Strangely enough, Covid-19 no longer seems particularly important right now, as the United States struggles with the death of George Floyd and we see demonstrations across the world protesting police brutality against black people.
I did not want to comment earlier, because I was not sure how relevant any comment I could make, would be and to be honest; white people need to be listening rather than speaking right now. However, systemic racism is a problem for each and every living person on Earth. Whether you are black and directly affected by it, or whether you are white, and fundamentally part of the problem.
I am a white South African male, and I grew up during the Apartheid years, I never believed I was racist, I was raised by my parents to respect everyone no matter the colour of their skin.
But, I also bristled when I was told I was privileged, I did not grow up with a lot of money, or a massive house and I didn’t see myself as particularly privileged.
One thing which changed my view and got me really thinking was this; I was sitting at work chatting with a colleague about dogs, and he made a comment that he didn’t know dog breeds, as far as he was concerned the only dog breed was a police dog.
That hit me like a sledgehammer, because it just encapsulates what growing up non-white in the world meant. Fundamentally South Africa also had a system of legal racism in place, thankfully this is gone and will never be resurrected.
But his comment really got me thinking about how privileged I have been. I had two parents at home, my mom didn’t work while I was growing up so I never came home to an empty house, I grew up in a comfortable middle-class home, and I received a great education in my home language at a top school in Durban. I was conscripted to the army, and was fortunate to get a job at a bank upon leaving the army, a job which I got because of the Old Boys system, and for which I didn’t have to interview.
I have experienced some tough times, but honestly never because I was white. I have never been followed around a store by a security guard or refused service because I was white.
When I look back at my life, I can see so many things which were racist, jokes both told and tolerated, those muttered swear words when I got cut off by a taxi in the Johannesburg CBD, and possibly worst of all, not calling out racism when I saw it, but looking the other way, because I didn’t want to get involved or I did not want to offend anyone.
Enough!
Black lives matter, whether in the United States, or the streets of Kempton Park, and I will never look away again, even if this conversation and others which we must have make me feel uncomfortable.
It is time for white privilege to end.
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