Oh what racially tangled webs we weave

Ok, first off, this post is not meant to stoke the flames of controversy, though it is a sensitive topic, that being of race. I was notified through google alert a few days back that an article with my name in it was posted by Ramon Thomas. So of course my inquisitive nature got me to check it out. I have my views and feelings on this issue, based on my experience, and others would definitely have their own views, so lets talk and share and see where we take this.

Ramon’s article titled Who’s who in the non-white Web 2.0 South African Zoo, was written in response to an article by Mandy Dewaal titled Who’s who in the web 2.0 Zoo.

Where do we start? The people on Mandy’s list probably deserve a good mention in many lists as they are mostly industry leaders, though I don’t think this is the real issue that needs to be focused on. Mandy’s mention of it being a ‘White boys club’ could be partly to blame for the response by Ramon.

Being someone with a little colour to my skin, well in the summer months specifically, and a bietjie of a plat (flat Cape Flats) accent, I have experienced a bit of the issue being discussed. Having worked in the advertising and web industries for the last nine years, I had thought about, debated and experienced first hand the racial divide, not so much on the ground level, but more at the higher levels of companies and organisations. Now I’m not saying I am an example of someone who deserves to be at the top by a long shot, but you have to ask the question: Why are there so few black people in this industry to begin with?

So I picked up the issue after giving it a bit of thought and wrote a little piece on my own blog, trying to unpack it a little bit. It seems our web is much more tangled than I expected.

Could culture be one of the barriers keeping us in our silos or has it got more to do with class? The fact that the web industry is still in the hands of an elite group is a matter of concern for me, as someone who has struggled to fit in. I found in many of the companies where I have been employed, the value that a person brings to the table is blurred by the filter of race, class, culture and in my case, religion as well. I have seen more talented and experienced people of colour earn way less that their more junior white counterparts. The opposite is of course true in certain skewed affirmative action implementations as well.

Within the web and media industries however, the situation has remained is still very much based on the old South Africa model. At the time I started writing this post it seemed that this issue was passing by unnoticed, but as I started tracking the conversation, I see the local blogosphere has kicked into actions with myriad views.
Some people talking about this right now:
Stop Drawing racial lines in the Sand, Take Action – Ismail D
Analysing SA Blogs, Where are the black readers/bloggers? – Ismail D
Who’s who in the racial online zoo? – Nic Harambulous
Do you really care enough to to do something – Google Group- Technology for change
Colour me fascist – Paul Jacobson
The 3 Web 2.0 experts that ITWeb missed – a satirical look at the whole debacle

Darren Ravens mentions on his blog the need for a network of black professionals, and though it may have some advantages, I tend to think it may have more disadvantages creating further segregation.

Tech Leader has changed the game somewhat. The fact that I can engage in this discussion through this very platform shows that it’s not black and white(excuse the pun). Tech Leader has extended opportunities to a diverse cross section of South African society allowing professionals from all racial groups to engage in dialogue and expose their knowledge and experience to a wider audience. Thumbs up to the guys behind Tech Leader for being so proactive and creating this platform.

Oh, what tangled webs we weave. It would have been easy to just speak about this issue from one side, to be defensive and not look at all perspectives, but I do agree with many who have criticized the approach used in picking at the problem, my own approach included. This is an emotional issue and touches most of us in a way which affects our very dignity as human beings. Playing the blame game is not a solution, but sticking ones head in the sand won’t solve any problems either.

So, firstly, having blogged about this on my own site from a more personal perspective I find myself asking myself a few questions.

Maybe it’s time we started a wider conversation and started tackling the feelings and perceptions that are fuelling the situation:

Am I approaching things in the wrong way?
Where do we go from here?
Do we have to share the same view on this subject?
How can we reconcile our views and perspectives and make it work for all of us?
Is this dialogue something to blame one or two writers for, or is it something we’ve needed to be brought into the open?

Lastly, this dialogue will never get anywhere if it only takes place online. We need to engage with each other face to face, meet each other, get to know each other as real people and share the same privileges as real people in an open and integrated society. Talk is cheap and it can often be destructive if it is not followed up with positive meaningful action.