Raising a Biracial Child in South Africa #BetheLegacy

And, I’m back! I hope you all enjoyed Kevin’s #ManMonday posts, found them helpful and shared them with the men in your lives. Click on the above hashtag for all of the posts, in case you missed one. There was talk in the comments section of Kev having a regular segment on this here blog of mine…the jury’s out on that one 😉

You may have noticed that I don’t usually talk about the racial makeup of my family on here. I haven’t purposefully avoided it, it just hasn’t really been something that’s as top of mind to us as it is for others when they see us. Having said that, both Kev and I are very comfortable talking about race and are very aware of how the world sees us – both individually, a couple and a family. Race and racial prejudice is a very real thing and it’d be irresponsible for us not to openly talk about it with Kai. As much as the world has a dark racial past, (and in many places, this is still the case) I believe that more healthy dialogue and understanding between races will help us avoid a lot of the hate that not so long ago was widely accepted and let’s not forget, legal, in South Africa.

In honour of Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday #Mandela100, I created this video where I share what #BetheLegacy means in my life. While we need to be hopeful and look to the future, we can’t ignore our history. In order to move forward, we must remember where we came from and those who made it possible for us to be where we are now. I hope you find inspiration in what I have to say, and strive to be the legacy in your own way. Let me know if you’d be interested in me sharing more about our multi-racial family.

I’d love to know, what does #BetheLegacy mean to you?

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4 Comments

  1. July 12, 2018 / 3:51 pm

    Listen, Racial tensions are real in this country, so much so that they change and even strain the relationships i have with people of other races. I wish my parents explained this stuff and taught me about it. one day I’m a happy go lucky village girl who thought racism exists on T.V then i move to the city and well. . .reality. So Kudos to you and abhuti kev for teaching him young and openly talking to him about it. who knows, little man might save this country if our generation fails. Thanks mama.

    Mvumikazi | Urban Mnguni

    • Aisha O'Reilly
      Author
      July 21, 2018 / 12:58 pm

      I didn’t even think about the kids who aren’t mixed. I actually think race should be something every parent talks to their child about, because racists do! So we need to counter that and prepare our kids for the kind of people we’ll inevitably come across in life. Thanks Mvumi, I honestly always enjoy reading your comments.

  2. Rachel Nel
    July 3, 2018 / 7:57 pm

    Hi Aisha! I’m a new reader/watcher who ended up here thanks to your Johnson’s give-away post which I spotted on Facebook. I love your blog! You are gorgeous and so is your family. The way I’m trying to live Madiba’s legacy is by being kind to everyone like he was. I believe that, despite the problems in our beautiful country (and no place in the world is without problems, after all!), the majority of South Africans are good and just want peace and a good life for themselves and their loved ones. Thank you for your blog. You definitely have a new fan in me!

    • Aisha O'Reilly
      Author
      July 21, 2018 / 12:55 pm

      Thanks so much for your comment Rachel. Appreciate the feedback, and really glad you found my blog 🙂 Kindness is so underestimated, especially in this day and age so good on you for focusing on that, it’s a great virtue.

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