The incident!
A racist incident at Pretoria Girls High School has sparked a massive social media debate about how black (and any race, other than white) children are treated in high schools that are situated in former white areas, demarcated so when South Africa was still governed by the Apartheid regime.
The incident that sparked the fury was about...hair! Black children were told to chemically straighten their hair in order to abide by the School Code of Conduct rules. A black girl, who had defied the hair straightening rule, wearing her own natural hair in an afro, and was forbidden to write exams until she had "fixed" her hair. In an interview the girl said "black hair grows upwards, that's just the way it is. And so it is, I have a son with extremely curly hair, and so does his. Live with it. The incident has led to a number of schools in the area holding protest action, in support of the learners at Pretoria Girls High. This protest action is on the verge of taking off like wildfire throughout all the country's schools.
Good!
Schooling issues have been weighing heavily on my mind for a while. My daughter, who is in her final high school year, attends one of these schools. A school that accepts all races, but indulges subtle racism. There is nothing that you can put your finger on, except for subtle actions and tones of voice. My daughter is a free spirit and comfortable with everyone. This has not made her popular with certain teachers, which I explored in previous blog.
Ironically, it's the stories that my daughter has come home with, that have REALLY made me see how awesome her black friends are. I love their humour, and I like the way they explore the race issue in a brutally honest, but hilarious way. I giggle at the way they sometimes purposely mispronounce words in order to play up to their stereotypes. Just as subtle as the subtlest of racism. Hmmm. One of her male friends will give her a hug, and tell her that he is only doing it so that he can say he hugged a white girl. Another friend has the most amazing repertoire of land jokes, that he tests out on her. (Whites were historically land grabbers, to be fair.) There is a chasm of difference between racism and teasing. Humour is a bridge. Take it or leave it.
Lately I've noticed slightly militant streak emerging in my daughter. She is not afraid to speak her mind and confronted a teacher just yesterday. That's fine. I have no problem going to the school if she needs support.
Decisions!
My best friend's daughter will be starting her high school year next year, and there has been much agonising over the choice of school to attend. The school my daughter attends is supposedly the best government high school in our area in terms of academics, so it should be the obvious choice. BUT my friend and her daughter are mixed race. My friend's daughter was pyschologically traumatised in primary school, when a white teacher called her an abomination, to the point that she does not wish to be friends with white people. Close relationships with people of another race (it actually feels ridiculous that I have to say it) are essential for understanding. Once understanding, empathising, is achieved, the concept of race can begin to fall away.
My daughter has advised that my friend's daughter not attend her school. This has left me thinking, as I have two young sons still to enter their high school years. If I advise my friend not to enroll her daughter in that school due to it's racist undertones, how can I morally send my sons there? My friend has decided to send her daughter to another well known local high school, with only a handful of white students. I am fortunate that I can observe her experience of this school, and its academics, before I reach the time I have to make that difficult choice. I will allow my sons to take part in an informed decision as to the high school of their choice.
(all images: pixabay)
I am very glad this issue has exploded and I hope that it is thoroughly explored. Without violence though, which unfortunately protesters in our country have a propensity for. I truly believe that we in South Africa have one of the best chances in the world at overcoming racism. It is directly due to our past government's racist policies, and the overthrowing of those policies, that we have been forced into entering dialogue with one another. Each incident is an opportunity for us to grow together, if we can have the courage to seize it. What really is needed is that we examine our own hearts and motivations very carefully.
