More than 15 years after South Africa’s apartheid system ended, racism still endures. Inequality between whites and non-whites is clear, particularly in the workforce, where the majority of blacks work menial jobs, if they can find a job at all.
Every morning when I head to work, I pass a convenience store about a block from my house. Lining the sidewalk in front of this store are dozens of black men hoping to get picked up for day labor. Invariably when I pass by, they each hold up an index finger, indicating their services are available to me. They see a white guy and naturally assume I have the power to employ them.
What really frustrates me is when I meet a black man – say, a parking attendant, for example – and he calls me “baas” (i.e., Afrikaans for “boss”). This is a holdover apartheid-era term that recognizes a non-white’s subservience to the man in authority. Whenever someone calls me this, I tell him, “I’m not your boss. You and I are equals.”
Today I had an interesting encounter with a guy begging for money at a stop light (a daily sight at intersections around Cape Town). Even though my black friend Mzo was with me, this guy approached my side of the car to ask for a handout , assuming that only the white guy would have money to spare.
But I said, “Ask him” and pointed at Mzo. This clearly stumped him – he studied Mzo for a second, mumbled something in Xhosa and moved on to the next car. Mzo burst out laughing, and then translated: “He said, ‘Very clever.’” The guy no doubt had never asked for or received money from a black person.
I certainly don’t have the answers to this complex issue of racism. Nearly half a century has passed since blacks won civil rights in America, yet racism lingers there. So it’s probably unreasonable to expect it to be eradicated in less time in South Africa. Still, I wish people wouldn’t assume I’m the baas just because of the color of my skin.
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