Speak out against racism and build a better country

What we do in private spaces plays a critical role in our public life.

The incident involving two white University of Pretoria students who - in their "happy moment" at a 21st birthday party, dressed up in domestic worker uniforms with their faces and arms painted black and their bottoms generously augmented - is not a joke.

The incident can never be justified, especially in this country, which was defined by race and the colour of one's skin.

We still have a long road to travel to foster human rights and dignity among those who were racially marginalised.

Others might argue that the incident took place in a private space and should be treated as private. But that does not hold water.

Whether the students were in a private party or in a public space, the question is: why paint yourselves black?

The students might be forgiven for being naive but it is our duty to teach them about the dangers of racial stereotyping, especially in this racially polarised country.

The incident came just a week after the SA Human Rights Commission revealed that our institutions of higher learning still suffer from incidents of racism. Commissioner Lindiwe Mokate said the commission had received 529 racism complaints between April last year and February this year, with the "k-word" featuring in at least 45% of the cases.

Though it might be argued by some among us that the latest incident is trivial we should remember our past and the racial incidents that took place in some parts of our country.

If we don't speak out and condemn the University of Pretoria incident, we should not cry wolf when racism and stereotyping of black people define our public spaces.

Racism is not always what we say out loud. It is what we do in our comfort spaces that reveals how we perceive and treat others.

What Steve Biko observed in the late 1970s remains true today, that even well-intentioned people often re-enact the paternalism of the society in which they live.

To rid our country of racist tendencies, we should speak out and teach those who are not well-informed.