For Flo Bird, Joburg is in her blood. The city, its people and heritage preservation have been her passion for nearly half a century. Photo: supplied.
Bird, a history major and one-time teacher, was an accidental heritage activist. It was in 1972 that she and other residents in Parktown got wind of the city’s plans to build a freeway system for Joburg. The proposed loops of tar and concrete would have carved up their suburb and, Bird says, would have seen the present-day M1 and M2 extend well beyond an M10.
The long fight taught Bird about persistence and staying the course. It also taught her about organising, building networks and relationships and about doing the homework to understand bylaws, regulations and rights. It showed Joburgers what they stood to lose if they didn’t fight and this sparked tours to the iconic houses in Parktown and Westcliff and led to the formation of the Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust in 1980.
For Bird, the evolution of the tours, of the foundation and even the changing idea of collective heritage in Joburg is a natural part of adapting. Every generation has to choose what is worth fighting for, she says. For her, having stuck to history and heritage has meant she’s pulled a thread through the past to the present and offered a reminder that we are more bound together than we realise.
She understands too that in a divided world there are outsiders and insiders, which means there are bridges still to be built – it cannot be gawking from a tour bus at the expense of forgetting that heritage and history is intimate, personal and resides in the core of identity.
I have met her on one of the tours. She is a great person.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SAA on the skids — on Friday, staff face two stark choicesSAA employees have until the end of Friday to reach an agreement with the airline's business rescue practitioners who say there is not enough money to honour their obligations to staff beyond April 30. Say No to Lockdown! 5G covidindia WuhanVirus lockDownSouthAfrica 5GKILLS AEWDynamite UKlockdown covid19UK Covid19SA NHS ALLINCHALLENGE NoToVaccine WHOLiedPeopleDied ChinaLiedPeopleDied Spain Italy NHS BillGates dirumahaja OPENAMERICANOW JIMIN Mayivalwe Irvin Jim will give the employees new jobs
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
SAA on the skids — on Friday, staff face two stark choicesSAA employees have until the end of Friday to reach an agreement with the airline's business rescue practitioners who say there is not enough money to honour their obligations to staff beyond April 30. Can’t wait till the lockdown is over? Since there’s no business and let them get pay from UIF for the time being like everyone, why rush to retrench?
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
Ministers to shed more light on R500bn economic relief package on FridayFinance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to shed light on how South Africa will finance Ramaphosa's R500bn economic and social relief package | Day27ofLockdown I like it for his shirt
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Michelle Obama 'excited' to get kids reading as she launches read-along seriesThe former US First Lady will share some of her favourite children's books during the four-week series.
Source: SundayTimesZA - 🏆 47. / 51 Read more »
Assessing fake news and misinformation is vital for Covid-19A new initiative brings technical, legal and media expertise to the examination of mis- and disinformation about the pandemic, write William Bird and Avani Singh
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
Help for woman arrested selling atchaar during lockdown in SowetoSouth Africans have been moved by an incident where a seemingly elderly lady was arrested for allegedly selling atchaar without a permit in Dobsonville, Soweto.
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »