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"We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they have all learned to live together in the same box!"

Saturday 1 October 2011

Back to the beginning

I think I jumped into the blogging a bit prematurely. Probably was too excited that I'd finally got it started and so started blogging before really introducing myself and this blog properly. And so I want to take a quick step back...

I am Kathy. I am South African, proudly South African. I am white and a very pale white! I am married to philippe. He is an incredibly good, passionate, special guy. Must be, right?! And he is coloured. Philippe prefers to be called coloured, aka black (because of bee privileges)

It's impossible to live in SA and not be aware of race. And even more so when you are in an interracial relationship...

Since I can remember I have been passionate about SA and about our people. But I do recognize in myself that a grew up very privileged because of my paleness. I also think that means I have some preconceptions about other people. I don't think, I know!
But I am passionate about SA and our people and I want somehow to challenge how we think and as a result how we act.

So hopefully that clarifies some things and hopefully gets you thinking...
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3 comments:

  1. Roger Saner3 October 2011 at 21:48

    Cool - I'm glad you've put the topic of race on the table early on in this reconcilation blog. So much of thinking in SA right now is about, "Can't we just get over race already?" as if it doesn't still inform and impact so much of society, especially in SA. I'll admit that a few years back I was there - the kind of liberal colourblind, "Why can't we all just move past Apartheid and get along with each other; it was in the past anyway and things are better now, right - no pass laws, etc". I've become more race-conscious in the past few years, and more conscious of my own positionality: a white, privileged South African, who has a position on public life that is informed by being, well, white and privileged!

    I'm interested in Philippe's take on the coloured identity in SA. I was in a race workshop last year with quite a few Cape coloureds. Some of them said, "I'm coloured, NOT black." Some said, "I'm black, NOT coloured." And some said, "I'm mixed race." And some said, "I'm khoisan." So the coloured identity in SA is complicated and contested.

    Yay BEE privileges! Do they extend to you too, Kath? hehe

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  2. Kathy5 October 2011 at 10:36

    So... i wrote the longest answer and it didnt get published...
    Trying again...

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  3. Kathy5 October 2011 at 10:45

    And i am able to comment on my own blog... Hooray! Gotta love technology...

    Trying to remember what my long, highly eloquent answer was before it got annihilated by technology...

    I think that you cant talk about reconciliation without addressing race, especiaqlly in SA. Ignoring race and apartheid and our history doesnt make us non- racist. If we dont address race it becomes the elephant in the room which i think can then grow out of proportion...

    My one worry about race and talking about it is whether this is again just white people jumping on a bandwagon... but i think we need to discuss stuff or how do we reconcile.

    i guess i'd be interested in what other races think of that?

    And about being coloured... I have heard it said by coloured people that they arent white enough or black enough and as a true minority they can be marginilised.
    I'll chat to Phil about where he sees himself... and hopefully publish that soon!

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