My Personal Experiences 

I go back to my upbringing as a white girl in an Apartheid era in South Africa in the late 1970’s. A country so divided by bias and racist laws. A beautiful country filled with hatred and sadness. A country I call home. 

I am slightly relieved when I am able to recount the days differently from my other white friends, who’s only contact with black people where those who cleaned their houses or worked in their garden. My father was a true freedom fighter, a passionate individual who put sport first. His sport saw no boundaries and he fought hard to have any South African be part of his dojo (karate school) regardless of color. He fought so hard that he landed up in compromising situations. I recall a certain scenario where I was out at a local swimming pool with my friends, the pool was divided into whites and non-whites. White people got the grassy shady area, which I never thought to question why. I saw a friend from karate, a black friend, excited to spot one another we ran over to each other to say hello. The whistle blew and the life guard came rushing over, as if someone may be drowning. Instead he asked what we were doing and that my friend should stop bothering me and stay in her area. When I recount the events of that day I can hardly believe it. This is beyond diminishing equality and beyond biases, the brutal racism and the mere fact that a law allowed for this is inconceivable.

When recalling these events I feel so angry that this was allowed to happen for so long but at the same time I feel proud that this country has managed to move through and beyond this. The great Nelson Mandela helped to heal the wounds of the past and tried to have people forgive and move on. A rainbow nation with a brutal past and a colorful future. I choose to think that due to the political prejudices from the past this country and it’s many culture have an opportunity to learn and make conscious changes to never have history repeat itself.