Race is an interesting topic here in South Africa.
It is truly incredible and so humbling to see a country that only a few decades ago suffered from the oppressive racial divisions that implicated every aspect of one’s life now exhibiting a culture of appreciation for difference. Although this country continues to suffer from many many structural challenges in terms of race, it seems to have overcome many of the racial barriers and oppressions that were prevalent during the apartheid past. Apartheid – a period of political segregation and relocation of black and colored people – only ended in 1994 and that really is not that long ago.
Race is a normal topic of conversation here, as one would think in a society that has been through it all. South Africans, I’ve found, engage in dialogue about race all the time. How could they not when apartheid is not far from people's minds. Many remember the exact feeling of living and breathing through it. The difference, in my experience, is that in the States, my engagement with race has largely stopped at reading (which is problematic), whereas in South Africa, I talk about race with people I meet all of the time in just normal, casual conversation. People seem to be way more open about it and get deep really quick. I think it’s a cultural thing.
Nowadays, all of us see posts having to do with racial issues on our Facebook feed, but what do we make of it? What do we do about it? How can I be an ally with it? These are all questions I ask myself every day here because I am constantly surrounded by it. I’m still struggling to answer them. For starters, though, I can talk about it and learn to identify my own racism. I think something simple that I can easily implement is just being kind to everyone. Having the sympathy and compassion for anyone regardless of race is something that can connect someone so simply and instantly.
I have thought about how I have benefitted from the color of my skin my entire life, and the concept of 'white privilege' allows me to choose whether to engage with certain racial issues or not. The majority of people living in South Africa are black, around 80%, and whites only make up about 9% of the population. It is odd that such a small percentage can change the social breakdown of the city. This has quite huge implications on health in terms of quality of care and accessibility. It's a fact that white people are given better healthcare just because of the physicality of their skin color. With that being said, I believe it’s my moral duty to recognize these differences and further engage to bridge the gap. I also emphasize that it’s not my voice that speaks for these movements. Rather, my goal here is to share what I’ve learned about South Africa so that everyone can understand it fully.
While my race is important in social contexts and accessibility in other situations being here, the lens of difference that I once began to see and understand the world through isn’t tinted by just my race, but also my nationality and socioeconomic status. The first thing I think of when I am interacting with another person, especially South African natives, is how they will respond to my distinctly American accent. I am so hyper aware of this because it identifies me as an "other" when i just open my mouth. I also am aware of my elevated socioeconomic status and the ways in which that identifier names me either an other or an equal also. It’s quite interesting and as an especially open person to dialogue I find that my voice/accent can be a barrier in certain social instances because of the stereotype that comes along with being from America.
It's expanding my horizons to be self aware of this all and its great to be thinking about my race in terms of my place in world.