Colour #MariannridgeComm

Entering the community of Mariannridge, one of the preconceived ideas that I had about the people there was that most of them think in colour and that they make it verbally known when talking, like it’s the norm to refer to a person of darker skin tone as the “other” /”outsider” or “them” and this would be referring to a “black person”. When referring to a person of lighter skin as they would call them a “whito” or mlungu. They would also refer to the lighter skinned coloured people as the whito’s. 

When I first entered the community, my initial impression was that I actually find myself familiar to the surroundings of this community because there were so many similarities between Mariannridge and my township (Lamontville).  Even when walking around the community, you see as many black people as much as you see coloured people, at times you ask yourself if the person is coloured or black. But that’s beside the point, what I have found to be of total interest was how well Mariannridge coloured people can speak IsiZulu, it’s amazing! You’d be speaking to one of the community members and they’d respond in a very thick coloured accent, then all of a sudden change to hardcore proper isiZulu like its nothing. And I’d be standing there amazed, that’s because I’ve been around a coloured group of people before and I have coloured friends, and they all as bad in isiZulu as you would expect. Learning isiZulu is the last thing coloured people ever want to do because that would mean they are more black then white (If you know what I mean).

As part of academic requirement and part of integrating ourselves in the community, we have been asked to take part in an occupation that happens in the community. One of the colleagues had the idea of chilling with the boys that take drugs in the community; because I was also interested in this occupation, I decided to join her on one of the days. Whilst chilling with them they ask us if we’ve ever tried smoking or if we’d like to try. ( was an expected question). I politely rejected to try the joint but in my attempts to try and fit in the crew, I start telling them about how I once had “Space muffins” but didn’t know I was having them.  The story is that I have a big brother that bakes and he bakes for the family all the time. But on that day he had backed space muffins for himself and his friends. There I was me coming back from school STARVING: so I grab a muffin, while making juice. I grab another 1. Once my juice was made I sat down and had two more (that means I had 4 space muffins). As you would expect, an hour later I was on cloud nine, but obviously I felt like I was dying, crazy even because I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I was rushed to hospital but the Dr. couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.  The next day my brother privately confesses what had happened to me. I was fine with it, actually relieved that he told me what happened because I was worried about not knowing why I reacted like that.. And plus I like telling this story because I can’t really blame myself for having tried weed because it wasn’t my fault haha. Any ways, during my story telling, the guys had been hysterically laughing,  then the one I had identified as the ring leader says “I can’t believe they took you to hospital for being greened” …..aaaah but I guess I could coz you’re a lani. I can tell that you’re larni even your English is” I’m like what do you mean? And giggle, but he doesn’t answer so I brush it off. But it gets me thinking when someone else from the community says it to me again. In saying it; he insinuates that I’ve studying at the university so I’m  educated and that’s why my English is ”larni”; he also joke-fully goes on to say that they’ve never even heard me speak isiZulu. I tell him nonsense and then attempt to defend myself by speaking isiZulu and we laugh it off. But later on, it got me wondering about what the community members think of me. However ever it was I hoped I wasn’t perceived as the black girl that thinks she’s better than us becuase I don’t want to be known as the “black girl” that can’t even speak isiZulu properly.  

One other interesting “colour” incident was when one of the girls I was having a conversation with asked to see a picture of my boyfriend. I’m like sure: I take out my phone, scroll to find our coolest picture and show her. She has a look, says we look cute together then hands the phone back to me., she then says (Not in these exact words) : you know, it’s unusual for a dark girl to date a dark guy, coz I like dark guys, but for me it’s understandable because I’m light” . I don’t get what she means so I ask her, what do you mean? She says “you are dark skinned and your boyfriend is dark skinned, like dark chocolate. Don’t worry my fiancé’ is also dark, very dark. Like you”. Dumbstruck, I think to myself. My skin tone is not even close to looking like dark chocolate. But who cares anyway, I love being Black!