The Color of Equality

Close to two decades have elapsed since Apartheid was officially pronounced dead in South Africa. People of the planet rejoiced at the advent into this world of secularity and equality in the fullest sense. However, many wondered whether a political resolution and a declaration on paper would have sufficed to cleanse the evil of racial prejudice from the hearts and minds of countless people who believed themselves to be “better” creations of God thus far. As is evident from incidents reported with increasing frequency from various corners of the “white” world, racism is far from dead. It continues to thrive and prosper in the minds of fair-skinned egotists who still believe that the color of the skin supersedes every other quality in a human being. Even the most powerful of people are not secure from this deep-rooted evil. The case of US president Barack Obama is worthy of note in this regard. Obama minced no words in his criticism of a certain police officer who humiliated a well known Black professor by arresting him for some offence without any evidence. Obama rightly accused the officer of being racially prejudiced in the incident. The incident would have evoked reactions in support of the president’s emotions in any other country, maybe even in America, had the victim been a member of the more privileged White community. However, Americans were vociferous in their expression of sympathy for the “unfair” chastisement of a police officer who was merely doing his “duty”. Certain sections of the political class started out on a mission of revenge against Obama. Suddenly, a person no less than the President of the United States was confronted with vitriolic attacks from all quarters. Questions have been raised over the authenticity of his birth certificate. The “avengers” claimed that Obama was not born in America and as such, he automatically forfeits his right to occupy the office of the President of US of A. No doubt, the matter will be settled in favor of the President in the end, but it is hard to ignore the undertones of racial arrogance in the whole affair. This incident is only one among thousands that occur every day, in which humanity and human values continue to be desecrated by die-hard sadists who owe allegiance to the cult of racism. The recent attacks on Indians in Australia are just another case in point.

Racism has officially been denounced across the globe but it continues to exist and thrive in the minds of thousands as a morphed version of the original that is equally pernicious to the peace and harmony among fellow human beings. Such unholy prejudices can be effectually expunged from the human world if, and only if, coming generations of humans are bred in a culture of equality, goodwill and togetherness in the true sense of the terms. Easier said than done. Genetic evils do not disappear with the swish of a wand. It may take a few more generations and many more crusades before the superiority of color becomes a thing of the past. For the time being, however, colored people living and working with their white brethren will have to live with the fact that equality comes in various shades, and theirs is the lesser one.