeper meaning seems to have become lost in the superficial. How many children know why they wear Africana, or what June 16th truly stands for? Instead of storytelling and reflection, teachers now organize competitions: best-dressed, best dancer, best braid. By the end of the day, a child is shouting, “I won African Child in my school!” instead of "Sarafina and her friends were heroes" — and that’s it.

We're not saying children shouldn’t have fun. They should, they’re children after all. But they also should know the essence of the day. The day should remind them of their sacrifices and fight for children's rights across Africa.

The day's not here for us to play dress up, but for us to remember those kids and continue burning the fire of the woods they laid down; that's the best way to honor them.

They need to understand what others went through so that they could sit in classrooms today. Because maybe, just maybe, if they knew how much it cost to secure their right to learn, they wouldn’t see school as torture. They would value it. They would fight to protect it, just like those children before them did.