trevor noah difference between racism in south africa and america

“I think the biggest difference is that I find that South African racism is and was a lot more blatant,” he shared, adding that having racism out in the open was the “greatest gift” the apartheid government bestowed on the country.

“It was there, it was happening to you. It wasn’t hidden,” he continued. “So you would just [say] ‘we don’t want this.’ People would fight. ‘Stop this apartheid. It’s racism!’ and then the government would be like, ‘yes of course it is racism. That’s what we’re doing to you.’”

Racism in America, on the other hand, is much more insidious.

Noah told the audience, “But then what happened in America is … you hit that period where they started changing things … and they were like, ‘oh we gotta be silent about this.’ And then it wasn’t blatant anymore … I’ve always thought that’s a terrible thing to do to people. Because now people have to be detectives of their own racism.”

He gave a clear example: “So in South Africa, the government would just say ‘Blacks cannot live in these areas. You’re Black, you don’t live here. Now you know, ‘I’m Black, I don’t live here.’ But then in America, you’d be like, “Can I get a home loan?” and they’d be like, “Mmm, no.’”

Noah is, of course, alluding to lending discrimination. According to an investigation from The Markup, loan applicants of color were 40-80% more likely to be denied than white applicants with similar financial profiles. Many times, these applicants of color get denied despite having less debt and earning higher income.

But why stop there? There’s also redliningand implicit bias in healthcare (made all the more evident by the COVID-19 pandemic). Even the technology we use on a daily basis is embedded with subtle, yet distinct racism—from facial recognition to beauty filters that favor lighter skin, to a lack of diverse emojis. Though we are beginning to have more discussions on these disparities, on the whole they remain. And yet, in contrast in South Africa, the bias is often denied.

Which version of racism is worse, the unabashed kind or the kind that hides just far enough below the surface of awareness that many can deny its existence entirely? For Noah, the answer is obvious:

“I know it’s strange to say, but I think there’s something liberating about fighting an obvious enemy as opposed to one you have to prove exists.”

You can watch the full video here: