Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to the legacy of apartheid in South Africa, you would expect that no one needs to define it in so many words. But, even in 2024 \u2013 30 years since the abolishment of the system \u2013 you still find racism rearing its ugly head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have found a startling notion among melanated individuals that \u201cracist\u201d is a term reserved only for those with a fair skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The preceding paragraph started sounding very \u201cwoke\u201d as the kids would say. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But out of fear of even being branded a racist, many these days shy away from using race labels at all. Opting to whisper or mumble through it at the risk of someone misconstruing their sentiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find this among many coloured people. The seemingly engrained sense of inferiority to white people, but sense of superiority over black people. (And, yes from here we are going to break the fear around using these terms.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You would find admiration for what white people have, how they act and their achievements. \u201cYou speak white-people Afrikaans\u201d. How absolutely annoying. But, in the same breath, you will find the use of the K-word often, with variations which are meant to sound more acceptable in social settings \u2013 used as somewhat of an inside joke. This is racist and it is time we accept this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In challenging someone recently on the use of these derogatory words, he simply said: \u201cHow can I be racist? I also suffered with black people. I am not white.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Segregation surely was a triumph for apartheid, with its effects still seen and felt in a big way today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I cannot come from a place of personal understanding of the impact of apartheid, as I was born into a semi-free South Africa, but I can still see the impact on our older generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prevalence of poverty in our country does not subscribe to racism. It means you now see beggars and destitute of all races. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, in that you hear comments like \u201cI will never give a white man money, he should have stolen more in apartheid\u201d (I have personally heard this and some variations of this said on several occasions). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One could argue that this is the unresolved pain and trauma speaking. And honestly, I can understand this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting a sentence with \u201cI am no \/ I don\u2019t want to sound racist, but\u2026\u201d does not make the offensive or racist comment any less so. And if you feel the need to say these words, the chances are these comments may very well be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personally, I do not believe we should still be ticking a box around our race, we are defined by so much more than the colour of our skins. I think this is more important of an education than imposing our traumas and insecurities on the next generation. Because around that fire, they easily pick up the prejudices, terms and reactions to how we describe our fellow human beings. And that is where the cycle continues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have in the past written extensively around the breaking of generational curses. Let this be one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While I get that this does not apply to everyone, it is imperative that we recognise that throwing out racial slurs and defining anything based on the colour of someone\u2019s skin is racist. And that it is not reserved for white on black, but that it can also be black on coloured, coloured on black or coloured on white \u2013 based only of course on the most prevalent groups in our communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have to say it in a hushed tone, use a different word or feel like you have to defend it with a preceding declaration, chances are you should not be saying it at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic 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