Apartheid is Over: Racial Perceptions Still Exist

This week in class we learned more about apartheid and the segregation between white, blacks, coloureds, and Indians. In South Africa, coloured has a different meaning than someone from the United States would view the term. In the US, the term colored has negative connotations linked to slavery and the treatment of blacks during that time. In South Africa though, coloured represents the people of mixed race and these individuals are proud to proclaim that they are coloured. During apartheid when individuals were being separated into different townships, the color of their skin was often used to determine what race category they would fit into. These classifications brought about racial perceptions based on skin color that still exists today in South Africa and the United States.

After experiencing such a history that was so racially involved, it would be impossible not to talk about race in South Africa today. To show that these racial perceptions still exist, we watched a film called “A Girl Like Me”. In this film teenage girls of different skin complexions spoke to the struggles they face. The Kenneth Clark study was depicted in the film where black children were asked to chose which doll, black or white, was smarter, prettier, and better. In most cases the children chose the white doll signifying that they still believe in some way that white is better than black.

This was very heartbreaking to see, especially because I am black. I could relate with many of the ideas in the video. This class also got me thinking whether I would be considered black or coloured in South Africa. Even though I’m not South African, I am just curious as to what I would be. Jan told a story of a past group where the black students were given African names by one of the South African men, but one lighter skinned black student didn’t get a name probably because she would have been considered coloured. I could probably go on and on about skin color and race, but I’ll just stop here in hopes that I will get an African name by someone in Cape Town J

Topic: District Six...One Big Family Split apart

This week for class I read the book “The House in Tyne Street”. It was a very quick read compared to A Long Walk to Freedom! This novel by Linda Fortune gives her account of what life was like as a child in District Six. After reading the book I felt like I had a good grasp on the neighborhood dynamic in District Six. It was a diverse area with families of all different backgrounds and traditions. Everyone seemed to know each other and look out for one another. It seemed no different from the typical neighborhood in the United States where every family knows each other and takes care of one another. It was difficult to read about the individual families that got forced out of District Six. District Six was the place so many people called home. I could not imagine being forced out of the place where I grew up and made friends and memories.

Before reading this book, I thought of District Six as a bad neighborhood full of poverty and crime. From Linda Fortune’s account, it wasn't a wealthy neighborhood and there was some crime, but the individuals living there did the best with what they had and that made them happy. It actually reminds me of the neighborhood stories my parents have of their childhood. My parents didn’t grow up in a wealthy neighborhood by any means, but they made the best of what they had and enjoyed it. The children in the neighborhood all knew each other and played simple games like the ones described in the book. It’s the camaraderie of the individuals in the neighborhood that made everyone a family.


To save the best for last…GOOD NEWS! We get to meet Linda Fortune, the author of “The House in Tyne Street” while in Cape Town. I enjoyed reading her book so much and now we get the opportunity to meet her. I can’t wait!