African-Americans in South Africa a 100 years ago.

[Woestynryer]

Black history.

Something I thought would be interesting to African-Americans.

Turner was an African-American that met Pres. Kruger.Keep in mind this was a 100 years ago.

Kruger was the president of the Boer republic known as the Transvaal.

During those days African-Americans in South Africa were granted the same priviledges as 'whites'.Known as 'honorary white'.

Taken from the article:

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Turner's "honorary white" status undoubtedly helped him to earn a meeting with Paul Kruger, the Transvaal president, who told the ebullient bishop that he had never shaken the hand of a "colored person" before.

Turner maintained that black Americans had unrestricted use of railroads and hotels in South Africa and declaring that "prejudice does exist but it is not of the kind found in America.

It is not race prejudice at all but prejudice of condition." American diplomats actively protected this "honorary white" status. For example, the American Consulate in Johannesburg protested several discriminatory incidents against African Americans whom white South Africans mistook for "natives."

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The boer war started, and the 'honorary white' status that was protected by the Boer republic, was lost when Britain won the war. Ironic that a 'racist' republic honored the status of these foreigners, but the non-racial British did not.Ironic don't you think?


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'The British victory in the South African War (1899-1902) and the subsequent incorporation of the region into a Crown Colony ended the "honorary white" status of African Americans.'

For further reading:

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m.../article.jhtml

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Still a 100 years ago.

Many times it was said that the boers lived peacefully with people from other cultures in the Transvaal.There was incidents but generally speaking yes,it's true.

Take for example Yankee Wood.

People like Yankee Wood,An African-American became a very wealthy man in the Transvaal during the gold rush.

He would have had 'honorary white' status.

From the above research he would have lost this status, possibly his wealth, due to the take over by the British.

More reading.

http://www.founders.howard.edu/refer.../maintext.html

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[liza81]

yip, the British were quite a ruthless racist bunch! They, of course, thought them selves superior not only to those with different skin colours, but to anyone not British.

[Nubianman]

Divide and conquer is long dead and gone.

[Woestynryer]

Thank goodness for that Nubs.