South Africans reimagine identity through sports
In a speech after being released from 27 years in prison, South African leader Nelson Mandela told the United Nations in 1990, “We must ensure that colour, race and gender become only a God-given gift to each one of us and not an indelible mark or attribute.” He urged that “We ... see [and] interact with one another as equal human beings.”
South Africa still grapples with the legacy of apartheid rule, which ended three decades ago. And its national sports teams have been the arena for heated debate about equal opportunity, representation, and quotas. But their evolution, especially in sports traditionally seen as domains of the white minority, reveals progress toward Mr. Mandela’s ideals.
In mid-June, the national cricket team clinched the world championship in the sport. The Proteas’ victory was all the more historic for being led by their first Black captain heading a multiracial squad of bowlers, batsmen, and fielders.
Sports often convey social trends and distill deeper aspirations. “We’ve come a long way as a team, as a country. ... Diversity is our strength,” one player remarked. Sports commentator Firdose Moonda wrote on ESPN’s Cricinfo site that the win “unites the past, present and future of ... South Africa itself.”
This symbolism is not lost on Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, who seeks to inspire the country as a whole and be seen as more than “just a black African cricketer,” he said.
Mr. Bavuma’s counterpart on the national rugby team has similarly sought to broaden the views of teammates and fellow citizens. Siya Kolisi, the first Black captain of the Springboks, has led them to two World Cup wins. He has helped shift perceptions of rugby as being a “white” sport to being more of a national sport. “If you think in racial terms, you are limiting yourself and your horizons,” Mr. Kolisi told The Guardian. “We represent something much bigger than we can imagine.”
This aspiration for higher views of identity is not unique to South Africa, nor to sports.
The late Black American tennis player Arthur Ashe said, “My potential is more than can be expressed within the bounds of my race or ethnic identity.” Legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington was proud of who he was but sought to be viewed as an artist rather than as a “Black” artist. And only last year, pop and R&B singer Beyoncé broke both genre and racial barriers by winning a Grammy for Best Country Album.
