Born a Crime

When apartheid came, colored
people defied easy categorization,
so the system used them—quite
brilliantly—to sow confusion,
hatred, and mistrust. For the
purposes of the state, colored
people became the almost-whites.
They were second-class citizens,
denied the rights of white people
but given special privileges that
black people didn’t have, just to
keep them holding out for more.
Afrikaners used to call them
amperbaas: “the almost-boss.” The
almost-master. “You’re almost
there. You’re so close. You’re this
close to being white. Pity your