Upholding the dignity and humanity of all from "summary" of Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
In the midst of the poverty, violence, and oppression that surrounded me in the ghetto, there was one guiding principle that my mother instilled in me - the importance of treating every human being with dignity and respect. She believed that no matter how dire our circumstances, we should never allow ourselves to become less than human by degrading others. This concept was not always easy to uphold in a place where survival often depended on ruthless competition and where the powerful preyed upon the weak without mercy. But my mother's words echoed in my mind, reminding me that our humanity was the only thing that truly separated us from the animals that roamed the streets. As I navigated the dangerous and unpredictable world of apartheid South Africa, I encountered countless opportunities to betray this principle. But each time I was tempted to lash out in anger or to take advantage of someone weaker than myself, I remembered my mother's teachings and found the strength t...
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