Because I don't know anything about what happened in 1955 to a girl named Sandra Laing who was born a black child into a white Afrikaans family in South Africa.
Her parents were actually very supportive of her and she had a happyish, if not confusing childhood - she grew up in apartheid South Africa. White supreme racists like the AWB who oppressed blacks - can you imagine?
Her parents went through a lot trying to classify her as coloured (i.e.) half white so she could have more rights than a black person and then once again trying to classify her as white, which they eventually could because she had two biologically white parents.
At this stage though when she was about 16, Sandra married a vegetable seller and felt more at ease among black people (or non whites) and after many many years of losing her first family and husband, years of violence and loss of her own sense of self, Sandra lived for a long time without connection to her family.
Her brothers are apparently right wing, meaning white supremacists, against the idea that blacks and whites are equal. I don't think they would embrace the idea of having a biologically black sister.
This story has been brought by Miramax books and there are a plans for a movie of this to be called simply Skin, really that's what it is all about skin colour. We are all EXACTLY the same except for our colour.
And look at how it has divided us rich/stupid, poor/rich, somehow one race believes they are more supreme then another and parties like the AWB are formed and are simply in a word evil.
I am ashamed this morning that I have never heard of this and it is part of my history, my people and my shame. Poor Sandra - can you imagine?
Here's the article I took this info from.
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