THE DEBATE AROUND race in South Africa today is stymied by accusations of racism levelled by the right as well as the left. What these charges essentially do is shut down conversation. In this essay, I will try to open up the discussion by making three claims, which I will follow up with a stream of thoughts that I am still in the process of refining. Some of what I explore here will, no doubt, make a lot of people uncomfortable, but I hope my reflections will allow us to move beyond the current moment of mud-slinging.

Claim #1: We are all racists! In saying this, I am redefining racism to mean simply paying attention to physical differences – a natural consequence of our diversity. But racialism is something else altogether. It occurs when certain attributes are assigned to those differences – which inevitably leads to negative thinking about another group and negative actions against said group.

I am a racist.

That is a fact. I admit: I am a racist. That is not to say I am proud of the fact – yet nor am I ashamed of it. But before you go gasping and condemning, let me tell you something we can't deny: you, too, are a racist. We are all racists. Simply put: all human beings are racists – an indisputable fact. Deny it if you like, but that won't change the matter. All humanity is racist. As long as people have eyes, and skin has a certain colour, no way can one not notice skin colour – not notice the different tones of it. Skin Colour Difference is real. It is vividly visible. Seeing that difference means we are racist.

There is nothing peculiar about this phenomenon, for it is simply part of human life – part of the diversity that human life manifests. A gorgeous diversity, by the way. And noticing that, inevitable as the act is, it is neither a crime nor a sin – merely a part of our existence, inescapable.