JUSTICE MALALA: The growing horror of racial profiling
'Every day now, in the newspapers here, I read about some shocking case of racial profiling'
EXTRACT
Often I would ask a security guard for directions. Often I relied on the generosity of strangers. Often they would raise their knobkieries and point me towards where I needed to go. Today, I still ask strangers for help. I get lost, I ask strangers. I need an answer for some befuddling knot in my life, I ask my friends and my acquaintances and, mostly, strangers. I want to start a business? I ask talented strangers to help.
I have been lucky. These strangers have largely raised their finger, their voice, and pointed me the right way. That is how humanity, Ubuntu, works.
Not for Brennan Walker, the 14-year-old from Rochester Hills, Michigan, in the US. He was just a boy, trying to find his way to school. His sin was that he is black.
The boy was lost. It was entirely his fault. The 14-year-old had woken up late. Realising that his school bus had already gone past his neighbourhood, he decided to walk. He did not want to miss a day of school. It was a 90-minute walk to school. But Brennan Walker had not counted on the fact that the route could get confusing. He got lost. When I was a kid between the ages of 14 and 16 I would ride the train from Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, to Pretoria and then the Jeppe area in Johannesburg. My friend and I would buy clothes from retailers in Johannesburg and sell them at weekends in Hammanskraal. Being the one usually sent off to buy the merchandise, I got lost almost every time I had to go to a new retailer. Often I would ask a security guard for directions. Often I relied on the generosity of strangers. Often they would raise their knobkieries and point me towards where I needed to go. Today, I still ask strangers for help. I get lost, I ask strangers. I need an answer for...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.