we need you to reply in english so as to facilitate discos with our administration. there is a teacher at my school who passed a very racial comment in an micro-economics class. in relation to the dispersion of drugs internationally. He implied the american citizens are anraged by supporting starving, aids striken, poor, black Africans. He says they support us through anti-viral drugs which are shipped to Africa at cheaper rates per ounce. that being true is not the question. he said this in deragatory manner. at confrontation he retorted to say his comments were a derrivative of an article, unfortunatelly he could not produce this article in his deffence. he also said two in evry three people in Africa are HIV++, contrary to the 7% cited by the UNAIDS ORG and other sources. his statistics now rule in the minds of his students. this issue having been adressed, and proper chain of command followed in the report of this matter, this is the response we got from our adminstration. we reached a dead end.
what do you think we should do?

the reply was as follows:
From what you reported to me originally, it sounded as if Dr. Swanke
was reporting an attitude of resentment that exists among some folks in
this country (something he read in the paper).

Since we last met, I've spoken with Dr. Swanke and to other
professional staff about this situation, and about Dr. Swanke's
teaching style and reputation. After reflecting on the situation and
what you reported to me, my feeling is that Dr. Swanke was attempting
to highlight resentment among some Americans toward Africans who
receive HIV medications at substantially reduced prices. I sense that
Dr. Swanke may have mentioned "black Africans" in an attempt to
illustrate and report that there may in fact be racial motivation
behind such resentment.

If Dr. Swanke's intention was indeed to highlight and illustrate
resentment and possibly racism in this country, then I feel that his
intentions were positive, and meant to provoke thought and discussion.

Dr. Swanke's eagerness to discuss the situation with me, clarify what
he meant, discuss the educational outcome he hoped for, and apologize
to the class leads me to believe that this may have been the situation.

I can't speak for Dr. Swanke, but from my educational experience
professors sometimes attempt to spark debate by saying provocative
things that may bring up uncomfortable feelings in students. I know as
an
undergraduate, I heard some of my professors say things that some might
consider very provocative or even insulting to us as students. While
occasionally shocked at first, I came to the conclusion that the
professor was most likely trying to spark thought, discussion and
debate. (And may have been frustrated by a sleepy class that wasn't
very involved or speaking up!)

I would not recommend speaking to the dept. chair or dean about this
situation, but if you feel it would be helpful to you, you may do so.
Please let me know what you decide. I hope this information has been
helpful.

Please don't hestitate to stop by, call, or e-mail if you'd like to
discuss this further.

Kindest Regards,

Aaron Grow

It would help if you mention the racial comment. As it is, its not clear what the particular racial comment was.

Can the whites order "black coffee" without sounding racial? Maybe we need to investigate how we feel about ourselves first, then how we feel about the whites.

Should we feel offended if described as "black Africans"? Should we feel offended with statistics about us, true or false?

Do we feel we are fundamentally inferior to the whites?

Is the resentment shown towards us in their countries warranted? misdirected? inhuman?

Have we given them cause not to resent us? or to resent us? Wouldn't we resent them if they were to settle in our lands or rather don't we already resent them for colonising us?

I did not mean to divert the topic but these are the questions that sprang to mind as I read the above postings? I can assure you that I have not been spared racially barbed comments, jokes etc. I have felt racially ostracised and have since started asking myself questions like these everytime I feel I am being "racialised"

I also eagerly await clarification as requested by our esteemed samdala.

Was racism tolerable when you were in Zimbabwe LiQhawe kumbe awuzange uvele uhlangane layo?

here is what he said, "Two in every three people in sub-saharan africa are HIV positive/have AIDS. It is unfair to send Anti-viral drugs to those black africans"

To me what he said was blatentlly racial in that Africa is complimented by whites too and he knew this. Dispite this knowledge he says "black Africans". According to the United Nations, 7% of sub-suharan africa is infected, not 67%. This exagaration/distortion of facts is what lead us to beleive he was implying that these statistics are all thanks to blacks. Should our lectures be allowed to say "nigger" to spark debate. This is where things are headed in this our small town. His statement is a supposed report which he has failed to produce. He made no mention of this article during his lecture, why?

Yes a white man can order black coffee without sounding racial, but he cannot blurt out "black Africans" in a lecture without having this effect (i.e sounding racial)
I do not feel fundamentally inferior to any white man. I too have something to offer the world.
Siphepheli I too used to ask these questions, until I came to the realisation that one can not justify injustices by asking one's self about how things are. But better yet how they should be.

and its also important to determine the intent of the speaker if you can. at times pple say racial statements without the intent to offend anybody, but someone always gets offended. if you have a problem with a white person mentioning the word black then you have some serious issues yourself.

nonetheless, this Dr. Swanke character has some ignorance issues as well. you cant quote something from a magazine if you are not even sure if its true. if people are sleeping in class you cant spark a debate by spreading a lie. there are many ways to get students talking than saying such things that you're not even sure of yourself.

Bafowethu.

NANSI INDABA. Le indaba ifuna ukuhluzwa kungela kuzondelana bantu beNkosi. Esethulweni sika baba uSIPHEPHELI ubuze kuhle ngoluka Mnali wathi, "Do we feel we are fundementally inferior to the whites?" Indaba ikhonapha.

Abantu bakithi abanengi balombandela owadalwa yikuba yizigqili. Ngenxa yalokhu, kuyehlula ukuthi loba sesizikhulule, sizibone lathi singenelisa ukuma laphaya sibonakale. Yikho okwenta abantu baphange ukuzonda ngitsho lenkulumo emsulwa. Sihlezi mihla nayizolo sithiyile ukuthi lapho abelumbi abakhubeka khona siqathanise inkulumo zabo lwekwenza kwabo leqhubu leliya elisemimoyeni yethu.

Ubolalela nxa abantu bexoxa belibele. Uzezwa kuthiwa, "Wena isikhathi sakho ngesesintu sibili, yini uphuza kanje?" Abafana bemitshova uzwe bethi, "Asibhadaleni MAKHIWA". Ungazala umntwana omuhle uzwe kuthiwa, "Oka Maseko, LIKHIWA". Hawu bantu beNkosi, iqhubu leli lidalwa yithi.

Ngama 1960's to 70's odadewethu babegcoba i AMBI, size sibaphoxe sithi ngo FANTA le COCO-COLA ngoba ubuso sebuliKHIWA, inyawo zilokhu zingezesintu. Babethatha amatshe bawatshise eziko belule inwele ngawo, ukuze zifane lezaMAKHIWA. Namhlanje kule PERM, le 100% HUMAN HAIR. Kambe sengingembatha inwele zabomuyi ngenxa yokuthi ISICHOLO saKwa ZULU kasifani lobulembu beKHIWA??? Kudalwa yini lokhu???

NGESIKHATHI SIPHIWA I AIDS AWARENESS TRAINING EMSEBENZINI, SATSHELWA UKUTHI YATHI IQALA UKWAZAKALA I AIDS, YAQALA UKUBONAKALA "Amongst Gay White People". THE HISTORY OF AIDS AS TAUGHT STANDS TO THAT FACT, AND TAUGHT BY WHITES THEMSELVES.

Esintwini kuthiwa isilo esizingelayo silindela ithuba lobuvaka kuleyo nyamatana edliwayo ukuze sihlasele. Yikho ke labo abe LUMBI abalolunya bayananzelela ukuthi siyazeyisa thina sodwa bahlasele ke kubebuhlungu kakhulu.

UNGAZAZI WENA UKUTHI KAWUSISO SIBHUMBE KWEMINYE IMIHLOBO, AWUKHO UMHLOBO OZABUBONA UBUBHUMBE BAKHO.

Yikho kasisoze sibekhona isizatho sokunanzelela inkulumo uyiqathanisa lobubhumbe. Asisoze sibekhona isizatho sokuhlala uzizondele wena wedwa njengo MICHAEL JACKSON.

Ngumbono wami bakwethu.

Li Zwangendaba.

Bafowethu.

Uyaqhubeka ubaba u Siphepheli:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Is the resentment shown towards us in their countries warranted? misdirected? inhuman?
_____________________________________________________________________________

WARRANTED - YES. Here is a situation of competition. These people are in their own society, and they would like to compete in their own terms. But when a foreigner arrives, he/she offsets the balance of competition as he/she removes some of the factors of competition. That definately leads to resentment.

MISDIRECTED - YES. What is good for the goose, is good ........ so goes their own language. Our migrating to their countries is a result of the destruction that was done to the fabrick of our societies. Today we are failing to solve some basic issues of governance because the elected governments have failed to fit in the shoes of our cultural modes of government. So they are directing their anger at VICTIMS.

INHUMAN - YES. There is nothing as painfull as the feeling of NOT BEING WANTED. Abale sidlalade sika Lovemore Majayivana esithi ISONO SAMI, kanye yona leyo ngoma in both the song and dubb Poetry version with Albert Nyathi, you will understand ubuhlungu bokuzama ngazo zonke indlela zokuthi wazakale ukuthi lawe ungowakhona, kodwa abanini muzi bengafuni lokubona ukuthi ukhona.


___________________________________________________________________________

Have we given them cause not to resent us? or to resent us? Wouldn't we resent them if they were to settle in our lands or rather don't we already resent them for colonising us?
____________________________________________________________________________

GIVEN THEM CAUSE - NO. It is inherrent in all beings wild or civilised to display some resentment due to misdirected fear.


I CAN ONLY SAY AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO BE IN OTHER PEOPLE'S COUNTRIES, SO MUST WE ALSO GO INTO THEIR COUNTRIES IN LARGE NUMBERS. BUT WHILST WE ARE THERE, LET US LEARN AND CARRY BACK KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL WISELY USE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR OWN.

Ngumbono wami zihlobo.

Li Zwangendaba.