{"id":493,"date":"2010-04-28T22:12:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-29T05:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/?p=493"},"modified":"2010-04-28T22:12:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-29T05:12:00","slug":"%ce%bd%cf%8c%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%bf%cf%82-%ce%b1%cf%86%cf%81%ce%b9%ce%ba%ce%ae-%e2%80%93-open-forum-black-rights-white-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/%ce%bd%cf%8c%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%bf%cf%82-%ce%b1%cf%86%cf%81%ce%b9%ce%ba%ce%ae-%e2%80%93-open-forum-black-rights-white-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"\u039d\u03cc\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u0391\u03c6\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae \u2013 Open Forum: "Black Rights, White Fears""},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>\u039f \u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03bf\u03c2 Steven Schuietevoerder<\/a> \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03c4\u03cc\u03bd\u03b9\u03c3\u03b5 \u03bc\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bd\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03b7\u03c2 (town forum) \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03bc\u03b9\u03bf \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 Cape Town, \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03af\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 150 \u03ac\u03c4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1, \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b5\u03af\u03c7\u03b5 \u03b8\u03ad\u03bc\u03b1 \u201cBlack Rights, White Fears\u201d<\/span>. H Cathy Bernatt<\/a>, \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03bf\u03bc\u03ac\u03b4\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd\u03b9\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd \u03bc\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ad\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03ba\u03cc\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03b8\u03b7 \u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03ae \u03b5\u03bd\u03cc\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bd\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7. \u039c\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ac\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5, \u03b4\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c3\u03b9\u03b5\u03cd\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf blog \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03ae\u03bd \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03c1\u03b1\u03c6\u03ae \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b5\u03bc\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 (\u03ad\u03c7\u03c9 \u03c3\u03b2\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bf\u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03ae, \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c4\u03ad\u03c8\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03b1 \u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5\u03c7\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd. \u03a4\u03b1 \u03ad\u03c7\u03c9 \u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac \u03b1\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac).<\/p>\n

Letter from an Open Forum Participant:<\/span><\/p>\n

I am sitting down to write because I just experience what I think I will remember as the best 2.5 hours I have experienced during my entire time in South Africa. Yes… out of EVERYTHING I’ve written about… this is it .<\/p>\n

And I apologize right off the bat because I know that there is no way in hell that I will be able to describe the intensity, emotion, and mind-blowing power of tonight. This also may be a bit disjointed because I\u2019ll be writing this, in a sense, as a journal entry. I just need to reflect. And this reflection is LONG. So thank you for indulging me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack Rights. White Fears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The poster was hung around campus for about two weeks with a picture of Julius Malema<\/a> and Eugene Terre\u2019Blanche<\/a> (I could write and entire email just on those two political figures so you might want to google them to learn more). But BRIEFLY, Julius Malema is a controversial black ANC<\/a> politician who has the reputation of being the personification of corruption and racism. Terre\u2019Blanche is the controversial leader of the AWB<\/a> (South Africa\u2019s white supremacist movement that was the biggest resister of the end of apartheid) who was murdered a couple of weeks ago by his black workers for an alleged wages dispute.<\/p>\n

I thought it would be interesting to go but I figured it would just be a bunch of people politely saying, \u201cI completely understand where you\u2019re coming from but I thought I might express my humble opinion on the matter as well.\u201d Very PC. Very American. Don\u2019t offend anyone. And\u2026 I had this giant essay I\u2019m supposed to be writing now, so I figured I didn\u2019t have the time. But then after class yesterday my beautiful friend W, told me that she was asked to speak at the event, and would I go to be there for her? So off I went.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack Rights. White Fears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m horrible with number guestimates, but I\u2019d say about 200 people sat in a pseudo-circle in the African Studies Department Gallery. The event was set up by a classmate of mine, M, who I am very privileged to now call a friend. The crowd was as diverse as they come. Every age. Every color. Every accent. Every personality.<\/p>\n

The goal: to have an open forum to talk about race. No political correctness. No censoring words. Just honesty. Utter, unadulterated honesty, feelings, and emotion.<\/p>\n

Look at that. I\u2019ve already written a page just leading up to the content\u2026<\/p>\n

M and her mother \u039a, welcomed everyone with words of gratitude for coming, and excitement at the prospect of having a REAL conversation about the issues no one actually talks about. Rather, that no one talks about across racial lines.<\/p>\n

W was the first to speak. And boy did she set a precedent for the rest of the night. \u201cI\u2019m angry. I\u2019m REALLY angry.\u201d <\/span>W is one of the most passionate, emotionally brilliant people I have ever met. As she spoke about her resentment for whites because of her upbringing in a township, you could see the entire suffering of black South Africans\u2019 history bump between her lips. Her hand rigid with the cry of every other resentful black South African still living in shacks, still victims of township crime, still mourning relatives lost during apartheid. She spoke for the mothers who lost children, and the children debased by white power. After the event I overheard a black student come up to her and say, \u201cThank you. I had all those feelings too but didn\u2019t know anyone else felt the same way. I didn\u2019t know I was allowed to say those things. Now I know how many other black people feel this way too.\u201d<\/span> W finished strong, confident, angry\u2026 honest.<\/p>\n

The next student to speak was a white male. I need to stop right here with a disclaimer. I do not remember everything everyone said. It was too intense for that. But there were many things that struck me and many words that still ring in head. At the end of this young man\u2019s speech he said, \u201cAnd yes I have hope for complete integration in the future. But look at the lunch tables in res [resident halls] and there\u2019s a black table and a white table. Really \u2013 and I\u2019m hesitant to use such a simplifying metaphor \u2013 but you don\u2019t see zebras and giraffes just chilling together.\u201d<\/span> It took a second for the crowd to realize what he had said\u2026 There wasn\u2019t quite booing, but the was a low groan the resonated deeply in that room.<\/p>\n

Next a young black man who spoke quite emphatically in support of Malema and called for the white man to \u201cpull us up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Last, a friend of mine, a young white student. She brought a new face to the discussion. She spoke about her mother, who lost her job to a less qualified black person because of affirmative action. And she talked about her dad, also fired for racial restructuring. She said that whites aren\u2019t scared of black people. She has black friends. It\u2019s not racism. It\u2019s that whites are scared of not being able to provide for their families. You lose a job. You fear. And why did you lose your job? Because a company wanted to fill their quota of blacks.<\/p>\n

For the next two hours the floor was open. And boy do I wish this was recorded. I\u2019ll write the things that stuck with me the most.<\/p>\n

The first of which were the words of a black female law student. \u201cI am not looked at the same way as a white person. And I will live my entire life looked at as lesser. When a white person gets a job it\u2019s because of merit. When I get a job it\u2019s because the law firm needed to fill their quota for affirmative action. When that white person messes up, our boss will say, \u2018Eh, he\u2019s fresh out of law school. He\u2019ll learn.\u201d When I mess up they say I shouldn\u2019t be there in the first place because I am not qualified. We have the same education but I will always be looked at as black.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A young black male: \u201cI went to private schools throughout my life so I all my friends were white growing up. And I get legitimacy by mimicking whites. The way I talk. The way I dress. Even the way I gesture. It\u2019s all white. Because in order to be taken seriously, I need to be as white as possible. I won\u2019t regain my dignity until I can gesture with the rhythm that beats freely in my heart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The words that probably resonated with me most. A middle aged white woman: \u201cAs an Afrikaaner woman I know that I debase black people every day. And I don\u2019t even know I\u2019m doing it. I little while ago my colleague and I [she points the middle aged black woman sitting next to her] were interviewing very prominent white businesswoman. If I said her name you would all know who she is. And the entire meeting this woman would only look at me. The one time she looked at [her colleague] was when she said something about toilets and [sorry\u2026 I can\u2019t remember the other thing\u2026 but it was \u201ca black issue\u201d]. And I didn\u2019t say anything! I didn\u2019t say anything! I didn\u2019t say, \u2018excuse me miss, but you\u2019re insulting my colleague.\u2019 No! At that moment I let down my friend. I fucked up. I fucked up! And I have fucked up, and will continue to fuck up. I for that I apologize. I\u2019m sorry. So please, if you ever see me do anything, or not say something that perpetuates black debasement, call me out on it. Please stop me and tell! I\u2019m trying but it\u2019s bloody hard to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The response by a young black female student: \u201cI just wanted to say how much that meant to me. I can\u2019t tell you how much I needed to hear that and how few people actually say that. So really I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate everything you just said. Thank you so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A middle aged white woman: \u201cI just wanted to say\u2026 And I\u2019m sorry if I get emotional. That\u2026 [starts to cry]\u2026 that\u2026 It\u2019s really hard. With my family. Recently my family has been emailing back and forth and\u2026 and\u2026 there were some really hurtful things said, and pictures sent, and\u2026 And my dad said some incredibly racist things. And I took him on. That\u2019s difficult though because he\u2019s my father and I love him. And he probably will actually never change. He\u2019ll always thing that way. So it\u2019s just hard because there\u2019s a lot to do just within my own family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Many other people spoke with completely uninhibited emotions and stories. One young female black student pleaded that the white authority in South Africa just needs to band together in some act of symbolism to take responsibility for apartheid, apologize, and promise to work towards a better, more equal future. A middle aged coloured man said how he studied at UCT and that we are making progress. That there\u2019s no way this could have happened when he was a student \u2013 openly expressing opinions like these \u2013 without fearing that someone was going to follow you home and beat you up. A black male student said, \u201cI was the only black rugby player in school, the only black student in my class, and the only black person to step foot in my school friends\u2019 white homes. And when I got there their parents would always ask, \u2018but how is your English so good?\u2019 And I would think, \u2018what kind of image do you have in your mind of black people!?\u2019\u201d<\/span> Another black student got up and said, \u201cMaybe zebras and giraffes don\u2019t chill together, but giraffes and buffalo do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the last people to talk was my friend. And this was after a lot of emotional talks, personal stories, and passionate calls for honest dialogue and open anger. My friend said, \u201cI went to private school all my life and so all of my friends were white. And they had me over their houses and their families loved me. But the thing I would always lose friends over was money. We\u2019ve already done all the symbolic stuff. We won the rugby cup together. We had the Peace and Reconciliation Committee. I can sit here with you [puts his hand on the shoulder of the white man next to him] and I can be friends with you [points to the white woman next to him], but nothing will actually get done until \u2013 and I call it the Robin Hood effect \u2013 until the money gets to the poor black people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t think it was my place to stand up and say anything. But of course the entire time I was thinking about what I would say if I said something. And by the end of this night by entire body was shaking with nerves and engulfed emotion. I thought, \u201cI feel insignificant and small in a room with so much history and powerful passion. I am on outsider here. I am American. And the only thing I can offer is the lens I look through. I have only been here for four months and it\u2019s fascinating for the first time to really see this through your eyes. I work in Khayelitsha<\/a> so I see the disparity. I\u2019ve talked to W so I\u2019ve heard the resentment towards apartheid. But honestly, when I walk around campus, I just see a beautifully divers, amazing country. And that gives me hope that that trend will continue. I was born in the United States in 1989. But I am still white. And the thing I\u2019m realizing is that a lot of times it\u2019s very difficult to admit blame, or rather that we don\u2019t think we need to apologize for anything because it\u2019s not our fault. And even though for a very long time I didn\u2019t even know what apartheid was, I apologize. I apologize for what happened and what is still happening today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know whether or not I have the authority or am in any position to apologize. Should I apologize just for being white? I still don\u2019t know. But someone has to.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s four pages later and the truth is that these snippets don\u2019t even glaze the tip of the iceberg of the emotion, controversy, passion, anger, misunderstanding, mis-communication, pride, love, hope, power that this evening embodied. I am so thankful that W told me to come. And I\u2019m so thankful that M put everything together.<\/p>\n

I have just barely over a month left here and I know that I will miss this incredibly beautiful society so much. I can\u2019t even begin to show how much I have learned, and what amazing people I have met. So I\u2019ll be holding on to these last few weeks\u2026 Thank you for sharing this journey with me as a go along.<\/p>\n

With much love the world over.<\/p>\n

\u03b8\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03b2\u03ac\u03c3\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u039f \u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03bf\u03c2 Steven Schuietevoerder \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03c4\u03cc\u03bd\u03b9\u03c3\u03b5 \u03bc\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bd\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03b7\u03c2 (town forum) \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03bc\u03b9\u03bf \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 Cape Town, \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03af\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 150 \u03ac\u03c4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1, \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b5\u03af\u03c7\u03b5 \u03b8\u03ad\u03bc\u03b1 \u201cBlack Rights, White Fears\u201d. H Cathy Bernatt, \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03bf\u03bc\u03ac\u03b4\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd\u03b9\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd \u03bc\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ad\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03ba\u03cc\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03b8\u03b7 \u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03ae \u03b5\u03bd\u03cc\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bd\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7. \u039c\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ac\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5, \u03b4\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c3\u03b9\u03b5\u03cd\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf blog […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,42,30,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-food-for-thought","category-town-forum","category-worldwork","category-31","category-15-id","category-42-id","category-30-id","category-31-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p12hmI-7X","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}