Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This is the moment black South African actress Mari van Heerden reveals that she “identifies as white”.
The transracial actress made the announcement during an interview with Relebogile Mabotja for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), revealing that she was “raised white so I don’t identify as black.”
Van Heerden, who has starred in several TV series including ‘Geraamtes in Die Kas’, ‘Villa Rosa’, and ‘7de Laan’, was taking part in a show about black children being raised by white parents and identifying as transracial.
The actress, who has a white partner, explained that she was first raised by her grandmother after her biological parents were unable to care for her, before being adopted by the family her gran worked for.
The Afrikaans Van Heerden family raised her on a farm in the province of North West.
She explained that her grandmother took her in as a girl to protect her from the “toxic” environment she was being raised in.
Adding that she was the only black pupil in her primary school, Van Heerden said: “I spoke Afrikaans and all the other kids were like you’re not supposed to speak Afrikaans, you’re supposed to speak a black language, and I couldn’t.
“It was difficult because I couldn’t really fit in anywhere, I wasn’t black enough but I also wasn’t white enough, it was hard.”
She said her white family never had a conversation with her about race and how she might be treated differently, adding: “From the get-go, I knew I was different. I am adopted but we never had a serious talk.
“I don’t identify as being black. I was brought up white, so I couldn’t learn how to be black. So now, from the beginning, I was raised white.
“I always thought of marrying a white man. It’s not like I can’t identify with being black, it’s just that I never learned how to and I never had the opportunity to learn from black people.”
The actress explained: “My gran learned Afrikaans working for the Van Heerden family. Yes, I picked up a few things, she tried to teach me but it was never like ‘you have to learn your language’.”
The interview caused a stir on social media after excerpts were posted on platforms, however many netizens said they sympathised with the actress after watching the whole episode and asking others to do the same before judging.
Netizen ‘Bathabile Ramalapa’ commented: “The person who chose this exact extract had an agenda. If people actually listen to the whole interview they might be less judgemental and more empathetic. She has a story to tell and it’s not all pretty. She just did her best to live the life that she was given.”
