DAYTON, Ohio — A former South African political refugee who’s made her home in Ohio is being honored for her work helping other immigrants feel welcome.
Nozipo Glenn is a familiar face around downtown Dayton, frequently attending cultural events, political rallies and festivals, dressed in authentic African clothing from many countries.
“I consider myself ‘Pan-African,’” Glenn said. “I embrace the clothing of many different countries and cultures in Africa.”
She also walks through downtown armed with her cellphone camera, sharing dozens of photos each week with her more than 3,000 friends and followers. It’s earned her a nickname.
“They call me Momma Paparazzi, because I’m always snap, snap, snap,” Glenn said.
She said she loves taking pictures because, for her, it’s history and just life.
She’s on a mission to celebrate Dayton.
“People are always complaining, ‘oh there’s nothing to do in Dayton,’” she said. “Well, I prove them wrong because I go to festivals. I go to meetings. I go to community events. I walk downtown, and a lot of the stuff is free, and I take pictures to prove them wrong.”
Now, she is approaching a milestone.
“I was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1944. I’m going to be 80 next year and I can’t wait, and I’m looking forward to that,” she said. “I really would like to live to be over 100. My great-grandma was 110, so she’s rooting for me to get there.”
Her grandma inspired her to take classes at Sinclair Community College. She’s been attending since 1979 and has earned several degrees.
“Every night before we go to bed, she would say, ‘Did you learn something new today?’” she said. “Even if you pretended to be sleeping, she would wake you up, and she would say ‘what did you learn today?’ And she told us if you don’t learn anything new, you’re dead. So I didn’t want to be dead, so I made sure I learned something new, and I still do.”
Glenn could teach a class about being a survivor or on participating in a political movement. She ended up in Dayton after being kicked out of her native South Africa during apartheid, a story she shares often around Ohio.
“I couldn’t even go to my Mom’s funeral,” she said. “It was very very painful, but at the same time it was a big mistake to let us out [of the country] like that because we were able to get as loud as can be when we get outside. I spoke at the U.N. many times, something I would not have been able to do if I had been stuck inside the country, so they did me a favor, kicking me out.”
She’s spent her life making sure other immigrants feel welcome, and the city recently honored her with a proclamation.
“She’s always out and about trying to share her story, where she comes from, with others and bridging gaps, really, between people who are different,” said Jeannette Horwitz of Welcome Dayton, an organization that has worked with Glenn extensively over the years.
“I am really humbled, but it makes me want to do more,” Glenn said.
That includes taking more pictures of the community she’s proud to be a part of.
“I just love Dayton, and I’ve seen how Dayton has grown to embrace people from other countries,” Glenn said.
Momma Paparazzi is embracing her community, one photo at a time.
