The Combined Effort of One Person at a Time
“In South Africa there’s a saying that to be black is to be at the end of the line when anything of significance is to be had. So these people [living in Alexandra] were considered and treated as the dregs of society, aliens in a land of their birth.”(1)
As I read the painful accounts of Johannes, (Mark Mathabane) his family and all people of color under Apartheid, I tried to find some locus of context.
As a foreigner living in a country outside of my own, I know what it is to be frightened, to be made fun of and mistreated just because I was a foreigner. I know what it’s like to be identified as a foreigner by the color of a license plate on the car and have the police stop me and intimidate me to get money or to detain me—just because they can. I know what it’s like to give them money because of fear. I’ve been yelled at, spit on and pushed around, cursed at and refused service; I’ve been separated out, poked, prodded, barked at and made to feel small all because I was a foreigner. However, none of that can even begin to compare to the pain and abuse Johannes faced in the story of the Kaffir Boy.
First, the choice to live in another country was my own. Johannes, on the other hand, did not choose to live where he lived, he was born in a country that legally placed him in a “shantytown.” Second, because my skin color was no different than others, people didn’t know I was a foreigner until they saw my license plate or I began to speak. However, even before Johannes had the opportunity to speak, people acted based on the color of his skin. In this case, he also had no choice.
Third, I got to go home! What kept me sane though the comparatively slight tribulation was the thought that I had a home country to which I could return and in which I was no longer a foreigner. It was the place where when I showed my passport they said “welcome home” instead of using their power to get money. On the other hand, Johannes was home! Escape was not apparent, and his documentation was a frequent point of contention and pain. There was no one saying to him “welcome home.” On the contrary, it seemed as if everyone was saying, “You don’t belong in your own country or this world!” And so, any experiences I have had could not provide the slightest bit of context for the story I was reading.
Though I have difficulty placing the story in the context of my life, the messages of the story are clear. For example, the moral bankruptcy of the whole Apartheid system shouts to the world that the abuse of power to separate and control is abhorrent. The use of “difference” to separate people from others and control others is horrific. The length to which human beings will go to control others and rationalize it legally is astounding. I’ve often heard people say; I would never do that or I would have never allowed that to happen. One needs to look no further than the Stanford Experiment to know that no almost no one in immune. (2)
However, in the midst of this horrific story, there is also a message of hope. For me, the message is that individuals can and do make a difference. In the story of the Kaffir Boy, these people are in the persons of Mark Mathabane. If he did not tell his story, as painful as it is, it would have never been told. Also, the story would have an entirely different ending if the Smith family didn’t introduce him to books and tennis; if Wilfred Horn did not sponsor Johannes; if Stan Smith didn’t work to find a college and tennis scholarship for him, or if Granny was not the strong women that she was. In fact, if Arthur Ashe didn’t play tennis in the first place the story would be different.
Even though it ‘s hard to find context for the story in my life, the messages of the story can find resonance in any life. Any influence, power or resources we have should be used not to control and overpower but to heal and reconcile. It is not always the crowd that makes the difference, sometimes it’s the total combined effort of one person at a time.
- Mark Mathabane. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography–the True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa. 1st ed. Free Press, 1998, 4.
- “Stanford Prison Experiment.” http://www.prisonexp.org/ (accessed Jun 22, 2017).
About the Author
Jim Sabella
8 responses to “The Combined Effort of One Person at a Time”
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Aww, Jim! I didn’t like the thought of you being mistreated as a foreigner in another country! That was sad. If they just took the time to know you, they would have loved you. Isn’t it sad such treatment is based on just your ethnicity or what others see on the outside?
Love this!! “Any influence, power or resources we have should be used not to control and overpower but to heal and reconcile.” Beautifully stated and a powerful reminder to the calling we have.
HI Jim
You are shedding light that when you are the foreigner the residents/country see you differently. But as you pointed out, to be treated differently in your own country because you are different from them is sad.
His family roots are strong which supports why is grandmother invested in him. God places people in your life to open doors, walk with you on your journey, and even change your life direction.
Jim, your story reminds us that we should be grateful for the freedoms we have in America. Your reflections help us see that there is abuse of power in many places. I think I take my ability to do pretty much anything I want for granted.
The only way I can relate is that I go to a church that says “of course women are equal to men” but “don’t try to use your spiritual gifts here if you are a woman”. I am wondering if the attitudes of white supremacy and male supremacy are related?
Wow Jim! I felt for you as I read about your story of dealing with discrimination and prejudice. I also sincerely appreciated how you chose not to assume similarity of experience even though you can relate to them. It is so sad that racism, discrimination and prejudices even exist. It is horrifying that we choose to suppress and not to associate with someone because they are different from us. I total affirm you closing remarks when you wrote !”Any influence, power or resources we have should be used not to control and overpower but to heal and reconcile.” I say Yes and Amen!
“However, in the midst of this horrific story, there is also a message of hope. For me, the message is that individuals can and do make a difference.”
I thought the same Jim. I think this is a very powerful aspect of Mark’s story – the way that individuals who crossed his path made a massive difference to the trajectory of his life. We must try to do the same with those that we encounter and are in a position to help in some way. Thanks Jim.
Wow Jim. I really appreciate your recognition of privilege even in the midst of your struggles! Your reminder that individuals have the power to instill hope is important as well. Until we come together as individuals determined to undo systemic injustice, there is very little chance for change.
“Any influence, power or resources we have should be used not to control and overpower but to heal and reconcile. It is not always the crowd that makes the difference, sometimes it’s the total combined effort of one person at a time.”
It’s painful to observe (and even more painful to be the recipient of) “the abuse of power to separate and control.” And yet… and yet, one person combined with one person combined with one person, showing kindness, recognizing the humanity of someone else, living a life of reconciliation, all add up to germinate a strong sense of identity and hope in those who have been marginalized. I’d be curious to know how many of the people who positively impacted Mark’s life were followers of Jesus, motivated by the transformation of the Spirit to respond actively and kindly to Mark and others.
Jim – this sentiment here: Any influence, power or resources we have should be used not to control and overpower but to heal and reconcile. It is not always the crowd that makes the difference, sometimes it’s the total combined effort of one person at a time. – is really so important and well said. Thanks for it and for sharing a little of your story!