Racism Part I: "You can't teach the aborigines..."

So what are you doing here…specializing in AIDS? To which I responded “I wouldn’t say specializing but it is something in which I have a lot of interest.” He continued, “We have a real problem here…well I guess the rest of the world does too with HIV/AIDS but here you can’t teach the aborigines” referring, I imagine, to all South Africans who are not white or rich. Later this person said “They have stiffed the rest of Africa up why should this be any different.” I had met this man before and heard stories about him as well but on this day had tried to start up a conversation and give him the benefit of the doubt but I soon learned my lesson.

He was wearing those same digs that you occasionally see male South Africans wearing, short shorts usually blue, green or khaki and the two toned button down short sleeve shirts. I am told one name for them is “safari suits”, when referring to the shirt and shorts together. Here is a decent picture just to give you an idea of what I am speaking. I am not trying to equate racism and this type of dress, it just happens that this individual was dressed in this manner.

So far I guess I have been fairly sheltered in my time here or just met some of the more kind, accepting and open minded South Africans but I imagine with more time I will encounter more ignorance, hate and anger. Not to say that any of us are perfect because as I learned this past year “we are all a little bit racist.” I think it really comes down to how we look at the world and if we are trying to change our tendencies and be more open to people that are “different” than us, understand them better and make ourselves better understood. I will share more on this subject in entries to come as I encounter more examples of racism here in South Africa or in my travels in other parts of the world.