Racism has taken a New Form

Walking in the street, I was called "ibrony" in Ghana and "Muzungu" in Kenya which means "white". I didn't take it seriously when I interacted with people. But then the more I traveled I realised how divided our continent is along color lines or colorism. I thought about racism in Tunisia...how someone would feel to be called "black" in a predominately lighter skinned or "White passing" society. I realized how racist and anti-black are the expressions used comfortably in Tunisian dialect of the word "black" like "kahloush", "ousif" or "abeed" meaning slave... also how imperialistically racist to call a part of the world "Black Africa", "L'Afrique Noire"?  

In fact, if you google 'Racism in Tunisia', you will not find many articles, research, videos or documentaries while racism is intrenched in our society ... when we still refuse to mix with black people in school... when teachers point their fingers to black students as troublemakers ... when we still have separate buses in the southern cities like 'Gabes' because lighter skinned Tunisians refuse to take the same bus... when blacks have to address the whiter with "si"=Mr/master in order to get business done... when girls refuse to date black guys... when marriage with blacks is seen unacceptable in our society... when lighter skinned girls get married to black men only when they're famous football players... when students who come from around other parts of Africa to study in Tunisia feel systemically discriminated... when the media is totally making blacks invisible from the Tunisian TV and society... when black babies in orphanages rarely get adopted... when black people are socially deprived from leadership positions in politics and other fields... why we talk about everything in this democratic transition but racism, what would that mean? we're a tolerant society and we don't have racism, right? it has become so normalized that we don't even talk about it. Now, it's time to acknowledge that -- yes Tunisians (majority) are racists but also anti-black!  

When I was in the United States, I lived in the "Deep South", the state of Georgia, one of the most racist southern states. In high school during my English courses in Tunisia, I studied the different racist expressions that I shouldn't use to call a black person such as "Negro", "Slave" or even "black", it is preferred to say 'African American'. When I lived in Georgia though, people were comfortably using all these expressions. I was serving inequalities based on racial prejudice. White people eventually get better education and better jobs not only because of their social class but mainly the racism among schools and employers that are predominately white. As in most of the democratic and undemocratic societies, politics is disconnected from the reality. The historical moment of a black man running for the highest office in the United States and holding power for two terms consecutively, didn't change much of the racism around the US. Blacks are still associated with crimes, robberies and drugs and only black neighborhoods are considered dangerous!

Now, here in South Africa, racism is also alive and well. In other African countries, maybe it is never about the color of one's skin. If the racial bigotry in the US was fed by slavery, what are the roots of racism in South Africa then? The picture is sarcastic because only 10% of the population here are white but they are the rich, elite, business owners and landowners. It is even more ironic that in the government, blacks hold the office yet black people are the poorest and most marginalized. Most of the South Africans I met outside of South Africa were white and so I thought I would see as many white people in Johannesburg as blacks. Yet, when I arrived at the airport, I didn't see any single white person at the visa desk, customer check or bureau de change! my first conclusion was that black people are predominately in care and essential work, just like in the US. Fascinated by the infrastructure and the westernized South Africa, it seems that economic well-being of white people is intertwined with racism and unless it is addressed intentionally and thoroughly, history will repeat itself.

The following day, I went out with a group of friends from different African countries including South Africans, to an area called Rosebank, cosmopolitan commercial and residential suburb. It was a popular hangout, shopping destination and quite mixed in terms of race. It has a thriving nightlife with cafes, bars and clubs. Then, we head to the "Greenside", fancy area with about a dozen high-end restaurants but predominately white clients. As we were walking around looking for a nice place to chill, someone among the group felt frustrated and said "OMG Look at those Caucasians!! I hate white people, I don't want to stay here, let's go back to my people". We went back to Rosebank and another friend in the car said with a smile: "back to Africa", "now they are coming to us" another girl said.

We were standing on the street talking, where a beggar passed by. Among the group he chose me to ask for money. As light skin looking, for him I should be the "rich one" in the group. Few days later, a friend that I just met asked to borrow money from me instead of asking her friends whom she knows for years. Both the beggar and my friend looked at me as a mere "rich white looking woman" - that I am not.

I realized that racism has taken a new form. The racism of white people has given birth to a racist generation that doesn't recognise our shades' complexion in Africa, has become completely divided along lines of "white" or "black" and doesn't recognise North Africa as "people of color". It perpetuates the unearned privileges of some and imposes undeserved restrictions on other. Young people look up in history, to how their parents were treated... how people look down to them... how their lands have been confiscated... and experience systemic racism sometimes on a daily basis so they react also with more racism...

Now the roots of racism in South Africa are much more complex. Section 9 of Chapter 2 in South African constitution clearly outlines non-racialism. So people are 'technically' protected by law from racism. However, the issue has become more and more intersecting with classism and inequality. As wealth remains in the hands of the few 'whites'. 

The experience in South Africa made me think deeper about racism in Tunisia and how it can escalate to the potential for hostility and shape in further new forms if we don't stop such institutionalized prejudice. I think in Tunisia, It's time to pass an Act of Anti-Racism and implement it in the media, workplace, neighborhoods, school, local government etc... every area of daily life. It starts from an anti-racism education in the school curriculum to recruiting people in boards and executives regardless of their skin color. 

On the other hand, black Africans shouldn't go into such a vicious cycle and say: "when they treat us well, we will treat them the same". Perhaps shouldn't associate with the victimization of the related social or economic state but actually step in proud to claim the spaces. Black Africans who read this, unless they know how Pan-African I am, may say: "it's easy for you to say it, because you're not black"! and that is part of the conversation too, what is my privilege of being light skinned African, born and raised on the Mediterranean, the conversation must start now and our generation must end anti-blackness on the continent.