in Blogging 101, history, Politics, race 299 Words

Is it ever going to be possible in my lifetime?

Sometimes when I answer questionnaires and I reach the part where I have to put my race I feel a bit uncomfortable.

I feel as if I’m being profiled, It’s as if the whole questionnaire is centered in race and the other previous and following questions are just accompanying this question of race. I mean why do you have to know my race? Isn’t a man suppose to be judged by the content of his character than his skin color?

I mean is it ever going to be possible in my lifetime to see a white elderly woman who is struggling to cross the road and think let me go and help “MY” grandma cross the road over there without having to be conscious that she will think I’m going to try and rob her ?

Is it going to be possible in my lifetime to walk the streets without seeing white people frantically shutting their car windows and giving me that ” keep your distance look” as I pass by.

Is it ever going to be possible in my lifetime to watch a YouTube video about how baboons live in the wild and look at the comments below and not see a comment “I’m here to see how black people live” by fellow white countrymen?

I’m free in theory not in practice. I am a target of policemen who have black skin like mine. I’m always a suspect and guilty of having done nothing. I can’t walk or drive freely in my own country without being stopped, searched and harassed by the special branch police popularly known as amaberete.

Is it ever going to be possible in my lifetime to write this article and never be thought of as pulling the race card ?

Is it ever going to be possible?

17 thoughts on “Is it ever going to be possible in my lifetime?”

  1. Really we are all member of the human race. Sometimes in those sorts of questionnaires I try and write in human if possible. I know they are trying to determine for the sake of census or something-but this should not be necessary in this day and age. You are not pulling a race card but rather and honest card. I’m sorry society throws the stereo-types on you and places the target on you based on the colour of your skin. We can only hope that this will eventually not be the case at all. It is amazing how much the stereo-types remain in spite of all the progress the world has made in so many other areas! You are an excellent writer!

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  4. I really hope it’s possible but I don’t see the question of race leaving questionnaires for a couple hundred years because when we eventually reach equality there will always be a check on it, are we treating everyone equally? And when it comes to questionnaires about experiences with the police and other areas in society, there will be a check on whether everyone is still equal, even after we reach equality that will require knowing the race of questionnaire respondents.

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  5. Is it ever going to be possible? Quite a creative way of passing serious information across without stirring strife. Any unbiased person should appreciate this piece. Discrimination of all sorts ought to seize, and this is a good way to create the necessary sensitization. Good job.

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  7. Can we speak of this openly and honestly?

    I personally believe that we should value our cultural differences and various traditions.
    No, I don’t mean the Apartheid ideal of “separate, but equal”.
    Legislated “equality” never works.

    Exactly the same with BEE.
    It is a form of legislated equality and therefore it is doomed to fail.

    Placing your race on a form is technically supposed to benefit you as a black man. Yet it clearly has the opposite effect for you.

    Among friends, we have often debated the topic of interracial marriage.
    Perhaps I should go hide before someone attacks me. It is certainly a hot-button topic.
    The simple truth is, I would not marry an American. Neither would I marry someone from Spain.
    (Well, I’m already married and polygamy isn’t an option, so this is a purely academic exercise. Lol.)
    In the same manner, I would not marry someone from outside my own culture.
    Firstly, there is the language barrier.
    Secondly, there would be family expectations on both sides which would be unnecessarily onerous.
    Thirdly, marriage is already difficult (really difficult). Adding additional burdens may be worth it if you are truly, deeply, madly in love, but I don’t think that the challenges faced by interracial couples is something that you go out and seek deliberately.
    And lastly, in the same way as some men prefer blondes or brunettes, skinny or voluptuous, tall or short women, in the same way we all have certain physical preferences. Well, as a woman I also happen to have a particular “type” that I admire.

    To answer your (controversial) question, Bobby, I think that race will only ever become a non-issue when two things happen:

    – Firstly, when people start to become more tolerant.
    – And secondly, when people start to become less over-sensitive.
    Both prevent friendship and understanding.

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    1. Hi Padastoel, thanks for paying my bloggosphere a visit. Well you are making very interesting points there. But I must point out that you are jumping the gun. “Jumping the gun” in the sense that I’m still coming to that subject of interracial relationships. In fact I’m engaged to a beautiful afrikaans girl whom I’ve been in a relationship with for 3 years now. Her family had issues at first with our relationship but I find they are more accepting now. Her father however it’s a different story, I don’t know why he hates me really (lols). More about this when I finally find the courage and words to write about it.

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      1. I honestly did not know. It is just a natural extension of the prejudice debate.

        I wish you all of the best and all happiness with your relationship.

        I only wish I could offer some advice to charm your future father-in-law…

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