SOUTH AFRICA
These are some of the recent posts that i and others have made to hopefully challenge and encourage and educate you as you try and figure out how to do life better in South Africa. Please feel free to share any of these posts that are helpful with people you think it might help to take one more step towards…
All Lives Smatter – a collection of thoughts about race, painting all people with the same brush and the need for whites to engage with whites
All White Lives Matter – a “Black Lives Matter for Dummies” kind of post
Ask before you leap [to conclusions] – a post looking at how we engage when we engage with others on race
8 Steps to help me become a better ally of my friends of colour – a short but helpful reminder
But pity the mutants – a painful look at how white people are able to feel more empathy for fictional characters and pets than black people
But What Can I Do? – 40 Tips for white South Africans genuinely asking this question
Entitlement with an “i” – a brief glimpse into the problem of entitlement in our country
If I were white, I’d have been able to breathe – guest post by Thandi Nkomo
Race with me – short video clips explaining race issues simply to white people
She turned to me and asked me if being an Umlungu was something i enjoyed.
The Better Black/Coloured/Indian – some friends share stories about the standard of whiteness that has been pressured on them
The queen, my dad, and Sarafina – guest post by Thandi Nkomo
Ways in which white people are better than black people [part I] – a very short post.
Ways in which white people aren’t better than black people [part II] – a more wordier post.
When someone with an African name gives you their “easier” English name.
When the offence is that you’re offended – looking a little deeper into entitlement in South Africa.
I’m not racist, but…
...is possibly one of the most untruthful sentences we can utter. In fact the word "but" following the phrase "I'm not racist" is pretty much always a strong indicator that the very next thing said [...]
Listen hear
i just had a brief conversation with a Facebook friend that began with him writing the words, "Knowing what white privilege is..." and then asking a question. Having learnt from some people who are really [...]
How about BOTH/AND when it comes to Race?
It begins with a cartoon posted on Facebook: And before long someone jumping on with a "But Zuma orchestrated the Red Wedding, is responsible for ongoing Adam Sandler movies and killed all the unicorns!" To [...]
Breaking Bread with Jana: Relocation
Recently it was my pleasure to connect with Jana and Ampie Niehaus from Durban who recently felt like a certain geographical move was on the cards for them. i engaged with Jana on a series [...]
Some petrol for your thoughts
This is a follow up to the post i wrote a few days ago looking at petrol attendants in South Africa. Before i actually wrote the previous post [or while i was writing it, really] [...]
Let’s make some history.
Do you remember where you voted in 1994? Where you were when the twin towers fell on 9/11? How about when we won the 1995 World Cup of Rugby? More importantly, where did you stand [...]
Step towards
You can do it! You can take one more step! i think i know to some extent how you are feeling. You're tired. You're frustrated. You've really been making an effort in terms of these [...]
From R2 to R20
In South Africa we have people who pump our petrol for us. i generally try to tip the petrol attendant to thank them for doing a good job. But what is a good tip? Years [...]
My Shame: Some of the story of how i got from there to here.
My name is brett "Fish" anderson and i am ashamed it took me so long to get here. A BIT OF MY JOURNEY i didn't grow up in a particulary racist family, in fact if [...]
It starts here: reflections on Sobukwe
"When I came back from overseas, the road I had grown up on had been changed to Robert Sobukwe drive. That is all I knew of him." One of the comments after the Robert Sobukwe [...]
Hope for South Africa rising…
i am hope-filled for South Africa. i am not so naive to not suspect how much of a knife point this country feels on at the moment and to know that at any moment things [...]
I’ll tell you what you can do.
i hear that so often in conversations of race. But what am i meant to do? It sounds like an honest question and a healthy cry for help. But as a matter of fact i [...]