South Africa

Taboo Topic: The People who Work for Us – Intro

This is a complex one. We don’t presently have a maid/domestic worker but have spoken about the possibility of employing someone in that role. And this is not a witch hunt to try and make anyone feel bad [unless you need to be feeling bad and then don’t feel bad but just change how you’re living!]. A number of months ago i was chatting to a domestic worker at a friend’s house and just hearing [...]

I am Stellenbosch [and other stories we tell our kids before they go to bed]

So this past week a picture appeared on my Twitterer of a white girl with a statement written on a board that made me cringe: Suddenly more and more of these pictures were popping up all over Social Media and turns out there was an #IAmStellenbosch group inviting students at the University to write statements about themselves which challenge the stereotype of a typical Stellenbosch student and highlight the differences and individualities of each student. [...]

How to be an Ally: The Ten Commandments of Communication

My friends Alexa Russell Matthews and Nicole Joshua recently ran a workshop titled, "The 'Colour' Elephant in the Room" which you can read some of a participant's experience of over here. What stood out to me though was this list of what was referred to as the 'Ten Commandments' which was the basis of a commitment to engage well with each other. For those of us seeking to be positively involved in conversation and action in the [...]

How to be an Ally: Intro

When i was looking for an image to reflect the idea of becoming an Ally i found this poster and really liked it. Because the question that i am wrestling with at the moment is just that: How to Be a Better Ally, specifically when it comes to matters of Race. And possibly one of the biggest pieces of this puzzle is that the answer should not have to come from people of colour. [...]

Where the Hope lies…

In a moment of brave-ity two night's ago i decided to ask the South African internet a question. I was reading a book that pointed back to the idea of South Africa being renamed Azania and i didn't think that was the worst idea. After all 'South Africa' is just a direction, right. What do you think? Who would be okay with a name change and why? i also posted an article by Xolela Mangcu [...]

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