Soon after getting our result, lunch time came, and it was time for us to refresh our minds. Once I got out of the class, I walked slowly towards the benches with a smile on my face. I could not stop thinking about my test results, and I could not wait to put a smile on Gogo Sophie’s face when I showed them to her. When I got to the bench, I sat down and took out my lunch box. I had white bread with pilchards that were leftover from the previous day’s meal, and to help me swallow my food, I had a mango juice, which was my favourite.

“She should straighten her hair,” a voice from behind said, and it was accompanied by laughter.

“Mr Swart was right, she doesn’t belong here,” a familiar voice whispered, adding on to what the other voice had said.

When I looked behind me to see who was talking, I saw Emily and her crew. They had been on my case ever since I got to the school, and believe me when I say, the teachers did nothing about it.

“Odd! Odd! Odd!” they chanted, then the whole school joined in the harmony.

While everyone was chanting, I quickly closed my lunch box and packed everything away. I wanted to run, but I remembered everything Ms Ntobeko had told me. She told me to fight! And I also thought about Gogo Sophie’s words: “stand for what is right”.

All the hugs I had gotten from those phenomenal women had made me feel secured and courteous. So, when I was about to pick up my bag from the green grass near the bench, I saw the images of the strong and powerful women on the bag. They never gave up, and they always stood for what was right. Now it was time for me to do the same thing and stand up for what was right!

With my mind now focused, I stood on top of the table bench and began to speak:

“Why do you have so much hatred? Why do I deserve this atrocious treatment? Is it because I’m black, or is it my healthy, fruitful hair that’s got you jealous? I’m tired of being called an odd person, and I’m tired of being told that I don’t belong here. Who are you to say such things to me? It’s not that I hate myself, but you make me hate the person who’s inside and out. I agree, I’m Black! And I don’t shy away from or forbid that. I’m proud of my race and culture, and I’m proud to say that I inherited my colour and hair from my ancestors. I’m also a child of God, and I don’t deserve such treatment. I’m not only speaking for my race, but I’m speaking for each and every race.”

I then paused for a while and looked at everyone’s faces.

“Yeah, I now get it, ‘race’ is the problem here,” I continued. “As soon as we differentiate ourselves because of our race, we are then putting ourselves on a treadmill, and we are just running but not going anywhere. If we, as black people, also continue having boundary lines between us because of our skin colour, then how are we going to end racism? We must support and encourage each other. Having a skin colour war won’t help us, but it will create opportunities for other people to divide us and add more fuel to the fire. So, in order for us to end racism, we must stop dividing each other according to our skin colour.

“Now, from today, my fellow people, you are not White, Black, Indian, Coloured, or even Mixed Race. You are South African, and be proud to say that. Your mind must be enlightened, your heart must feel jubilant, and your face must show that you are proudly South African. And one thing is for sure, I, as a woman, will end racism and colourism. I agree, it won’t be an easy journey, but with your support and love, we can beat this, amandla!”

Even after speaking those powerful words, I never received the usual “Awethu!” response for the word “Amandla” like how it happened when there was a protest in the township I called home. But you could tell that what I said had left them motivated and encouraged.

I felt a huge sense of relief after the tremendous action I took. I was glad that all the people who had made me endure and exposed me to racism were all there. Ms Jane, Mr Swart, and some of the students of Clinton Secondary School were there. Most important of all, Kagiso and Mpumi were emotional, and they came to me in a jubilant and tearful spirit, and we formed a group hug.

Inside the circle of the hug, tears were flowing from everyone. I could not let them be like that, though, so I gently disconnected from the hug, and I wiped their tears away just like how Gogo Sophie would have done. Mpumi took my scarf and wrapped it around my injured knee, and we held hands for a while and parted ways right after. After we left, the rain splattered on each and everything it could land on, and I thought that it was a sign of blessings to come.

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