When one hears the word #racism the first race that comes to mind is white. Most of white babies were some still are raised by black women as (nannies) or helpers.
A white teen that was raised by a black nanny in South Africa Welna Wessels tells her story.
“ When I was about six, my mother got a job and hired a nanny for me. When I was first introduced to her I was warned not to shake hands with her because it was not normal. I thought it was because I was just a kid and she was an adult, but as the years past I began to spot the differences between blacks and my race.
There was this wide blue dish that was meant for leftovers. I was told to take the dish in to Mama Shezi’s backroom everyday after meals. I thought maybe it was for our two dogs since they were also sleeping at the same backroom as Mama Shezi.
As the fulltime nanny she’d go home like two or three times in three months. One day her kids arrived at my home claiming that their aunt was admitted in hospital and they had no groceries. Mama Shezi took out the blue dish out of her fridge and warmed the leftovers for them to eat before sending them back home. I struggled to understand why would she do such thing to her own children. So I told my mother later that day her response was “that’s how they live”.
I grew up believing that black people were weirdos that they did not like fresh food they prefer leftovers, they also prefer rags over new clothes. Things got brighter and clearer when I befriended a black girl at school. I was more interested in her lifestyle than her as a being. What I was taught was a complete opposite of who Black people were/are.
Sadly when I was 16 Mama Shezi passed away I didn’t have the chance to prove to her that I’m not what her bosses were/are, but I had a chance to prove to her daughter Vangile and to my parents when she took over as a helper that I am not THEM“.
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