Why race matters to me

My opinion is usually dismissed on these grounds. The assertion is true, but it misses a very important point about all of us born after democracy - we have inherited the legacy of Apartheid. 

This constant reminder also dismisses the psychological trauma Apartheid left behind. In its wake, it left broken homes and families, and up until today, we continue to try and remedy the situation. 

But we will not be able to remedy the situation if we are not honest about race still being an issue, and the fact that privilege still plays its part. 

Race matters to me because my entire educational experience has taught me that it does. 

I attended an Afrikaans school. And I think I was a bit of a pain for teachers. For one, the language was a barrier. At the time, there seemed to be a constant battle between what government wanted public schools to do - which was enrol more students of colour - and what schools had to practically do - which was spend more time on lessons because now, not all pupils were Afrikaans mother tongue speakers.  I sensed some resentment from all sides. And this made school a horrible experience. 

Years on, we still battle with the same issues in our schools. Such tremendous leaps have been taken, strides have been made, but the amount of work still to be done, at times, seems like a mountain in front of us as a nation. 

We talk about white privilege like it's a passing phenomenon, yet in our economy, industries, our daily existence, we see it at play, more often than not. And it seems not much is being done to level the playing field. 

My University experience mirrored the current student struggle for free education. But at that time, while black students were protesting fee increases, their actions were largely questioned by white counterparts. I understood where they were coming from. When your fees have been paid, it's very difficult to be sympathetic to those disrupting classes. 

It's difficult to understand that we are not equal, that they system does not treat us the same. It's difficult to understand that although we are the same age and we are studying at the same institution, not all of us had the means to be there. And NSFAS could only go so far, and cover so many students. 

My educational experience shaped me as a young person. It made me grow. But it made me sad - for the generations to come, and the changes yet to set in. I live in hope, that my son's generation, will be spared the realisation that race still matters. 

Written by Gaopalelwe Olivia Phalaetsile, a journalist at JacarandaFM