The premise upon which
differences between races of human beings are said to exist, that human beings
can be classed into four or five divisions in consequence of complexion is
flawed. This flaw has resulted in great confusion and has made human beings see
themselves as more different than they are similar. The world has, over the
centuries, adopted a definition of race based on the physical appearance of
human beings. This definition has been maintained and often used to back the
science of discrimination against the people of colour, with a special focus on
black people. This prejudice continues to be at the core of interactions
between the people of South Africa.
In an attempt to overcome this
prejudice I have sometimes thought it progressive to reject my blackness and to
adopt a non-racial identity. The universal declaration of human rights has
cushioned me in this pursuit while the idea of a rainbow nation has filled me with
hope of unity. Through an ongoing pondering upon my blackness I have
understood, sometimes with great difficulty, that there is an ideological force
waging against black people the world over; and that by virtue of being born
black, I am often at the receiving end.
In South Africa it has become
common practice to suggest that black people should forget the past and embrace
the future as a response to their cries about the prevalence of apartheid
through its legacy. As a black person, this translates into shedding one’s blackness
as a means to overcome the imbalances of the past; to get over apartheid and “get
with the program”. This is in stark contrast to my reality where there is no
space in South Africa that I can step into without being reminded of my
blackness. While in the past my
blackness made those of my kind to endure gross discrimination, my blackness continues
to be a thorny issue in present day South Africa. My kind are said to be
reverse racists. It is an encouraged proposal – this shedding or rejection of
my blackness and instant colour blindness. It is designed to make me fit in, to
be accepted in so-called ‘white’ spaces. Remarks such as “you speak so well” and “you
are not like the others” are evidence that you are making progress in
shedding your blackness. It is further reinforced through subliminal messages
on the television that promote whiteness.
The emergence of the black middle
class is the ultimate ace in the sleeve as it rubber stamps the idea of an
integrated society, perpetuated by a false understanding of race. It allows
those who benefited from the past an opportunity to rid themselves of the guilt
and privilege. Furthermore, for political reasons, the use of racial
categories in the process of designing policies and strategies for a non-racist
society is problematic if no consideration is given to more fundamental questions
about its efficiency for ongoing social analysis. This approach has shown the
impact of racist practices as a factor in understanding South African society
post 1994; but does not acknowledge that the majority of the people continue to
be victims of apartheid’s legacy.
In an attempt to get a better
sense of socio-economic interactions between blacks and whites, and
simultaneously shed light on better race relations in post-apartheid South
Africa, one needs to point out that the real problem in South Africa since the
advent of democracy is an economic one. The African National Congress-led
government has adopted an approach to race that has resulted in no
revolutionary change in the economic structure of South Africa since apartheid
in 1948, and in that a few blacks are now in the privileged class thereby
creating the illusion of racial integration. It also needs to be said that as a
consequence of apartheid, most black people are subject to poverty. This
further makes complex the distinction between the economic and racial nature of
the struggle between blacks and whites.
The realization that we are
united in race can be a great starting point to address the economic
disparities that exist between black and white. To label incidences between
black and white people as racially charged is but a symptomatic treatment of
the economic problem. Pretending that the new faces of government have brought
about real and meaningful change in the lives of the ordinary people needs to
stop because it maintains and protects white privilege.
