Writes of Courage

Chapter 10: Ethnicity and Status

Ah, racism – the most infamous of all the -isms. The appalling different treatment of people of a particular race towards people of another race(s). I would like to start off by saying that this notion is one that's terrifying and incredibly baffling, yet it has become so deeply engendered into the world as we know it. Forever it will feel like black people against every other racial group. For some reason I would really like to understand even though I know that it won't make sense whichever way it is put, why black skin is seen as equivalent to being a minority. To us as South Africans, it is of absolute irrelevance that we are in political power. We are majority in population, yet we are the most impoverished, unemployed and poorly paid compared to other ethnic groups. I avoid statistics because everyday there are different numbers, higher numbers of how we continue to delve deeper and deeper into the pits of poverty as blacks. This is not a pity party or complaining, but the lived reality of the majority of the black community.

Black lives matter. Truly, it is so absurd that we must fight for the basic human right to just be allowed to live. Black skin has been criminalized, and we're made to feel like there's something wrong with us for looking the way that we do – of course proudly brought to you by advocates of racism. It's been quite a journey, from colonialism and slavery to apartheid, to this mess we currently live in. For quite some time I was uncertain on how I would like to address the issue of race and racism, because I was afraid. The same fear I see in black people who cower in the presence of whites and feel small. But, it's not just a feeling. It is facilitated by the treatment of the people around one at that particular time, instituted by this 'white supremacy' system, that we must tremble in their presence, feel uncomfortable and allow them first preference. Not only are they given special treatment, but they often demand it because they feel entitled to it. It's exhausting to witness, and crippling not to be able to call it out because you'll be painted as the bad guy – a tag that's not foreign to the black man.

When I first thought about racism, my mind would always direct me to apartheid, being the backstory of our country's democratic dispensation. The malice, massacres, oppression, segregation and cruelty in every absolute sense you can think of. Of course, I only lived through it via my imagination from what I heard, read and watched. I often thought about how I shouldn't touch on that because I wasn't there for any of it and hence, I don't understand the pain of the people that actually went through it. I figured it wasn't my story to tell. Little did I know that I am also a part of the story. I am the 'future' part of the story, with the responsibility of carrying on from where they left off. Times and circumstances may have changed, but the hatred persists. Racism in simple terms is hate. Hate that is not backed by any valid reason – just uncalled-for dislike towards another human being for how they look. It is not just the violence but the little things that aren't so little. The strange looks, not wanting to share spaces with me, the condescending tone when you talk to me. What is so difficult about treating to me how you would any other person who doesn't look like me? What about me says to you I am stupid, or I deserve less respect? The problem here is you, not me.

Cruelty and inhumanity. That's where I believe it all stems from. To look at another human being and evaluate how you should treat them because of the color of their skin means that there is something really messed up about you. White kids in educational institutions are treated differently from black ones. The tone of address is very different. When a black child asks a question, you can hear the tone of impatience in the response, like they are slow or don't pay close enough attention, otherwise they wouldn't be asking. Am I reading too much into it? No. If something is done with consistency, surely it should mean something. There are so many of us who were taught from a very young age that 'white people don't like you; some hate you because of who you are – what you look like' because it was said that white kids are taught not to love black people. That's why it's very hard for most black people to view white people as genuine no matter how nice they may be to them. It's seen as fake and pretentious. This is why we still have people whose eyebrows get raised whenever they see an interracial couple. Some view it as 'I didn't know we could do that', while some are unashamedly, contemptuously judging the couple. For black and white men, it is said 'why her, aren't there any more women [within his race] he could've chosen from?'. For the women it is viewed as an experiment and liking things. For both sexes, people just assume that either one is being used for something, it cannot be purely out of love. I 've been close enough to tables to hear the most outrageous comments on ethnicity.

There is a truth to this gospel – that, whites are taught to not love blacks. We've been directly called monkeys, had our hair labelled as not good enough or blatantly horrible because it's not straight, silky and soft. We've been told we don't belong in certain establishments or neighborhoods because they've been reserved for whites only – this being said to the natives of the country. Black workers are still being maltreated in firms and get underpaid for doing all the work while the 'baas' cashes in on all the money. And no one dare speak up because you will be shown your way out, as it is no secret that there is someone out there who will take your place by tomorrow morning, no questions asked. Because to them, once a slave, always a slave. It is also unfortunate that there are still so many black minds that are still colonized, convinced that a black person could never be better than a white man. The 'black excellence' that we see is just a hoax and the white man is forever sitting in the background, waiting to just cash in. This is because we are the majority of the population, yet the poorest, while white people own majority of the private land. Our parents have always been the white man's servant. From this, 'clearly they are far smarter than we are'. It is also deduced that as soon as a black person touches money, all they ever want to do is splurge and show off, and the next thing you know it, they are back to where they started from – but you won't see a white person doing that. I think that we are being too hard on ourselves. We are allowing society to define us and we end up buying into those labels that are forced onto us. You have the book and pen to write your story and the script you choose to live by, instead of living a life that is somebody's opinion.

However, racism is far from just being a black and white thing. That's just a foundational basis that our minds run to when that repulsive term is brought up. A couple of months ago, there were brutal attacks on Asians in the United States. South Africans found themselves in an uproar not long ago, where we saw Indians (along with whites) attacking defenseless black protesters in the name of 'self-defense'. What disgusts me more than anything is looking at someone and being filled with so much enmity towards them that you see death and pain fit for them. And society and the justice system, before viewing that as an injustice and a frivolous infringement of that person's innate right to life, have the indecency to ask 'what did they do?'. The same justice system that is supposed to hold the Constitution before everything else and see to it that our rights are protected, chooses to shield the assailants. I have utmost faith in our justice system, I just sometimes wish that better measures could be taken to restore the lost faith. There are so many matters that are taken for granted or not even attended to at all by the policing system, but, the judiciary is commendable – flaws and all.

I am all for humanity and for all humanity. This is not an attack to the white body, but a call out to all the racists. Racism is inhumanity and must be called out on every chance that we get, not when a black person dies in the hands of a racist white man and sends shock waves throughout the world. It's important to teach young people to love and respect all humanity. But also, not to keep quite when they are faced with a racist encounter. Do not allow any human being to strip you of your dignity – no matter their colour, age, sex or sexual orientation. Speaking out and speaking up are exactly what is needed to start correcting behaviours and attitudes – we have to start somewhere. Let us make racists uncomfortable. They may never see anything wrong with how they are, their actions and the consequences thereof – the fight against racism has been an exhaustingly long one, yet it still persists. Make them uncomfortable and feel shame for carrying and expressing hate just because they don't like other people and they think it's okay. Say it to their faces that they are racist and they should be ashamed. It would all be easier if we just chose peace and kindness and stopped being so unpleasant towards one another – but hey, one can only hope, right?

To my black sistas who love wearing wigs, it is completely okay. It's unfair to judge women on their preferred hair style, on the basis that they don't love their natural hair and are chasing Eurocentrism. That is absolutely unfair and biased. In a world where everything is fluid, I believe so should the mere choice of hair. If you like it, wear it. Bleaching their skins, etc. Bottom line is, let's let them live their lives without making them feel bad about it and without stripping them of their blackness and Africanity. We're all allowed to be attracted to each other, to be friends and to love one another. Afterall there's only one 'kind' that's superior, and that's the humankind.

Once again, it is a great wish of mine that we all see other for who we are and rip off all the disgusting, inhumane labels. Let's treat each other like human beings for a change and see how that works out for us, yeah? Kindness and respect for the next person will not be the death of anyone, trust me. I am a proud black young woman. That right there is my superpower! Let's see each other, love and celebrate each other, uplift and empower each other. Let us stop teaching young children hate and fear and allow them to be free. Do not corrupt innocent minds and force them to inherit nonsense that does not concern them.

I have seen on multiple occasions, social media gags that include, "poverty is a disease" or "poverty isn't cute". I am aware that these are jokes that imply wanting better for oneself. Ironically, they reflect the truth of people living in poverty. People from impoverished backgrounds are treated like they have a disease and they deserve to be alienated from the rest of society. They are treated as though they are less human for living under gut-wrenching conditions, which by the way, they never chose for themselves. It's like you are so ridiculous for not having, not knowing and not having experienced. This lands differently on different individuals and has different outcomes ditto. While some become further oppressed, others desperately want more. Status and classification are just as bad as racism. We all yearn for financial freedom and a life of opulence. When you find yourself ahead of those still waiting for their turn, don't forget that you are still human. Nothing about your financial status makes you a better person or gives you the license to look down on other people.

Street vendors, recyclers, farmworkers, miners, cleaners and small business owners have all my respect. They are the best kind of people because in a world filled with so much judgement, they still wake up every day and do what needs to be done to make sure that their children are put through school, clothed and fed. They are the true heroes because they live authentic lives. They are true to themselves and aren't forcing non-existent lifestyles. Contentment goes a long way. It's not that they don't want more for themselves or that they aren't even trying. They are grateful and appreciative of what they have and are content with that because it is already more than enough; compared to having a lot yet being unhappy because there is a certain standard you have to uphold and you are just never content with what you have.

Once again, respect and kindness. The same person you are looking down on today could be the help you need tomorrow. Humble yourself before everyone. That's what makes you a great human being – the quality of your heart. A sincere greeting and warm conversation with anyone will not take away anything from you. If anything, it might just be the drop you needed to fill your cup and make your day. There are no peasants in this life. We all deserve joy and the highest of blessings, and we are just waiting in line for our turn. Never be ashamed of where you come from, whether it be a reference to the past or where you are currently. Do not put pressure on yourself to be like everyone else and want to have things that are currently out of your reach. Let's refrain from the demeaning and condescending remarks. People who come from villages are disrespected in cities because they are regarded as stupid and clueless about life. They are made to feel like they aren't good enough or that they don't belong. Being from Moeka does not make me stupid or any less deserving than something who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth and had everything handed to them on a silver platter. It's a pity that so many people advance through connections, it's no secret. I bet many of us have stories of how we were maltreated, sized down or rejected and made to feel like less of a person because you were poor and weren't appealing to them, not even because you were trying to infiltrate their space, but by just being, they were 'disturbed' by you. Trust me, it was not the poverty. It was the fact that you were yourself, brilliant and whole without the money, while they used it as a crutch or a shield to hide their fragility. I am so sorry if they ever got to you. I am proud that you bent but never broke. When someone, anyone, finds anything wrong with you, it is always projection – none of you and all of them.

I figure there is no one who is ever going to come and rescue us or free us from the binds of poverty. The rich get richer from exploiting the poor, while they get poorer. Some pockets get deeper while others get holes poked in them further. I will never get over the fact that legislation was drawn up to have black Africans' land taken from them, then had them working as slaves in their forefathers' land. When it is time to reverse the injustice, it is said to be illegal and unjust. This war we cannot forfeit. They may have won the battles, but we must armour up and return to the battlefield to take back what is rightfully ours. Do not tell me about how lazy and not smart black people are and how they will misuse the land. Who has been doing all the labour in that land all these decades? In the meantime, let us focus on battles that will serve us. Starting our own businesses and creating lasting legacies for ourselves. Still, we have not forgotten. We live in a capitalistic society, disguised with a transparent layer of communism. It's beyond clear to see through the bullshit. Now, if we are going to say, 'people hide behind their circumstances and cry victim, while stoning those that work hard', we would not be doing any justice to the people living in the most impoverished of communities, with seemingly no way out. It would be an injustice not to tell their stories and open the window that shows a tiny speck of what they go through. If anyone had a choice, they would not be living in poverty. Stop speaking from positions of privilege, judging and calling people names. If you can, help. Money doesn't make anyone a better person – it just simply gives you a better life, not necessarily a happy one.


[REFLECTION: The world is so beautifully diverse. It makes me proud to know that there are people who actively choose to embrace all humanity and allow kindness for every person to flow through them. They sure do make the world a better place to live in.]