A Permanent Stain

 By Nicole Hodnett

Deep within the depths of our human psyche, apartheid still stays etched within us. No matter how much we strive to look pass our differences; there is some narrow person that stays stuck back in that horrid time.

Apartheid was a system of legal racial separation which dominated the Republic of South Africa from 1948 until 1993.According to Wise Geek, mechanisms of apartheid were set in way before 1948, and South Africa continues to deal with the repercussions .Under Apartheid various races were separated into different regions.

According to an article by Heidi Burgess, stereotypes are generalizations or assumptions that people make about the characteristics of all members of a group based on an image(often wrong)about what  people in that group are like.

The other day I had an interesting conversation with my 81 year old grandmother about the stereotypes back in the day.

‘The old government was preferable to the new one as I feel the rife corruption in the midst of today’s people”, she said.

Will the after effects of Apartheid ever leave us? It seems like we will forever have to hide, run away from the fact that God made us in His own beautiful image and likeness. If the “white” man was superior, God would have made the entire world “white”.

After 1994 when South Africa turned Democratic, people had the freedom to explore the barrier of mixing with other race groups resulting in interracial relationships and marriages.

According to an article by Nadia Kareem, it’s also important to examine your motives for entering such a union.

According to a dictionary meaning, the meaning of tainted is to affect with decay or spoil.

I work for a Human Rights organisation. Art for Humanity stands for all things democratic; we touch base on what affects us in this ‘ever tainted” society.

Dialogue Artist-Kim Berman

I think of Kim Berman in her Art in the Dialogue project and how she shows a representation of what racism is all about.

We break silences on what couldn’t be broken back in the old days of Apartheid when our forefathers would get locked up in their fight for freedom of expression.

It started in the first grade when my teacher called me to the front of the class for news week.

"I would cringe".

 My name is Nicole Bernadette Hodnett and I am quiet. Many establish that through my inability to communicate at times. Whenever people get together I do my best to escape the situation, it used to be very overwhelming for me. I always stood in the shadows of my outspoken sisters. I am the youngest of five and today I describe myself as an outspoken and very irritating person at the best of times. My grade one teacher often describes me as a late bloomer in life.

Nicole Hodnett

It is believed by humankind that we are put on this Earth for a purpose and our purpose alone we shall serve. When we were born our parents looked at us through fresh eyes unaware of the future that awaits us being it good or murderous.

It all started in that legendary Garden of Eden where Adam given strict instructions by God not to touch the forbidden fruit, still went ahead defiant and ate that apple and influencing Eve to taste it too.

 It symbolises that yesterday, today and tomorrow will be forever tainted by influence.

Back in the day apartheid separated the different races and put us according to category. We got arrested when associated with a colour higher than us.

These days we meant to be free, have the ability to allow the apartheid era to leave us.

Last year I attended my oldest sister’s graduation. I felt proud of her and planned to focus all my holiday bonding with such a great mind like her. She always taught to see out my box and explore the world with an open mind.

An aunt of mine, my sister Godmother came to my father and started making all kinds of accusations about my relationship. I was told to leave him immediately or I will embarrass my family.

Is this all through colour? Is our South Africa still so caught up on racism?

It’s been two years on and we still very much together. It pains me that I could never have an open relationship with my mother when it comes to the person I have chosen to be within my years of study I was taught to be non-biased when it comes to judging a situation. I thank God I don’t see colour when it comes to other people. God made us in his own image and likeness, once we appreciate the beauty of humanity is the day apartheid will truly leave us.

Nelson Mandela

Through the conquering of my curves in life I aspire to be a journalist that inspires and changes the lives of people with my words. I thank my mother for teaching me the values of being careful in this world and my aunt helping me to develop a thick skin when it comes to criticism. I am glamorous through my drive to be different and that’s the best thing in life a person could ever be.

I look up to Nelson Mandela for his fight against the struggles of Apartheid and showing people that we have the potential as a rainbow nation.

 I feel it the duty of our ancestors not to pass the ills of the past to the generation where we are supposed to be born free.