Once you go black...

If you've watched, or read 'The Help', you were probably, like us, appalled by the way 'black' people were treated back then. Or rather, to be more honest there, you were annoyed to be reminded of how cruel we can get (oblivion is so much more comfortable when it comes to these things, isn't it?) Black house-helpers were even forced to use a 'special' bathroom because they were believed to carry diseases. It was OK for them to bring up white people's children, though. They weren't scared their children would contract this mysterious disease black people carried.

And that's simply the tip of the iceberg. Racial segregation in the US meant that 'blacks' and 'whites' were required to use separate facilities - those for African-Americans generally being of lesser quality. There were special schools, buses, universities - you name it and they had it. All to ensure that white and coloured people didn't mix. All this was covered up by the 'Separate but Equal' slogan. Thank goodness, however, this 'practice' was outlawed in 1964, while the apartheid was still going on in full swing in South Africa.

Seperate Drinking Fountains for Whites and Coloured people in the USA.

White-Area beach sign in South Africa

A few weeks ago we were sitting on a bus on our way to Valletta. We were lucky to grab a free seat as the bus got beyond packed in an instant. The aisle was absolutely jammed with people and of course, all the seats were taken. Bar one.

Yeah, you might ask "and why didn't anyone take the seat?" Well, a coloured man was sitting on the seat next to it. Coincidence? We think not. (Don't worry - it was then taken up... But that's not the point, is it? The problem is that for some minutes there, people preferred to stand! And if you say this has never happened when you were on a bus, then we know you're lying.)

Isn't racial discrimination a thing of the past? Didn't the emancipation of coloured people bring racial discrimination to its death?

What is it about people that makes them so judgemental? Why do we (yes, we do, like anyone else on this planet) discriminate, so ready to point fingers? What's in a colour, anyway? What makes pale skin superior to a dark one? If you've got answers, do please forward them to us, cause we don't.

We're in 2012, 21st Century, the century of progress - or is it? We've had technological advancement; we've had medical advancement; science advancement... BUT, our mindsets are just as rotten as they used to be! People might claim they're open-minded and tolerant and what not - otherwise they're not deemed cool enough. Yet, when push comes to shove, many choose to stand rather than sit next to that coloured man. Because hey, we'd be deadly plagued if we did!

Granted, we've seen giant steps made forward - just look at the USA, coloured president, how's that for change? We can also see coloured people at the helm of important businesses and industries - men and women - in many parts of the globe. Having said that, many people remain hostile towards people of colour. Case in point is Malta.

As a tiny island bridging Europe and Africa, we get the primary impact that comes with the influx of African refugees into Europe. Of course, Malta isn't the only country 'suffering' this influx, Italy and Spain are inundated with illegal immigrants, too, for instance. However, given our tiny stature, it's bound to affect us more. Add to that the small island mentality that plagues the narrow minds of  many Maltese and of course, you have a lethal concoction of xenophobia in its purest form.

Yes, because you are completely wrong if you think the Maltese don't like coloured ones only because they come and take our jobs - and what jobs do they take anyway? No, the reason is still the same - some (a good percentage that is, but when writing, euphemism is very handy) Maltese suffer from this serious case of inborn phobia for anything/anyone different. Reason for which, many in here seem to believe this is a blessed island ...and don't you dare say there's better. (In all honesty, southern Italy is just as bad as us,  but that's no consolation, is it?)

Of course, all races are equal by law. Yet, the law can never change mentality and society's point of view. It is the people that have to learn how to be more tolerant, how to treat everyone equally, regardless of the colour of their skin. And with that, we don't mean the government should do more with the education system. In reality, those hours at school during which we are told to respect everyone (ghax hi, ahna kollha brothers u sisters) are just pointless! If the same children have a certain upbringing, some lessons simply won't change what they would have acquired at home...