Celebrating Heritage: A Reflection on Charlotte Maxeke
By Reverend Quinton Liebenberg, 15th Episcopal District
The celebration of heritage is and will always be part of our trajectory into the unknown future. Just as the Israelites celebrated their heritage on special days, we too embrace and celebrate our heritage. Our customs and values albeit in race culture or creed. Religion has in many ways joined many cultures into a unanimous heritage-celebration. Thus the congregation of Ebenezer, African Methodist Episcopal church in Ceres Western Cape South Africa 15th District, under the pastoral assignment of rev Quinton William Liebenberg, has planned a special celebration of the iconic Charlotte Maxeke. The lady who have through her experience with African Methodism in the USA introduced the church to the Ethiopian Movement in South Africa, and later resulted in the establishment of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Africa.
In my experience as pastor for the past 20 years many of the leaders in South Africa know her name but few really grasp the depth of her life and legacy. This year as the Governing Party in South Africa, The African National Congress reflects and celebrates Charlotte Maxeke, as a female leader who played and indelible role in the establishment of the ANC Women’s league, the Ebenezer family seize this moment to educate ourselves with regards to this iconic leader.
To officially open the inquiry a heritage lecture via zoom is planned for 30th September 2021 at 18:00pm CAT, with the first woman in Africa to have won the coveted foreign journalist award from the National Association of Black Journalist in the USA, Mrs. Zubeida Jaffer, as the presenter. She will extensively focus on her third book, Beauty of the heart, the life and legacy of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke. Amongst others this book tells the story of South Africa’s first black female graduate who was a feisty leader at the turn of the century stretching from 1871-1939. The year 2020 marked her 40th year in journalism. In March 2021, she and her daughter, Ruschka Jaffer launched Number10Publishers, a company through which Zubeida is further pursuing her commitment to having an independent voice and helping others find their own.
I urge those who can to support this initiative by joining the zoom session or by making a donation for the advancement of preserving our AME heritage or by purchasing the book. More detail can be retrieved from contacting qwliebenberg@gmail.com or WhatsApp +27727773779. We have a responsibility to look back, act now and look forward. History is part of who we are and what we have become.
