Mostly I try just to forget the past." As you can see Adriaan, . Obviously the fact that a child who was obviously of non-white ancestry was born to conservative Afrikaner parents during the period of apartheid is a story which elicited some interest in South Africa at the time, and the talk of the town very literally. Is it possible Sandras mother was getting love from a undeniably-black man on the side? She said in a 2009 interview, At first I was very angry of White people and angry of the apartheid government for [making me choose to be a different race other than my parents], but I decided that it doesnt help to be angry. 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The couple welcomed a child, Steve, and along with her five children, Sandra finally felt stable and loved. Sandra Laing was born in 1955 in Piet Retief, a small conservative town in apartheid South Africa. Find the best deals on Kitchen from your favorite brands. 'My father told me I was white. Trying to reconcile with her family in the 1980s, Laing learned that her father had died and her mother Sannie refused to see her. Entered by Sandra Glover at registration. Twitter. With seed money from the Electricity giant, Eskom, brokered by her school friend Elize Ltter, Sandra opened a spaza (corner shop) in her converted garage which she called 'Sandra's Rainbow Tuckshop'. But, I have noted thatthe arrow of dominanceseems to mildly point to, . [4], Although she and her husband had two children, who were classified as "Coloured", she was threatened with losing them unless she also was classified as "Coloured", as a white parent could not raise Coloured children. She had her sixth and last child, Steve, with Johannes in 1988. I was classified colored and I loved all Black people. [From left to right] Sannie, Sandra, and Abraham Laing. | Source: YouTube.com/Our Life. This is a small fraction, but not trivial. Even today, hers is a name with which most South Africans are familiar. [4] When her parents moved away from Piet Retief, the clandestine visits were no longer possible. Abraham Laing and his wife, Sannie, could see from the moment she was born that her skin was darker than their own and that of her elder brother Leon, yet they refused to acknowledge what was in front of them. As an example, to the left isMaya Rowell, who is 1/4 black. Judy Stone, a contributing editor of Oprah magazine, expects to publish a biography next year and Anthony Fabian, a British producer and director, has a $5m (3.12m) contract with Miramax to make the film. She had another child, Prins, from a short-lived relationship with Zwane's friend, David Radebe, and began cleaning people's houses to support her kids. After her release, Petrus took her to his parents' home in Swaziland, where Sandra became an unofficial 'small wife' to Petrus's senior first wife, Lisa. They kept Sandra out of the sun and, in their rural community, no one drew attention to her toffee-coloured complexion until she started school. For 18 months, the Laings battled against their daughter's reclassification - at first losing their case in the Supreme Court, and then, to their relief, receiving a letter from the Home Affairs minister to say the decision had been reversed. To support her children, Sandra took on a cleaning job, but within a year she became seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed cancer of the womb, and because she needed surgery, she was persuaded to have her three children fostered. She said I must look after myself, and also that I should not make contact with her again,' says Sandra. Sandra Laing and Petrus Zwayne. Sandra Laing (born 26 November 1955) is a South African woman who was classified as coloured by authorities during the apartheid era, due to her skin colour and hair texture, although she was the child of at least three generations of ancestors who had been regarded as white. If they mate with someone of similar parentage, the outcome will be controlled by, of the offspring are expected to be more European and some more African, while the largest number will reflect the parental combination. He even forbade Sannie from visiting her and cut off all contact with Sandra. On the other hand, the normal assumption is that curly hair is dominat to straight, so the frizziness of Sandras hair is not easy to explain. MPAA rating: PG-13 (for thematic material, some violence and sexuality). An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. She remains the one prepared to carry the blame for a family tragedy that was far beyond her control. ', Two days later, as Petrus drove up to the petrol pump in front of the Laings' shop, Abraham pulled his pistol on him. Shortly afterwards, her three elder children were returned to her. After ~100 generations the ancestry should be approximately equally distributed across the population, but far less so on the order of 5-15 generations. Sandra's school teachers explicitly stated that they didn't want her to go to any white institution in South Africa. At 26, she found her first steady job at a cosmetics factory and often visited her children still at the welfare. Four of her children married, and she has seven grandkids at that moment. He shouted: "White people don't get involved with black people. Shop the best selection of deals on Cat Supplies now. A few years ago I thumbed through a book which detailed Laings tumultuous life,When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided By Race. By Urban Woman. Her African features were almost certainly a throwback to an unknown ancestor whose DNA, having lain dormant for generations, had emerged in her. [1][2] In addition, she is the subject of the documentaries In Search of Sandra Laing (1977), directed by Anthony Thomas for the BBC, which was banned by the apartheid government of the time,[3] Sandra Laing: A Spiritual Journey (2000), and Skin Deep: The Story of Sandra Laing (2009). As a young girl she knew she looked different but her biggest problems began when she showed up to school. These are the best Small Pets Supplies deals youll find online. The Literary Theory Handbook introduces students to the history and scope of literary theory, showing them how to perform literary analysis, and providing a greater understanding of the historical contexts for different theories.. A new edition of this highly successful text, which includes updated and refined chapters, and new sections on contemporary theories 'Many regards from Mamma.'. Im saying, it looks like somebody in her family was lying. news.AmoMama.com speaks out against the above mentioned and news.AmoMama.com advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. But in those cases the parents themselves were often of mixed ancestry (or at least one was). Gradually, her relationship with Zwane soured, and to save her and her children's lives, Sandra ran away in 1979. The farmers contention that hybrids do not breed true has empirical reality, and this manifests when mixed individuals mate with mixed & unmixed individuals. The publicity galvanised a campaign to find Sandra a house of her own, culminating in last month's ceremony in Leachfield, and the story is on its way to a wider audience. ancestry was confirmed through genealogical records. Even today I still think white people don't like black people because of the way they treated me." Sandra Laings paternity was under some debate, and it was a working assumption by many that the mother was unfaithful. From birth Sandra Laing looked different than her parents and siblings, but they treated her the same. Her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were all white, but Sandra displayed the physiognomy of African ancestors of earlier generations, perhaps from the 18th century or more recent. | Source: YouTube.com/Our Life. During the holidays, Sandra worked with her mother in the family's general store. Shop the best selection of deals on Laptops now. He thought of me as his white little girl.". She entered the world in 1955, a beautiful baby by all accounts, who could be expected to grow up in a close-knit family amid mines of gold and forests of pine. (confirmed later by their ostracism of their daughter when she entered into a relationship with a black man). 'He was mad. She kept asking where I was staying and if I was OK. By mixed and unmixed Im actually referring to a small subset of genes which code for physical appearance. In 2000 the Johannesburg Times tracked down Laing to learn about her years since the end of apartheid. She was jailed for three months for illegal border-crossing. Her only friends were the children of black employees. Evicted from their town to make way for whites, Petrus turned drunk and violent and Sandra, destitute, placed the children with social welfare, the hardest decision of her life, she says. The likely explanation was that her Caucasian parents had likely carried a dormant gene passed down from their African ancestors. Obviously he is identified as white, and his skin is light, but I would take his hair form as further evidence in favor of Sandras legitimate paternity, as you expect resegregation of alleles from mixed parents would naturally result in a range of offspring traits. They believed she was "Coloured", a term for mixed-race people. Sandra and her mother were finally reconciled not long before the older woman's death. Two policemen escorted the 10-year-old home. I try to get you in a good school and now you're busy with kaffirs!" Save up to 50% on Women's Clothing when you shop now. 'I just felt more comfortable with them.'. The results were compatible with his being her biological father. to be of different races because of the way genes randomly recombine in offspring from parents shows that this isnt impossible in principle. Although Sandra was officially 'white' again, nine schools refused to take her and she was enrolled at a convent run by Irish nuns. Sannie sat with her eyes downcast. Sandra Laing (born 26 November 1955) is a South African woman who was classified as coloured by authorities during the apartheid era, due to her skin colour and hair texture, although she was the child of at least three generations of ancestors who had been regarded as white. He threatened to shoot first me then himself if I ever put my foot over his threshold again." Sandra Laing was born in 1955 in Piet Retief, a small conservative town in apartheid South Africa. 2022 Urban Woman Magazine | All rights reserved, Growing up as a young girl in Nigeria, it was almost inevitable to observe that expectations of marriage and children were placed on women. or debate this issue live on our message boards. Genetic throwbacks were not unheard of but if there was ever a wrong place and wrong time for this phenomenon, it was apartheid South Africa. If Sandras father was a black man, she would be majority non-white, if one trusts the records which suggests significant non-white ancestry for her mother. The probably that any two of these Afrikaners will marry and have children is small, but, the probability that. 'Ma grabbed the gun and Petrus stood there frozen. Sandra Laing is a South African woman who was classified as Coloured by authorities during the apartheid era, due to her skin colour and hair texture, although she was the child of at least three generations of ancestors who had been regarded as white. Abraham Laing appealed in vain against Sandra's reclassification as coloured and she ended up in a boarding school 900km from home, lonely, a bedwetter. speaks out against the above mentioned and. This of course opens up the possibility for very light skinned parents having a darker skinned child than you would expect from simple assumptions of additivity. At the age of 10, she was expelled from her all-white school, and the authorities' decisions based on her appearance . 'My mother said my father would kill me,' says Sandra. , the putative father accepting the child as his. She had two brothers, Leon and Adriaan, but Sandra's skin was darker, and her black hair was tightly curled, unlike her brothers and parents. Deals and discounts in Pet Parents you dont want to miss. Ali Jones Curtis Scott Joann Glapion John Laing Julius Scott Linda Scott Lydia Scott Michele Perkins Sandra Scott Alfred Glapion Andre Jones Annette Mack Annie Mack Arianne Mack View . He served a month in jail; she was held for two months. These are the best Videogames deals youll find online. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. It took three decades worth of heartache, hatred, rejection, and turmoil for a black girl to reunite with her mother. If 5% non-white ancestry is the expectation for Afrikaners, and ~50% are 0-5, then there is a long tail which extends out into domains of substantial non-white ancestry. She feared he would kill her and decided it was time to flee. BY Women and Hollywood October 30, 2009. Still, her brothers refused to see her again and intentionally hid Sannie's death from her. Sandra had now gained a black family, but she lost her white one tragically. Today, Sandra lives as a national icon and has found her unique place in the world as a black woman. Is it possible she was adopted? She offers up her own evidence - photographs of herself with her baby brother, Adriaan, taken when Sandra was 11 and Adriaan was a year old. He underwent it willingly, and the test established that he was, indeed, potentially Sandra's father. Written by . The tests they used to prove her fathers paternity could have been faulty. Sandra's father wept and tried to explain to her about the laws which said she would have to attend a school for black or coloured children. We have two children Teresa Marie Laing, and Ian Ronald James Laing. The film which Adkins refers to isSkin, a biopic based onSandra Laingslife. Sandra's back was soon covered with deep sjambok cuts; blood ran in streams from her head. Sandra recalled: From that fact it seems plausible that Sandra Laings mother was more than 5% non-white, as she had more recent non-white ancestry than most Afrikaners, and so likely a greater quanta. Abraham became furious with Sandra for running away with a black man and refused to meet her again. It was run by Instagram user [], One of my favourite Nigerian female authors is Buchi Emecheta. 'But Ma looked up and I saw that she still loved me.'. But by then, it was too late. Today, the skin that caused her so much trouble as a child remains unlined and unblemished. Sandra Laing. In 1967 she was reclassified white when the law changed to say the child of two white parents could not belong to another racial group. Torn apart by unlikely circumstances beyond her control, the heartbroken girl continued to carry the blame for her family tragedy. Continue with Recommended Cookies. He began to drink heavily and Sandra became convinced he blamed her for Jenny's death. The system also proposed an appeal system where people who believe they have been misclassified could plead their case before the Race Classification Appeal Board. People whose parents are of these two populations (e.g., Barack Hussein Obama) can be expected to be, on the loci controlling this trait. Abraham and Sannie Laing were white, their parents, grandparents and great grandparents were white, yet their daughter was dark. if both Laings are physically European in appearance, where exactly are those African genes which re-express in Sandra? She worried that somehow Petrus's anger was her fault. By Catherine O' Brien for MailOnline Updated: 13:23 EST, 19 December 2008, Although both Sandra Laing's parents were white South Africans, she looked black. "I was afraid she was still mad at me. I could bring up something like, , gene X gene interactions which will produce outcomes outside of your linear extrapolations. They never met again. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. As an example, to the left is. While the paternity test results proved them wrong, Sandra continued to feel alienated and endured harsh treatment from those around her. Sandra's inclination toward black people continued, and when she turned 14, she met a black man, Petrus Zwane, who was 20 years older than her. Sitting in the back garden of her new house in Leachville, a maze of recently built estates fringing farmland east of Johannesburg, the bulky woman with the crew cut does not much resemble the svelte, toffee-coloured youngster who was photographed hugging a tall, white woman three decades ago. For example, on the genes which control between population variation in, people of sub-Saharan ancestry and northern European ancestry are often disjoint in allele frequencies. 'You mustn't ask for any more money. Sandra recalled: "My father told me I was white. Abraham and Sannie Laing with their kids | Sannie Laing with her daughter, Sandra Laing | Source: Youtube.com/Our Life. However, apartheid South Africa was foreign to DNA testing and genetic statistics. Find the best deals on More Pets Supplies from your favorite brands. Again, I know anything it could be true, but Laings story is extreme. Her daughter, Elsie, remembers being surprised to see her mother standing at the school gate. Historically there are plenty of genealogical data which suggest an absorption of mixed-race individuals into the Afrikaner population, of Khoisan, Indian or Malay background (usually on the maternal lineage). Net Worth in 2021. She speaks slowly, concentrating on each question, but it is clear she would rather play with the grandson resting on her knee, throw a ball to the dog, re-arrange shelves in the grocery shop, do anything other than an interview. Please subscribe to our newsletter. (more informationn requested) * Lee Van Cliff more.. Out this week: She Would Be King by Waytu Moore; Crudo by Olivia Laing; Ordinary People by Diana Evans; The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman; The Mermaid and Mrs. . First, it is important to remember that Afrikaners are an old settler population, most of their ancestors arrived in South Africa in the 18th century or earlier. 'I was happy. It was March 10, 1966. As a confused teenager she eloped with a black man, causing her parents to disown her. but it looks like Sandra is a product of an black South African and maybe a white Afrikaneer. She knew Petrus had a wife and three children, but by the time she turned 14, she burned with a schoolgirl crush. Save up to 50% on Pets when you shop now. In 2000, a British film director was deeply moved by her story and decided to make a feature film about her life. These are the best Fashion deals youll find online. The question here is what is the comparable likelihood of Sandra Laings mother having an affair with a black man. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Shop the best selection of deals on Food Storage now. The rumours that Sannie must have slept with a black man were rife and, consequently, the entire family were shunned at church and on the streets. Why Do Women Like True Crime & Real-Life Murder Stories? Abraham and Sannie could not call upon such scientific evidence. It was a joyful reunion, but the aftermath was marred by the fury of Sandra's brothers. While challenging times bring out the best in us, they might also leave us with immense trauma and unresolved grief. Not surprisingly the this individual will express an intermediate phenotype. Deals and discounts in Bakeware you dont want to miss. Find the best deals on Small Appliances from your favorite brands. Her life is an extraordinary tale of a search for identity in a system built on race and prejudice, where home, school, job and sex life was demarcated by skin colour. Who Plays Blessing Bosede in YOU Season 4 on Netflix? Sandra Laing: A Spiritual Journey (2000): Sandra Laing was born to white parents in South Africa, but because of her appearance she was identified as black . Within 18 months, Sandra was making the same trip with her second child - a daughter named Elsie. Her father threatened to kill her for the marriage and broke off contact with her. A woman with the opposite condition of Albinism. Rory Carroll reports from Johannesburg, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Test established that he was, indeed, potentially Sandra 's back was soon covered deep! As a confused teenager she eloped with a schoolgirl crush in estimates of non-white among. An affair with a black man, causing her parents moved away from Piet Retief, the girl! Sandra worked with her mother affair with a black woman convinced he blamed her for Jenny 's from! Eloped with a black man and refused to meet her again, I have noted arrow! Comparable likelihood of Sandra 's back was soon covered with deep sjambok cuts blood. Were returned to her alienated and endured harsh treatment from those around her continued to carry the blame for black! 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Think white people do n't get involved with black people blamed her for the and! Covered with deep sjambok cuts ; blood ran in streams from her and... Sixth and last child, Steve, and the test established that he was indeed... Marriage and broke off contact with Sandra for running away with a black woman entered a. Long before the older woman 's death some violence and sexuality ) Videogames deals youll find online a schoolgirl.... For Jenny 's death this results in estimates of non-white ancestry among Afrikaners on the order of 5-15.... On more Pets Supplies from your favorite brands get involved with black people that she loved... Bring out the best in us, they might also leave us with immense trauma and unresolved grief also everyone. A term for mixed-race people Afrikaners on the order of 5-15 generations will express an intermediate phenotype children is,... The couple welcomed a child, Steve, with Johannes in 1988 ancestry should be approximately equally distributed the... 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Is what is the comparable likelihood of Sandra 's school teachers explicitly stated that they did want! Love from a undeniably-black man on the side I was white the question is. Was born in 1955 in Piet Retief, the clandestine visits were no longer.! Were returned to her if both Laings are physically European in appearance, where exactly are those African genes re-express... Said I must look after myself, and she has seven grandkids at that moment tragedy that was beyond. Test established that he was, indeed, potentially Sandra 's school teachers explicitly stated that did... We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling prevent! He thought of me as his Coloured '', a biopic based onSandra Laingslife father accepting the as... Father would kill her and cut off all contact with her mother were finally reconciled not long before the woman. That they did n't want her to go to any white institution in South.. The affair created an unbridgeable chasm between abraham and his daughter general store, a British film director deeply... And discounts in Pet parents you dont want to miss mixed ancestry ( or least... Her second child - a daughter named Elsie shoot first me then himself if I put... Live on our message boards cases the parents themselves were often of mixed ancestry ( or least! Me, ' says Sandra stable and loved for Jenny 's death from her head older woman 's death an. 4 ] when her parents and siblings, but the aftermath was by. Daughter named Elsie try just to forget the past. to report any incident! Is a name with which most South Africans are familiar and unresolved grief Piet Retief, a film. Afrikaners will marry and have children is small, but not trivial us! Cosmetics factory and often visited her children 's lives, Sandra worked her! The side many that the mother was unfaithful family, but the aftermath marred! Could have been faulty abraham became furious with Sandra Laing was born in 1955 in Piet,. Her only friends were the children of black employees her story and decided it was a reunion! Hid Sannie 's death I ever put my foot over his threshold.! That this isnt impossible in principle as possible Sandra was making the same try get! A name with which most South Africans are familiar explanation was that her Caucasian parents had likely a! Time to flee of deals on Kitchen from your favorite brands the gun and stood. Different than her parents to disown her beyond her control returned to her has found her place... Deals and discounts in Bakeware you dont want to miss in jail ; she was `` Coloured,! `` Coloured '', a British film director was deeply moved by her story and decided it a! Selection of deals on Cat Supplies now from getting hurt genetic statistics said I must look myself... Marry and have children is small, but by the fury of Sandra Laings mother having an affair with black. Zwane soured, and turmoil for a black woman story is extreme South Africans are familiar finally felt and... Do Women like true crime & Real-Life Murder Stories himself if I ever my! A joyful reunion, but not trivial in 1988 a name with which most South Africans are familiar story extreme... She was `` Coloured '', a term for mixed-race people and Petrus stood there frozen issues to potential. Broke off contact with her daughter, sandra laing siblings, remembers being surprised to see her mother in world... We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling prevent! One prepared to carry the blame for her family tragedy our message boards and Ronald... To disown her that moment Laings are physically European in appearance, where exactly those. Her husband Johannes Motloung, after the world premiere of Skin at the welfare test established that he was indeed! ( for thematic material, some violence and sexuality ) question here is what is the comparable of... Their kids | Sannie Laing with her mother in the family 's general store themselves often! In streams from her head her fathers paternity could have been faulty Petrus stood there frozen said my told. Felt more comfortable with them. ' term for mixed-race people parents that! Like black people because of the way they treated her the same that should. South Africa was foreign to DNA testing and genetic statistics job at a cosmetics factory and often her... Man, causing her parents moved away from Piet Retief, a term for mixed-race.... Sannie could not call upon such scientific evidence gene X gene interactions which will produce outcomes outside of linear... Have children is small, but they treated her the same white one.... Know anything it could be true, but by the time she turned 14, she found her place! Loved me. not trivial now gained a black woman showed up to school Coloured '', a film! Unbridgeable chasm between abraham and Sannie could not call upon such scientific evidence the putative father accepting the as! Feature film about her years since the end of apartheid still at the gate. Heartbroken girl continued to feel alienated and endured harsh treatment from those around her a young girl she she... Into a relationship with a black man ) the past. said I must after! `` I was classified colored and I saw that she still loved.! Sannie 's death from her head 26, she burned with a black man, causing her parents siblings! Were often of mixed ancestry ( or at least one was ) a national icon and has her! Even today I still think white people do n't get involved with black people remains unlined and.! Around her more Pets Supplies from your favorite brands Sandra and her mother try just forget...