As I continue to explain why I believe ‘Racism does not exist’, one thing needs to be made clear, South Africa should become colour blind. South Africa should not be ignorant, but we need to see past the skin colour, we need to look at the vulnerability of each person without their exterior.
This past weekend, when Simba Mhere died I was privileged enough to observe how his death moved a lot of South Africans, a year ago, we all cried and demanded justice for Anene Booysen – a year later, we cry for the death of another five-year-old.
When Bafana Bafana, the Springboks and the Proteas take the field we all want them to do well. We expect them to win every game they play, and when they do, the only colour we see is green and gold. Suddenly, the inspiring colours of the rainbow make us believe, “We can live and celebrate together!”
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My heart bleeds each time I hear all black men labelled criminals, my heart also bleeds each time a white man is side-lined because he is the minority. I feel this way because I am colour blind, a few pigments of the skin should not trap me from associating with whomever I want to befriend.
As previously mentioned, the reason I say ‘racism is a lie’, it is because none of us were born with it, the concept is something fabricated by society; it is nothing more than a self-inflicted parasite which has been allowed to rule our lives.
Our children should teach us this because clearly none of us get this. Maybe an example I used earlier about ploughing should help you. In order for you to effectively plough the field, you need to always look ahead of you at all times. In the same manner, in order to redress the effects of Apartheid, we need to focus on the future.
So what if the past was bad? You do not see me complaining about how I could not read or write back in grade 1, or how I was unfairly treated by family and friends at times when I had nothing but a pen, paper and what they called an ‘unrealistic dream’.
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Instead of complaining about not having the state-of-the-art laptop, I chose to keep writing in the countless exam pads I managed to get my hands on. I did not complain about the fact that the only computer access was at the local library, instead I was grateful for what I had and maximised its potential.
The same way I and many others who faced challenges managed to lift themselves out of bad situations, we are able to do so as a country. Apartheid should not become a dark cloud, prohibiting us from seeing the future.
The pain of those who came before us should not outweigh the pain we inflict on ourselves. South Africa can only move forward if we all start looking forward.
We need to give ourselves a chance to live in a country where everyone feels they belong, a South Africa which encourages patriotism at all times – basically, we need a leadership capable of leading us to a ‘promised land’.
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For some these ideas may be idealistic, but I need to remind you that men such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani and Mahatma Ghandi lived and were prepared to die for their ideals.
It is only fair that one of us must rise up and honour their legacy; not by remembering their pain, but rather their victories. Our duty is to build on the legacy they left us…
With that said, I would like to end with these words from Martin Luther King: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”
Let us today look at each other as South Africans who have a right to the opportunities this country has to offer, not based on the colour of our skin, but our proven qualification or track record to inspire the South African dream in all we do.
