In Memoriam, Palesa Clementina Mofana Kendall Mofokeng

Hosted by: 
Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Mon, 07/31/2023 - 9:00am to 10:00am

Desiree Hellegers revisits an earlier segment on the life and 2021 death from Covid of Palesa Mofokeng, adopted daughter of playwright, actor, and Portland street photographer Kendall. Given the choice of a life of relative privilege in the U.S., and serving as an LPN and a sangoma–a traditional South African healer– Palesa chose South Africa. As an unvaccinated healthcare provider, she died amid riots in South Africa, spurred in part by the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma, but more broadly by widespread desperation, hunger and inequality born of centuries of colonial violence and exploitation and exacerbated by Covid and the lockdown.

Photo courtesy of the photographer, Kendall.

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Episode Playlist

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