Datasets:

dcassine

/

trevor

like 0

1.001

0en

Immorality Act, 1927

Immorality Act, one thousand, nine hundred and twenty seven .

male

1

None

1

0en

Immorality Act, 1927

Immorality Act, one thousand, nine hundred and twenty seven .

male

1

None

10.1

0en

Long before apartheid existed, these tribal factions clashed and warred with one another.

Long before apartheid existed, these tribal factions clashed and warred with one another.

male

1

None

10.2

0en

Then, White Rule used that animosity to divide and conquer.

Then, White Rule used that animosity to divide and conquer.

male

1

None

10.4

0en

then these groups were given different levels of rights and privileges in order to keep them at odds.

then these groups were given different levels of rights and privileges in order to keep them at odds.

male

1

None

100.02

0en

No, mom, this was not thanks to God. You should have listened to God when He told us to stay at home when the car wouldn't start, because clearly the devil tricked us into coming out tonight.

No, mom, this was not thanks to God. You should have listened to God when He told us to stay at home when the car wouldn't start, because clearly the devil tricked us into coming out tonight.

male

1

None

100.03

0en

No, Trevor. That's not how the devil works. This is part of God's plan, and if he wanted us here, then he had a reason.

No, Trevor. That's not how the devil works. This is part of God's plan, and if he wanted us here, then he had a reason.

male

1

None

100.04

0en

and on and on. And there we were, back at it, arguing about God's will.

and on and on. And there we were, back at it, arguing about God's will.

male

1

None

100

0en

But I was 9 years old and I knew better. I wasn't going to keep quiet this time. No, mom, this was not thanks to God. You should have listened to God when He told us to stay at home when the car wouldn't start. Because clearly the devil tricked us into coming out tonight. No, Trevor. That's not how the devil works. This is part of God's plan. And if He wanted us here, then He had a reason. And on and on. And there we were, back at it, arguing about God's will.

But I was nine years old and I knew better. I wasn't going to keep quiet this time. No, mom, this was not thanks to God. You should have listened to God when He told us to stay at home when the car wouldn't start. Because clearly the devil tricked us into coming out tonight. No, Trevor. That's not how the devil works. This is part of God's plan. And if He wanted us here, then He had a reason. And on and on. And there we were, back at it, arguing about God's will.

male

1

None

1000

0en

Now, the whole night came rushing back and I saw it from her point of view. And it was perfectly obvious to me why she didn't want to get out of the car. She probably hadn't wanted to go to the dance with me in the first place. She probably owed Tom a favor and Tom can talk anyone into anything. Then, I'd left her sitting and waiting for me for an hour and she was pissed off. Then she got into the car and it was the first time we had ever been alone. And she realized

Now, the whole night came rushing back and I saw it from her point of view. And it was perfectly obvious to me why she didn't want to get out of the car. She probably hadn't wanted to go to the dance with me in the first place. She probably owed Tom a favor and Tom can talk anyone into anything. Then, I'd left her sitting and waiting for me for an hour and she was pissed off. Then she got into the car and it was the first time we had ever been alone. And she realized.

male

1

None

1001

0en

Bongani and I stood outside the car, staring at each other. I didn't know what to do. I tried talking to her in every language I knew. Nothing worked. She only spoke Bedi.

Bongani and I stood outside the car, staring at each other. I didn't know what to do. I tried talking to her in every language I knew. Nothing worked. She only spoke Bedi.

male

1

None

1002

0en

I got so desperate that I started trying to talk to her using hand signals. Please, you, me, inside, dance, yes? No. Inside, dance, please? No.

I got so desperate that I started trying to talk to her using hand signals. Please, you, me, inside, dance, yes? No. Inside, dance, please? No.

male

1

None

1004

0en

So, I never got to go to my metric dance. Other than the three minutes I spent running through it looking for someone who spoke beddy, I spent the whole night in the parking lot.

So, I never got to go to my metric dance. Other than the three minutes I spent running through it looking for someone who spoke beddy, I spent the whole night in the parking lot.

male

1

None

1005

0en

When the dance ended, I climbed back into the shitty red Mazda and drove Babiki home.

When the dance ended, I climbed back into the shitty red Mazda and drove Babiki home.

male

1

None

1006

0en

We sat in total awkward silence the whole way.

We sat in total awkward silence the whole way.

male

1

None

1007

0en

I pulled up in front of her block of flats in Hillbrow, stopped the car, and sat for a moment as I tried to figure out the polite and gentlemanly way to end the evening.

I pulled up in front of her block of flats in Hillbrow, stopped the car, and sat for a moment as I tried to figure out the polite and gentlemanly way to end the evening.

male

1

None

1009

0en

She pulled back and I looked deep into her eyes and thought, I have no idea how girls work.

She pulled back and I looked deep into her eyes and thought, I have no idea how girls work.

male

1

None

101

0en

Finally I said, look mom, I know you love Jesus, but maybe next week you could ask him to meet us at our house, because this really wasn't a fun night.

Finally I said, look mom, I know you love Jesus, but maybe next week you could ask him to meet us at our house, because this really wasn't a fun night.

male

1

None

1010

0en

I got out of the car, walked around to her side and opened her door. She gathered up her dress and stepped out, and headed toward her flat. And as she turned to go, I gave her one last little wave. Bye.

I got out of the car, walked around to her side and opened her door. She gathered up her dress and stepped out, and headed toward her flat. And as she turned to go, I gave her one last little wave. Bye.

male

1

None

1011

0en

Bye!

Bye!.

male

1

None

1013.01

0en

In Germany, No Child Finishes High School without learning about the Holocaust.

In Germany, No Child Finishes High School without learning about the Holocaust.

male

1

None

1013.02

0en

not just the facts of it, but the how and the why and the gravity of it.

not just the facts of it, but the how and the why and the gravity of it.

male

1

None

1013.03

0en

what it means.

what it means.

male

1

None

1013.04

0en

As a result, Germans grow up appropriately aware and apologetic.

As a result, Germans grow up appropriately aware and apologetic.

male

1

None

1013.06

0en

Their children are taught the history of the empire, with a kind of disclaimer hanging over the whole thing.

Their children are taught the history of the empire, with a kind of disclaimer hanging over the whole thing.

male

1

None

1013.07

0en

Well that was shameful now wasn't it?

Well that was shameful now wasn't it?.

male

1

None

1013

0en

In Germany, no child finishes high school without learning about the Holocaust. Not just the facts of it, but the how and the why and the gravity of it. What it means. As a result, Germans grow up appropriately aware and apologetic. British schools treat colonialism the same way, to an extent. Their children are taught the history of the empire, with a kind of disclaimer hanging over the whole thing. Well, that was shameful now, wasn't it?

In Germany, no child finishes high school without learning about the Holocaust. Not just the facts of it, but the how and the why and the gravity of it. What it means. As a result, Germans grow up appropriately aware and apologetic. British schools treat colonialism the same way, to an extent. Their children are taught the history of the empire, with a kind of disclaimer hanging over the whole thing. Well, that was shameful now, wasn't it?.

male

1

None

1014

0en

In South Africa, the atrocities of apartheid have never been taught that way. We weren't taught judgment or shame. We were taught history, the way it's taught in America. In America, the history of racism is taught like this. There was slavery, and then there was Jim Crow, and then there was Martin Luther King, Jr., and now it's done. It was the same for us. Apartheid was bad, Nelson Mandela was freed, let's move on.

In South Africa, the atrocities of apartheid have never been taught that way. We weren't taught judgment or shame. We were taught history, the way it's taught in America. In America, the history of racism is taught like this. There was slavery, and then there was Jim Crow, and then there was Martin Luther King, Jr., and now it's done. It was the same for us. Apartheid was bad, Nelson Mandela was freed, let's move on.

male

1

None

1016

0en

15. Go Hitler.

fifteen . Go Hitler.

male

1

None

1017

0en

When I was in grade 9, three Chinese kids transferred to Sandringham. Bolo, Bruce Lee and John. They were the only Chinese pupils in the school out of a thousand. Bolo got his nickname because he looked like Bolo Young from the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Blood Sports. Bruce Lee's name really was Bruce Lee, which made our lives. Here was this Chinese guy, quiet, good-looking, in great shape, and his name was Bruce Lee.

When I was in grade nine , three Chinese kids transferred to Sandringham. Bolo, Bruce Lee and John. They were the only Chinese pupils in the school out of a thousand. Bolo got his nickname because he looked like Bolo Young from the Jean Claude Van Damme movie Blood Sports. Bruce Lee's name really was Bruce Lee, which made our lives. Here was this Chinese guy, quiet, good looking, in great shape, and his name was Bruce Lee.

male

1

None

1018

0en

I got to know Bolo because he was one of my tux-shop clients. Bolo's parents were professional pirates. They pirated video games and sold them at flea markets. As the son of pirates, Bolo did the same thing. He started selling bootleg PlayStation games around school. Kids would give him their PlayStation, and he'd bring it back a few days later with a chip in it, then enabled them to play pirated games, which he would then sell them. Bolo was friends with this white kid and a fellow pirate named Andrew.

I got to know Bolo because he was one of my tux shop clients. Bolo's parents were professional pirates. They pirated video games and sold them at flea markets. As the son of pirates, Bolo did the same thing. He started selling bootleg PlayStation games around school. Kids would give him their PlayStation, and he'd bring it back a few days later with a chip in it, then enabled them to play pirated games, which he would then sell them. Bolo was friends with this white kid and a fellow pirate named Andrew.

male

1

None

1019

0en

One day on my tux shop rounds, I heard Andrew and Bolo complaining about the black kids at school. They'd realized that they could take Andrew and Bolo's merchandise, say, I'll pay you later, and then not pay, because Andrew and Bolo were too scared of black people to go back to ask for the money. I leaned into their conversation and said, listen, you shouldn't get upset. Black people don't have any money. So trying to get more stuff for less money is just what we do. But let me help. I'll be your middleman. You give me the money.

One day on my tux shop rounds, I heard Andrew and Bolo complaining about the black kids at school. They'd realized that they could take Andrew and Bolo's merchandise, say, I'll pay you later, and then not pay, because Andrew and Bolo were too scared of black people to go back to ask for the money. I leaned into their conversation and said, listen, you shouldn't get upset. Black people don't have any money. So trying to get more stuff for less money is just what we do. But let me help. I'll be your middleman. You give me the money.

male

1

None

1020

0en

They liked the idea right away and we became partners.

They liked the idea right away and we became partners.

male

1

None

1021

0en

As the tuxop guy, I was perfectly positioned. I had my network set up. All I had to do was tap into it. With the money I made, selling CDs and video games, I was able to save up and add new components and more memory to my own computer. Andrew, the computer geek, showed me how to do it. Where to buy the cheapest parts, how to assemble them, how to repair them. He showed me how his business worked too. How to download music, where to get rewritable CDs in bulk.

As the tuxop guy, I was perfectly positioned. I had my network set up. All I had to do was tap into it. With the money I made, selling CDs and video games, I was able to save up and add new components and more memory to my own computer. Andrew, the computer geek, showed me how to do it. Where to buy the cheapest parts, how to assemble them, how to repair them. He showed me how his business worked too. How to download music, where to get rewritable CDs in bulk.

male

1

None

1022

0en

I worked as a middleman for Bolo and Andrew for a year. Then Bolo left school. The rumor was that his parents got arrested. From that point on, I worked for Andrew. And then, as he was about to matriculate, he decided to quit the game. Trevor, he told me, you've been a loyal partner. And as thanks, he bequeathed unto me his CD writer.

I worked as a middleman for Bolo and Andrew for a year. Then Bolo left school. The rumor was that his parents got arrested. From that point on, I worked for Andrew. And then, as he was about to matriculate, he decided to quit the game. Trevor, he told me, you've been a loyal partner. And as thanks, he bequeathed unto me his CD writer.

male

1

None

1023

0en

At the time, black people barely had access to computers. Let's start there. But a CD writer? That was the stuff of law. It was mythical. The day Andrew gave it to me, he changed my life. Thanks to him, I now controlled production, sales, distribution. I had everything I needed to lock down the bootleg business. I was a natural capitalist. I loved selling stuff. And I was selling something that everybody wanted.

At the time, black people barely had access to computers. Let's start there. But a CD writer? That was the stuff of law. It was mythical. The day Andrew gave it to me, he changed my life. Thanks to him, I now controlled production, sales, distribution. I had everything I needed to lock down the bootleg business. I was a natural capitalist. I loved selling stuff. And I was selling something that everybody wanted.

male

1

None

1025

0en

Thanks to the internet, I could get anyone anything. I never judged anyone's taste in music. You wanted the new Nirvana? I got you the new Nirvana. You wanted the new DMX? I got you the new DMX. Local South African music was big, but Black American music was what people were desperate for. Hip-hop and R&B. Jagged Edge was huge. 112 was huge. I sold a lot of Montel Jordan. So much Montel Jordan.

Thanks to the internet, I could get anyone anything. I never judged anyone's taste in music. You wanted the new Nirvana? I got you the new Nirvana. You wanted the new DMX? I got you the new DMX. Local South African music was big, but Black American music was what people were desperate for. Hip hop and R and B. Jagged Edge was huge. one hundred and twelve was huge. I sold a lot of Montel Jordan. So much Montel Jordan.

male

1

None

1026

0en

When I started, I had a dial-up connection and a 24K modem. It would take a day to download an album. But technology kept evolving and I kept reinvesting in the business. I upgraded to a 56K modem. I got faster CD writers. Multiple CD writers. I started downloading more, copying more, selling more. That's when I got two middlemen of my own. My friend Tom, who went to Northview, and my friend Mungani, who lived in Alex.

When I started, I had a dial up connection and a twenty four K modem. It would take a day to download an album. But technology kept evolving and I kept reinvesting in the business. I upgraded to a fifty six K modem. I got faster CD writers. Multiple CD writers. I started downloading more, copying more, selling more. That's when I got two middlemen of my own. My friend Tom, who went to Northview, and my friend Mungani, who lived in Alex.

male

1

None

1027

0en

One day, Bongani came to me and said, you know what would make a lot of money? Instead of copying whole albums, why don't you put the best tracks of different albums onto one CD? Because people only want to hear the songs they like. That sounded like a great idea. So I started making mixed CDs. Those sold well. Then a few weeks later, Bongani came back and said, can you make the tracks fade into one another so the music moves from track one to track two without a break and the beat carries on?

One day, Bongani came to me and said, you know what would make a lot of money? Instead of copying whole albums, why don't you put the best tracks of different albums onto one CD? Because people only want to hear the songs they like. That sounded like a great idea. So I started making mixed CDs. Those sold well. Then a few weeks later, Bongani came back and said, can you make the tracks fade into one another so the music moves from track one to track two without a break and the beat carries on?.

male

1

None

1028

0en

I started making party CDs, and those started selling like hotcakes too.

I started making party CDs, and those started selling like hotcakes too.

male

1

None

103

0en

Apartheid was perfect racism. It took centuries to develop, starting all the way back in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company landed at the Cape of Good Hope and established a trading colony, Kappstatt, later known as Cape Town, a rest stop for ships travelling between Europe and India.

Apartheid was perfect racism. It took centuries to develop, starting all the way back in one thousand, six hundred and fifty two when the Dutch East India Company landed at the Cape of Good Hope and established a trading colony, Kappstatt, later known as Cape Town, a rest stop for ships travelling between Europe and India.

male

1

None

1030

0en

With money, I experienced freedom on a whole new level.

With money, I experienced freedom on a whole new level.

male

1

None

1031

0en

I went to McDonald's.

I went to McDonald's.

male

1

None

1032

0en

People in America don't understand, but when an American chain opens in a third world country, people go crazy. That's true to this day. A Burger King opened for the first time in South Africa last year, and there was a queue around the block. It was an event. Everyone was going around saying, I have to eat at Burger King. Have you heard? It's from America. The funny thing was that the queue was actually just white people. White people went batshit crazy for Burger King.

People in America don't understand, but when an American chain opens in a third world country, people go crazy. That's true to this day. A Burger King opened for the first time in South Africa last year, and there was a queue around the block. It was an event. Everyone was going around saying, I have to eat at Burger King. Have you heard? It's from America. The funny thing was that the queue was actually just white people. White people went batshit crazy for Burger King.

male

1

None

1034

0en

I fell in love with McDonald's. McDonald's to me tasted like America. McDonald's is America. You see it advertised and it looks amazing. You crave it. You buy it. You take your first bite and it blows your mind. It's even better than you imagined.

I fell in love with McDonald's. McDonald's to me tasted like America. McDonald's is America. You see it advertised and it looks amazing. You crave it. You buy it. You take your first bite and it blows your mind. It's even better than you imagined.

male

1

None

1035

0en

Then, halfway through, you realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. A few bites later, you're like, hmm, there's a lot wrong with this. Then you're done. You miss it like crazy, and you go back for more.

Then, halfway through, you realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. A few bites later, you're like, hmm, there's a lot wrong with this. Then you're done. You miss it like crazy, and you go back for more.

male

1

None

1036

0en

Once I'd had the taste of America, I never ate at home. I only ate McDonald's. McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's. Every night, my mom would try to cook me dinner. Tonight we're having chicken livers. No, I'm gonna have McDonald's. Tonight we're having dog bones. I think I'm gonna go with McDonald's again. Tonight we're having chicken feet. Mmm, okay, I'm in. But tomorrow, I'm eating McDonald's.

Once I'd had the taste of America, I never ate at home. I only ate McDonald's. McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's. Every night, my mom would try to cook me dinner. Tonight we're having chicken livers. No, I'm gonna have McDonald's. Tonight we're having dog bones. I think I'm gonna go with McDonald's again. Tonight we're having chicken feet. Mmm, okay, I'm in. But tomorrow, I'm eating McDonald's.

male

1

None

1037

0en

The money kept rolling in and I was bawling out of control. This is how bawling I was. I bought a cordless telephone. This was before everyone had a cell phone. The range on this cordless phone was strong enough that I could put the base outside my window, walk the two blocks to McDonald's, order my large number one, walk back home, go up to my room and fire up my computer carrying on a conversation the whole time.

The money kept rolling in and I was bawling out of control. This is how bawling I was. I bought a cordless telephone. This was before everyone had a cell phone. The range on this cordless phone was strong enough that I could put the base outside my window, walk the two blocks to McDonald's, order my large number one, walk back home, go up to my room and fire up my computer carrying on a conversation the whole time.

male

1

None

1039

0en

Andrew was white. His family had access to education, resources, computers. For generations, while his people were preparing to go to university, my people were crowded into thatched huts singing, 2 times 2 is 4, 3 times 2 is 6, la la la la la. My family had been denied the things his family had taken for granted. I had a natural talent for selling to people, but without knowledge and resources, where was that going to get me?

Andrew was white. His family had access to education, resources, computers. For generations, while his people were preparing to go to university, my people were crowded into thatched huts singing, two times two is four , three times two is six , la la la la la. My family had been denied the things his family had taken for granted. I had a natural talent for selling to people, but without knowledge and resources, where was that going to get me?.

male

1

None

104

0en

To impose White Rule, the Dutch colonists went to war with the natives, ultimately developing a set of laws to subjugate and enslave them.

To impose White Rule, the Dutch colonists went to war with the natives, ultimately developing a set of laws to subjugate and enslave them.

male

1

None

1040

0en

People always lecture the poor, take responsibility for yourself, make something of yourself. But with what raw materials are the poor to make something of themselves? People love to say, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.

People always lecture the poor, take responsibility for yourself, make something of yourself. But with what raw materials are the poor to make something of themselves? People love to say, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.

male

1

None

1041

0en

What they don't say is, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod. That's the part of the analogy that's missing.

What they don't say is, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod. That's the part of the analogy that's missing.

male

1

None

1043

0en

One afternoon, I was in my room, making a CD, when Bongani came over to pick up his inventory. He saw me mixing songs on my computer. That is insane, he said. Are you doing this live? Yeah. Trevor, I don't think you understand. You're sitting on a gold mine. We need to do this for a crowd. You need to come to the township and start DJing gigs. No one has ever seen a DJ playing on a computer before.

One afternoon, I was in my room, making a CD, when Bongani came over to pick up his inventory. He saw me mixing songs on my computer. That is insane, he said. Are you doing this live? Yeah. Trevor, I don't think you understand. You're sitting on a gold mine. We need to do this for a crowd. You need to come to the township and start DJing gigs. No one has ever seen a DJ playing on a computer before.

male

1

None

1044

0en

Bongani lived in Alexandra. Where Soweto is a sprawling government-planned ghetto, Alexandra is a tiny, dense pocket of a shanty town, left over from the pre-apartheid days. Rows and rows of cinder block and corrugated iron shacks practically stacked on top of one another. Its nickname is Gamora, because it has the wildest parties and the worst crimes.

Bongani lived in Alexandra. Where Soweto is a sprawling government planned ghetto, Alexandra is a tiny, dense pocket of a shanty town, left over from the pre apartheid days. Rows and rows of cinder block and corrugated iron shacks practically stacked on top of one another. Its nickname is Gamora, because it has the wildest parties and the worst crimes.

male

1

None

1045

0en

Street parties are the best thing about Alexandra. You get a tent, put it up in the middle of the road, take over the street, and you've got a party. There's no formal invitations or guest list. You just tell a few people. Word of mouth travels and a crowd appears. There are no permits, nothing like that. If you own a tent, you have the right to throw a party in your street. Cars creep up to the intersection and the driver will see the party blocking their way and shrug and make a U-turn. Nobody gets upset

Street parties are the best thing about Alexandra. You get a tent, put it up in the middle of the road, take over the street, and you've got a party. There's no formal invitations or guest list. You just tell a few people. Word of mouth travels and a crowd appears. There are no permits, nothing like that. If you own a tent, you have the right to throw a party in your street. Cars creep up to the intersection and the driver will see the party blocking their way and shrug and make a U turn. Nobody gets upset.

male

1

None

1046

0en

Back then, most DJs could spin for only a few hours. They were limited by the number of vinyls they could buy. Since parties went all night, you might need five or six DJs to keep the dancing going. But I had a massive hard drive, stuffed with MP3s, which is why Bongani was excited when he saw me mixing. He saw a way to corner the market. How much music do you have? he asked. Winam says I can play for a week. We'll make a fortune!

Back then, most DJs could spin for only a few hours. They were limited by the number of vinyls they could buy. Since parties went all night, you might need five or six DJs to keep the dancing going. But I had a massive hard drive, stuffed with MP three s, which is why Bongani was excited when he saw me mixing. He saw a way to corner the market. How much music do you have? he asked. Winam says I can play for a week. We'll make a fortune!.

male

1

None

1048

0en

By midnight, the whole street was packed from one end to the other. Hours was the biggest New Year's Eve party in Alexandra that year. And to have the biggest party in Alexandra is no joke. All night, from far and wide, people kept coming. The word spread. There's a light-skinned guy who plays music on a computer. You've never seen anything like it. I DJ'd by myself until dawn. By then, me and my friends were so drunk and exhausted that we paused.

By midnight, the whole street was packed from one end to the other. Hours was the biggest New Year's Eve party in Alexandra that year. And to have the biggest party in Alexandra is no joke. All night, from far and wide, people kept coming. The word spread. There's a light skinned guy who plays music on a computer. You've never seen anything like it. I DJ'd by myself until dawn. By then, me and my friends were so drunk and exhausted that we paused.

male

1

None

1049

0en

When Bongani and I graduated from high school, we couldn't get jobs. There were no jobs for us to get. The only ways I had to make money were pirating CDs and DJing parties. And now that I'd left Sandringham, the minibus drivers and corner kids in Alexandra were the single biggest market for my CDs. It was also where I was playing the most gigs. So to keep earning, I naturally gravitated that way. Most of the white kids I knew were taking a gap year.

When Bongani and I graduated from high school, we couldn't get jobs. There were no jobs for us to get. The only ways I had to make money were pirating CDs and DJing parties. And now that I'd left Sandringham, the minibus drivers and corner kids in Alexandra were the single biggest market for my CDs. It was also where I was playing the most gigs. So to keep earning, I naturally gravitated that way. Most of the white kids I knew were taking a gap year.

male

1

None

105

0en

When the British took over the Cape Colony, the descendants of the original Dutch settlers trekked inland and developed their own language, culture and customs, eventually becoming their own people, the Afrikaners, the white tribe of Africa.

When the British took over the Cape Colony, the descendants of the original Dutch settlers trekked inland and developed their own language, culture and customs, eventually becoming their own people, the Afrikaners, the white tribe of Africa.

male

1

None

1050

0en

There was a low brick wall running down the middle of the road in front of Bongani's house in Alex. And every day, Bongani and I and our crew would go sit on the wall. I'd bring my CDs, we'd play music and practice dance moves. We hustled CDs all day and DJ'd parties at night. We started getting booked for gigs in other townships, other hoods.

There was a low brick wall running down the middle of the road in front of Bongani's house in Alex. And every day, Bongani and I and our crew would go sit on the wall. I'd bring my CDs, we'd play music and practice dance moves. We hustled CDs all day and DJ'd parties at night. We started getting booked for gigs in other townships, other hoods.

male

1

None

1052

0en

Hitler was a great friend of mine, and good Lord could that guy dance. He was mesmerizing to watch. He had a looseness and a fluidity that defied physics. Imagine a jellyfish, if it could walk on land. Incredibly handsome too, tall and lithe and muscular, with beautiful smooth skin, big teeth and a great smile, always laughing. And all he did was dance. He'd be up in the morning blasting house

Hitler was a great friend of mine, and good Lord could that guy dance. He was mesmerizing to watch. He had a looseness and a fluidity that defied physics. Imagine a jellyfish, if it could walk on land. Incredibly handsome too, tall and lithe and muscular, with beautiful smooth skin, big teeth and a great smile, always laughing. And all he did was dance. He'd be up in the morning blasting house.

male

1

None

1053

0en

In the hood, everybody knows who the best dancer in the crew is. He's like your status symbol. When you're poor, you don't have cars or nice clothes, but the best dancer gets girls. So that's the guy you want to roll with. Hitler was our guy. There were parties with dance competitions. Kids from every neighborhood would come and bring their best dancers. We'd always bring Hitler. And he almost always won.

In the hood, everybody knows who the best dancer in the crew is. He's like your status symbol. When you're poor, you don't have cars or nice clothes, but the best dancer gets girls. So that's the guy you want to roll with. Hitler was our guy. There were parties with dance competitions. Kids from every neighborhood would come and bring their best dancers. We'd always bring Hitler. And he almost always won.

male

1

None

1054

0en

When Bongani and I put together a routine for our dance crew, there was no question who was going to be the star attraction. We built the whole set around Hitler. I'd warm the crowd up with a few songs, then the dancers would come out and do a couple of numbers. Once they'd gotten the party started, they'd fan out to form a semicircle around the stage with a gap in the back for Hitler to enter. I'd crank up Red Man's Let's Get Dirty and start whipping the crowd up even more.

When Bongani and I put together a routine for our dance crew, there was no question who was going to be the star attraction. We built the whole set around Hitler. I'd warm the crowd up with a few songs, then the dancers would come out and do a couple of numbers. Once they'd gotten the party started, they'd fan out to form a semicircle around the stage with a gap in the back for Hitler to enter. I'd crank up Red Man's Let's Get Dirty and start whipping the crowd up even more.

male

1

None

1055

0en

Hitler, although an unusual name, is not unheard of in South Africa. Part of it has to do with the way a lot of black people pick names. Black people choose their traditional names with great care. Those are the names that have deeply personal meanings. But from colonial times through the days of apartheid, black people in South Africa were required to have an English or European name as well. A name that white people could pronounce basically.

Hitler, although an unusual name, is not unheard of in South Africa. Part of it has to do with the way a lot of black people pick names. Black people choose their traditional names with great care. Those are the names that have deeply personal meanings. But from colonial times through the days of apartheid, black people in South Africa were required to have an English or European name as well. A name that white people could pronounce basically.

male

1

None

1057

0en

Westerners are shocked and confused by that. But really, it's a case of the West reaping what it has sown.

Westerners are shocked and confused by that. But really, it's a case of the West reaping what it has sown.

male

1

None

1058

0en

The colonial powers carved up Africa, put the black man to work, and did not properly educate him. White people don't talk to black people. So why would black people know what's going on in the white man's world? Because of that, many black people in South Africa don't really know who Hitler was. My own grandfather thought a Hitler was a kind of army tank that was helping the Germans win the war, because that's what he took from what he heard on the news.

The colonial powers carved up Africa, put the black man to work, and did not properly educate him. White people don't talk to black people. So why would black people know what's going on in the white man's world? Because of that, many black people in South Africa don't really know who Hitler was. My own grandfather thought a Hitler was a kind of army tank that was helping the Germans win the war, because that's what he took from what he heard on the news.

male

1

None

1059

0en

So, if you want your dog to be tough, you name your dog Hitler. If you want your kid to be tough, you name your kid Hitler. There's a good chance you've got an uncle named Hitler. It's just a thing.

So, if you want your dog to be tough, you name your dog Hitler. If you want your kid to be tough, you name your kid Hitler. There's a good chance you've got an uncle named Hitler. It's just a thing.

male

1

None

106

0en

The British abolished slavery in name but kept it in practice. They did so because, in the mid-1800s, in what had been written off as a near worthless way station on the route to the Far East, a few lucky capitalists stumbled upon the richest gold and diamond reserves in the world. And an endless supply of expendable bodies was needed to go into the ground and get it all out.

The British abolished slavery in name but kept it in practice. They did so because, in the mid one thousand, eight hundred s, in what had been written off as a near worthless way station on the route to the Far East, a few lucky capitalists stumbled upon the richest gold and diamond reserves in the world. And an endless supply of expendable bodies was needed to go into the ground and get it all out.

male

1

None

1061

0en

All we were taught was that in 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and in 1941 he invaded the Soviet Union and in 1943 he did something else. They're just facts. Memorize them, write them down for the test and forget them.

All we were taught was that in one thousand, nine hundred and thirty nine Hitler invaded Poland and in one thousand, nine hundred and forty one he invaded the Soviet Union and in one thousand, nine hundred and forty three he did something else. They're just facts. Memorize them, write them down for the test and forget them.

male

1

None

1062

0en

There is also this to consider. The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that's especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil John Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium's King Leopold would come way before Hitler.

There is also this to consider. The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that's especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil John Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium's King Leopold would come way before Hitler.

male

1

None

1063

0en

I often meet people in the West who insist the Holocaust was the worst atrocity in human history without question. Yes, it was horrific. But I often wonder, with African atrocities like in the Congo, how horrific were they?

I often meet people in the West who insist the Holocaust was the worst atrocity in human history without question. Yes, it was horrific. But I often wonder, with African atrocities like in the Congo, how horrific were they?.

male

1

None

1064

0en

The thing Africans don't have, that Jewish people do have, is documentation. The Nazis kept meticulous records, took pictures, made films. And that's really what it comes down to. Holocaust victims count because Hitler counted them. Six million people killed. We can all look at that number and rightly be horrified. But when you read through the history of atrocities against Africans, there are no numbers, only guesses.

The thing Africans don't have, that Jewish people do have, is documentation. The Nazis kept meticulous records, took pictures, made films. And that's really what it comes down to. Holocaust victims count because Hitler counted them. Six million people killed. We can all look at that number and rightly be horrified. But when you read through the history of atrocities against Africans, there are no numbers, only guesses.

male

1

None

1066

0en

Once Bongani and I added the dancers to our DJ sets, we blew up. We called our group the Black and White Boys. The dancers were called the Springbok Boys. We started getting booked everywhere. Successful Black families were moving to the suburbs, but their kids still wanted to have block parties and stay connected to the culture of the townships. So they'd book us to play their parties. Word of mouth traveled. Pretty soon, we were getting booked more and more in the suburbs, meeting White people, playing for White people.

Once Bongani and I added the dancers to our DJ sets, we blew up. We called our group the Black and White Boys. The dancers were called the Springbok Boys. We started getting booked everywhere. Successful Black families were moving to the suburbs, but their kids still wanted to have block parties and stay connected to the culture of the townships. So they'd book us to play their parties. Word of mouth traveled. Pretty soon, we were getting booked more and more in the suburbs, meeting White people, playing for White people.

male

1

None

1067

0en

One kid we knew from the township, his mother was involved in creating cultural programs for schools. In America, they'd be called diversity programs. They were springing up all over South Africa because we were supposed to be learning about and embracing one another in this post-apartheid era. This kid's mom asked us if we wanted to play at a cultural day at some school in Lynxfield, the wealthy suburb south of Sandringham, where my pal Teddy had lived. There was going to be all

One kid we knew from the township, his mother was involved in creating cultural programs for schools. In America, they'd be called diversity programs. They were springing up all over South Africa because we were supposed to be learning about and embracing one another in this post apartheid era. This kid's mom asked us if we wanted to play at a cultural day at some school in Lynxfield, the wealthy suburb south of Sandringham, where my pal Teddy had lived. There was going to be all.

male

1

None

1068

0en

she offered to pay. So we said sure. She sent us the information with the time and place and the name of the school. The King David School. A Jewish school.

she offered to pay. So we said sure. She sent us the information with the time and place and the name of the school. The King David School. A Jewish school.

male

1

None

1069

0en

The day of the event, we booked a minibus, loaded it up with our gear and drove over. Once we arrived, we waited in the back of the school's assembly hall and watched the acts that went on stage before us. Different groups took their turns performing, flamenco dancers, Greek dancers, traditional Zulu musicians. Then we were up.

The day of the event, we booked a minibus, loaded it up with our gear and drove over. Once we arrived, we waited in the back of the school's assembly hall and watched the acts that went on stage before us. Different groups took their turns performing, flamenco dancers, Greek dancers, traditional Zulu musicians. Then we were up.

male

1

None

1070

0en

We were billed as the hip-hop panzula dancers, the South African B-Boys. We set up our sound system on stage. I looked out and the whole hall was nothing but Jewish kids in their yamakas ready to party. I got on the mic. Are you ready to rock out? Yeah! Make some noise. Yeah! I started playing. The bass was bumping.

We were billed as the hip hop panzula dancers, the South African B Boys. We set up our sound system on stage. I looked out and the whole hall was nothing but Jewish kids in their yamakas ready to party. I got on the mic. Are you ready to rock out? Yeah! Make some noise. Yeah! I started playing. The bass was bumping.

male

1

None

1071

0en

I started the song. The dancers fanned out in their semicircle, and I got on the mic.

I started the song. The dancers fanned out in their semicircle, and I got on the mic.

male

1

None

1072

0en

Are you guys ready? Yeah! You guys are not ready, are you ready? Yeah! Alright, give it up and make some noise for Hitler! Hitler jumped out to the middle of the circle and started killing it. The guys around him were all chanting, Go Hitler! Go Hitler! Go Hitler! Go Hitler!

Are you guys ready? Yeah! You guys are not ready, are you ready? Yeah! Alright, give it up and make some noise for Hitler! Hitler jumped out to the middle of the circle and started killing it. The guys around him were all chanting, Go Hitler! Go Hitler! Go Hitler! Go Hitler!.

male

1

None

1073

0en

The whole room stopped. No one was dancing. The teachers, the chaperones, the parents, the hundreds of Jewish kids in their yarmulkes, they froze and stared aghast at us up on the stage. I was oblivious. So was Hitler. We kept going. For a good 30 seconds, the only sound in the room was the beats of the music and me on the mic yelling, go Hitler, go Hitler, go Hitler, put your hands in the air.

The whole room stopped. No one was dancing. The teachers, the chaperones, the parents, the hundreds of Jewish kids in their yarmulkes, they froze and stared aghast at us up on the stage. I was oblivious. So was Hitler. We kept going. For a good thirty seconds, the only sound in the room was the beats of the music and me on the mic yelling, go Hitler, go Hitler, go Hitler, put your hands in the air.

male

1

None

1075

0en

As I started packing up my gear, we kept arguing. Listen lady, we're free now. We're gonna do what we're gonna do. You can't stop us. I'll have you know that my people stopped people like you before and we can stop you again.

As I started packing up my gear, we kept arguing. Listen lady, we're free now. We're gonna do what we're gonna do. You can't stop us. I'll have you know that my people stopped people like you before and we can stop you again.

male

1

None

1076

0en

She was talking of course about stopping the Nazis in World War II, but that's not what I was hearing. Jews in South Africa are just white people. All I was hearing was some white lady shouting about how white people beat us before and they'll beat us again. I said, you will never stop us again, lady. And here's where I played the trump card. You'll never stop us because now we have Nelson Mandela on our side and

She was talking of course about stopping the Nazis in World War II, but that's not what I was hearing. Jews in South Africa are just white people. All I was hearing was some white lady shouting about how white people beat us before and they'll beat us again. I said, you will never stop us again, lady. And here's where I played the trump card. You'll never stop us because now we have Nelson Mandela on our side and.

male

1

None

1077

0en

Alexandra was a farm originally named for the wife of a white man who owned it. Like Sophia Town and other black spots populating white areas before apartheid, Alex started out as a squatter settlement where blacks gathered and lived when coming to Johannesburg to find work. What was unique about Alex is that this farmer sold plots of land to some of the black tenants in the time before it was illegal for blacks to own property. So while Sophia Town and other black ghettos were raised and rebuilt as white suburbs,

Alexandra was a farm originally named for the wife of a white man who owned it. Like Sophia Town and other black spots populating white areas before apartheid, Alex started out as a squatter settlement where blacks gathered and lived when coming to Johannesburg to find work. What was unique about Alex is that this farmer sold plots of land to some of the black tenants in the time before it was illegal for blacks to own property. So while Sophia Town and other black ghettos were raised and rebuilt as white suburbs,.

male

1

None

1078

0en

Soweto was beautiful because, after democracy, you watched Soweto grow. Soweto has become a proper city unto itself. People went from three-room houses to five-room houses to three-bedroom houses with garages. There was room to grow because the piece of land from the government gave you something to build on. Alexandra can't do that. Alex can't get any bigger because it's pinned in on all sides and it can't build up because it's mostly shacks.

Soweto was beautiful because, after democracy, you watched Soweto grow. Soweto has become a proper city unto itself. People went from three room houses to five room houses to three bedroom houses with garages. There was room to grow because the piece of land from the government gave you something to build on. Alexandra can't do that. Alex can't get any bigger because it's pinned in on all sides and it can't build up because it's mostly shacks.

male

1

None

108

0en

Apartheid was a police state, a system of surveillance and laws designed to keep black people under total control.

Apartheid was a police state, a system of surveillance and laws designed to keep black people under total control.

male

1

None

1080

0en

16. The Cheese Boys

sixteen . The Cheese Boys.

male

1

None

1081

0en

My friend Bongani was a short, bald, super buff guy. He wasn't always that way. His whole life he'd been skinny and then a bodybuilding magazine found its way into his hands and changed his life.

My friend Bongani was a short, bald, super buff guy. He wasn't always that way. His whole life he'd been skinny and then a bodybuilding magazine found its way into his hands and changed his life.

male

1

None

1082

0en

Bongani was one of those people who brought out the best in everybody. He was that friend who believed in you and saw the potential in you that nobody else did, which was why so many of the Township Kids gravitated toward him, and why I gravitated toward him as well. Bongani was always popular, but his reputation really took off when he beat up one of the more infamous bullies in the school. That cemented his status as sort of the leader and protector of the Township Kids.

Bongani was one of those people who brought out the best in everybody. He was that friend who believed in you and saw the potential in you that nobody else did, which was why so many of the Township Kids gravitated toward him, and why I gravitated toward him as well. Bongani was always popular, but his reputation really took off when he beat up one of the more infamous bullies in the school. That cemented his status as sort of the leader and protector of the Township Kids.

male

1

None

1084

0en

I'd been to Alex a few times for brief visits, but I'd never spent any real time there. I've never been there at night. Let's put it that way. Going to Alex during the day is different from going there at night. The place was nicknamed Gomorrah for a reason.

I'd been to Alex a few times for brief visits, but I'd never spent any real time there. I've never been there at night. Let's put it that way. Going to Alex during the day is different from going there at night. The place was nicknamed Gomorrah for a reason.

male

1

None

1085

0en

One day after school, not long before we matriculated, Bongani walked up to me on the quad. Hey, let's go to the hood, he said. The hood? At first, I had no idea what he was talking about. I knew the word hood from rap songs, and I knew the different townships where black people lived, but I had never used the one to describe the other.

One day after school, not long before we matriculated, Bongani walked up to me on the quad. Hey, let's go to the hood, he said. The hood? At first, I had no idea what he was talking about. I knew the word hood from rap songs, and I knew the different townships where black people lived, but I had never used the one to describe the other.

male

1

None

1086

0en

The walls of apartheid were coming down just as American hip-hop was blowing up. And hip-hop made it cool to be from the hood. Before, living in a township was something to be ashamed of. It was the bottom of the bottom. Then, we had movies like Boys in the Hood and Menace to Society. And they made the hood look cool. The characters in those movies, in the songs, they owned it. Kids in the townships started doing the same, wearing their identity

The walls of apartheid were coming down just as American hip hop was blowing up. And hip hop made it cool to be from the hood. Before, living in a township was something to be ashamed of. It was the bottom of the bottom. Then, we had movies like Boys in the Hood and Menace to Society. And they made the hood look cool. The characters in those movies, in the songs, they owned it. Kids in the townships started doing the same, wearing their identity.

male

1

None

1087

0en

When Bongani took me to Alex, we entered, as most people do, from the Sandton side. You ride through one of the richest neighborhoods in Johannesburg, past palatial mansions and huge money. Then you go through the industrial belt of Weinberg that cordoned off the rich and white from the poor and black. At the entrance to Alex, there's the huge minibus rank and the bus station.

When Bongani took me to Alex, we entered, as most people do, from the Sandton side. You ride through one of the richest neighborhoods in Johannesburg, past palatial mansions and huge money. Then you go through the industrial belt of Weinberg that cordoned off the rich and white from the poor and black. At the entrance to Alex, there's the huge minibus rank and the bus station.

male

1

None

1089

0en

Right next to the minibus rank, of course, is a KFC. That's one thing about South Africa. There's always a KFC. KFC found the black people. KFC did not play games. They were in the hood before McDonald's, before Burger King, before anyone. KFC was like, yo, we're here for you.

Right next to the minibus rank, of course, is a KFC. That's one thing about South Africa. There's always a KFC. KFC found the black people. KFC did not play games. They were in the hood before McDonald's, before Burger King, before anyone. KFC was like, yo, we're here for you.

male

1

None

109

0en

A full compendium of these laws would run more than 3,000 pages and weigh approximately 10 pounds. But the general thrust of it should be easy enough for any American to understand.

A full compendium of these laws would run more than three , zero pages and weigh approximately ten pounds. But the general thrust of it should be easy enough for any American to understand.

male

1

None

1090

0en

Once you go past the minibus rank, you're in Alex proper.

Once you go past the minibus rank, you're in Alex proper.

male

1

None

1091

0en

I've been in few places where there's an electricity like there is in Alex. It's a hive of constant human activity. All day long, people coming and going. Gangsters hustling, guys on the corner doing nothing, kids running around. There's nowhere for all that energy to go. No mechanism for it to dissipate. So it erupts periodically in epic acts of violence and crazy parties. One minute, it'll be a placid afternoon, people hanging out,

I've been in few places where there's an electricity like there is in Alex. It's a hive of constant human activity. All day long, people coming and going. Gangsters hustling, guys on the corner doing nothing, kids running around. There's nowhere for all that energy to go. No mechanism for it to dissipate. So it erupts periodically in epic acts of violence and crazy parties. One minute, it'll be a placid afternoon, people hanging out,.

male

1

None

1093

0en

Alex is laid out on a grid, a series of avenues. The streets are paved, but the sidewalks are mostly dirt. The colour scheme is cinder block and corrugated iron, grey and dark grey, punctuated by bright splashes of colour. Someone's painted a wall lime green, or there's a bright red sign above a takeaway shop. Or maybe somebody's picked up a bright blue piece of sheet metal just by luck.

Alex is laid out on a grid, a series of avenues. The streets are paved, but the sidewalks are mostly dirt. The colour scheme is cinder block and corrugated iron, grey and dark grey, punctuated by bright splashes of colour. Someone's painted a wall lime green, or there's a bright red sign above a takeaway shop. Or maybe somebody's picked up a bright blue piece of sheet metal just by luck.

male

1

None

1094

0en

There's little in the way of basic sanitation. Trashes everywhere. Typically a garbage fire going down some side streets. There's always something burning in the hood.

There's little in the way of basic sanitation. Trashes everywhere. Typically a garbage fire going down some side streets. There's always something burning in the hood.

male

1

None

1095

0en

As you walk, there's every smell you can imagine. People are cooking, eating takeaways in the streets. Some family has a shack that's jury-rigged onto the back of someone else's shack, and they don't have any running water. So they've bathed in a bucket from the outdoor tap and then dumped the dirty water in the street, where it runs into the river of sewerage that's already there because the water system has backed up again.

As you walk, there's every smell you can imagine. People are cooking, eating takeaways in the streets. Some family has a shack that's jury rigged onto the back of someone else's shack, and they don't have any running water. So they've bathed in a bucket from the outdoor tap and then dumped the dirty water in the street, where it runs into the river of sewerage that's already there because the water system has backed up again.

male

1

None

1096

0en

There's a guy fixing cars who thinks he knows what he's doing, but he doesn't. He's dumping old motor oil into the street and now the oil is combining with the dirty bathwater to make a river of filth running down the streets. There's probably a goat hanging around. There's always a goat. As you're walking, sound washes over you. The steady thrum of human activity. People talking in a dozen different languages. Chatting, haggling, arguing.

There's a guy fixing cars who thinks he knows what he's doing, but he doesn't. He's dumping old motor oil into the street and now the oil is combining with the dirty bathwater to make a river of filth running down the streets. There's probably a goat hanging around. There's always a goat. As you're walking, sound washes over you. The steady thrum of human activity. People talking in a dozen different languages. Chatting, haggling, arguing.

male

1

None