Black and educated

Production by Zandile Hlabangane
This is a story about my grandfather, Sandile Hlabangane, who was passionate about education. He was a lecturer at a teaching college and was later promoted to a school principal. He passed down his love for education to his 7 children, one of them being my father, which resulted in me attending the best schools from primary school through to university.
Due to the 1953 Bantu Education Act, which was one of apartheid’s racist laws, African education served the interests of white supremacy and denied black people access to the opportunities of white South Africans. After my grandfather passed away in 1981, my father faced challenges in his matric year when his school was burnt down. Fortunately, he was one of only two students in his class that matriculated that year. My grandfather’s love for education was passed down to my father who now holds education as one of his main priorities for his children. Although I’ve never met him, my grandfather’s passion for education and learning has influenced the way I view education today.