it is as you say it is.

yesterday, we went to robben island, an island prison through the early 1990's for political activists including Nelson Mandela. It was a powerful experience. We had a bus tour tour and an ex-prisoner took us through the prison sharing his experiences and even showing us Nelson Mandela's ex cell.

i'd heard about apartheid in the past but only read up on it right before coming to South Africa. it was shocking to learn how the whites, which at their peak were around 20% of the population but are now only 9% of the population, oppressed 91% of the population. but, i wanted to know more.

i pulled the bus driver/tour guide aside to ask some questions after the tour. it did not start well. his first response was a joking protest since he'd already given us numerous opportunities for questions on the bus.

so i decided to ask him a hell of a question. "Since you were probably a young teenager when apartheid ended in 1994 (tour guide: 'how young do you think i am??'), what was your experience like during that time?"

i got a blank stare. alright, my question was too heavy. so i tried to regroup. "I mean, was it kinda like what we had in the US where blacks and whites were considered separate but equal until 1967? Did you also have segregated schools but were essentially worse off?"

another stare. but finally, he answered.

/o_o/ it is as you say it is. /o_o/

i'm not really sure how you can respond to that. a pat on the back for being so introspective and empathetic? or a kick in the ass for being so blunt that the other party can't even give you a coherent response in return? all i could do was forge ahead. i reviewed how the states still haven't corrected the the socioeconomic disparities between black Americans and white Americans even decades after our segregation laws were repealed. i asked if South Africans were also trying affirmative action like we do in the states.

the conversation ended abruptly and shortly. the tour guide had to make a phone call. but i did, at least, learn that (start negative inflection) some white South Africans (stop negative inflection) consider affirmative action a reverse apartheid.

robben island was intense. it reminded me a lot about the struggles we had in the states and how we still struggle. but i was ultimately disappointed. my sense of hope for South Africa's future after the ex-prisoner guide ended his tour with mention of reconciliation and friendships with the ex-guards was extinguished. history repeats. human nature is an unfortunate constant. and without drastic change, it looks like South Africa's set up for less than satisfactory states of equality, just like we have in the states.