Emanuel had to cross a dangerous river every day so he could go to school barefoot. One way took three hours. His family could not even afford bread. He did not know what it was like to have a home. From farm to farm in slavery or on the street, in constant fear of attacks, he lived through a terrible time of apartheid with his family …
“We had no rights during Apartheid. Once I witnessed my parents get beaten up by young cops, I was unbelievably furious but was unable to do anything. When I asked him why they are allowed to beat us, he said: ‘Because they are white’. At some point, one just accepts that these living conditions are part of being black. One begins to think it’s normal. Today I am repeatedly asked whether I feel hatred towards white people, but why should I? I don’t want to blame specific people – it was the government who failed us.”
The whole story and about 80 other portraits will appear in the book “People Like Us“.
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