By Tom Stokes
The repeated headlines of the Cape Times surrounding racism at ex-model C schools (the most recent: “Parents not schools to blame”) direct attention in the wrong direction.
The subject of racism and other prejudices must be taught at schools, just as other power relation issues like gender and religion need to be explored in classroom lessons.
So often, the simplistic (black/ white) approach to prejudice and power causes more harm and confusion, rather than clarity and solutions. Racial prejudice is not a white construct, it is a human construct to seek justification for establishing power relationships between individuals and groups.
Racists are not black, white, coloured or Indian, but people who seek plausible justification to marginalise or dominate others for their own advantage.
People who are scared, avaricious, insecure, selfish, etc,(people like you and I) have over the centuries tried to justify these human failings by constructing societal rationalisations to steal their conscience and set aside logical objections.
It is worth noting here that it is only 190 years ago that slavery was abolished, some 20000 years after the birth of Christ.
Until we face our pupils as teachers and talk openly and accurately about the human sin of “otherness”, wars between Jew and Muslim, communist and capitalist, black and white, man and woman, rich and poor, straight and gay will continue. Children need to be shown the wonder of diversity, not the rightness of sameness.
* Stokes is an ex teacher.
Cape Times
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