FutureChurch

Steve Biko wrote a chapter called "Black Souls in White Skins?" in "I write what I like" which, while written 40 years ago, has an eerie ring. Here are some excerpts (with occasional comments by me):

"Basically the South African white community is a homogenous community." [No, he's wrong! It's changed! We're not, uh, THAT homogenous! We are integrated! And have lots of friends of different colours! Some of my best friends are black! I can say "Hello" in Zulu! We've heard it said that the most segragated hour in the US is Sunday morning - well not so in non-racial SA! Simunye - we are one! I feel the pain of the lack of service delivery to the black masses!]

"We are concerned with that curious bunch of nonconformists ... These are the people who claim that they too feel the oppression just as acutely as the blacks and therefore should be jointly involved in the black man's struggle for a place under the sun. In short, these are the people who say that they have black souls wrapped up in white skins." [Hey, I've thought that about me! My friend Solomon is from Zimbabwe - I call him "White man" and he calls me "Black man." I think only our mothers can tell us apart.]

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