Examples Of Racism In South Africa

2651 Words11 Pages
I’m starting to think that South Africa is fucked. I guess I’m not surprised. I actually started thinking that a while ago, probably three years ago when I finally became a teenager. I sense that a lot of young South Africans feel this way too, there’s good reason though. I just live here. I am proudly South African, sure, but it’s not really a choice that I made for myself. If you gave me a map of the world I guess I could show you better or worse countries to be born in. Therefore I’m grateful that I was born here. I live here and I love it, but I hate. Honestly sometimes I just want to pack my bags and move to New York City. But I’ve always promised myself that I will help change this racist society that young Black South Africans like me are currently living and being oppressed in. The problem is, we as South Africans are very very good at calling out racists, but yet we hate talking about racial issues. Apartheid might have ended 22 years ago but its racism has stayed and has become institutionalised, and it particularly manifests itself within schools – which I believe is where children become racists and pick up racial prejudices from friends and teachers. It 's no longer individuals that are racist per se, but the institutions that we live and work in that perpetuates white supremacy and racism, which are done in very surreptitious ways. Racism in South African schools can only be understood from its historical context. Apartheid conditioned schools to be