WHO'S YOUR DADDY?: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY DAD, ALBEIT 55 YEARS TOO LATE...ALSO TO A REAL (COLOURED) MAN FROM SOUTH AFRICA
"Honour thy Father and thy Mother" is the Holy Commandment that will usher in tomorrow's activities in homes around the world...obviously it's dad's turn to have breakfast in bed. For some unknown reason, I suddenly realized my father has been gone for 55 years.
No, he did not leave his family. He didn't run away from the responsibility of raising and caring for his five children. John Frank Davidek didn't abuse his wife; he wasn't a drinker and God knows he didn't know anything about (street) drugs. He certainly knew about "over the counter" drugs--the ones doctors used back then to treat his illness. He knew how they failed to heal him. Sadly, we knew it too.
My twin brother and I knew our father was a hard worker. Hell, he had to keep the grocery store going in order to be the man who literally would "bring home the bacon." As a butcher, he was the fellow who sliced the bacon--and every other part of a pig's carcass. He knew, as did our Mom, Marie, every aspect of a side of beef, lamb, what have you in the area of meats in a market.
Yes, I've heard stories about his toughness; they are told alongside other stories about his laughter, generosity, and fun-loving nature. It seems just about everyone loved my father. That makes me feel pretty good, especially now that I am writing about his death from complications from multiple sclerosis 55 long years ago. Jim and I were eight years of age then.
I am absolutely sure that 55 years from now one of Derek Augustus' children or grandchildren would willingly honor him in some manner. My father, John Frank Davidek, was an immigrant to the United States, coming from what is now the Slovak Republic. My friend, Mr. Augustus' grandparents came from islands off the coast of Africa.
That said, I honor you, Derek Augustus, with this brief narrative about your celebration of life and family here in South Africa. I'm wondering how our Davidek lives would have turned out if my father would have immigrated to this beautiful, ethnically-diverse country. I just know in my heart of hearts that he would have enjoyed knowing Derek Augustus and his (large) family. Here's his story, Dad:
Innovative and pacesetting, the Origins Centre at Wits University in Johannesburg would have a field day analyzing Derek Augustus. Derek is a so-called "coloured" citizen in South Africa. Yes, even in this, the age of the "Rainbow Nation", Derek would be described as coloured.
Being coloured here is not unusual in and of itself, of course, but the DNA geneticists at the center are qualified to reveal ancestral possibilities that go far beyond what meets the eye concerning one's ancestry.
Using technology unheard of until recently, scientists at the centre identify volunteer's donated cells to determine patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Said patterns are known as haplogroups and are found in all people.
Way before DNA testing, race was determined in South Africa by virtue of the infamous 1950 Population Registration Act. The then apartheid government devised a simple method to learn if a person of colour was indeed "Coloured" (it was law that the races be capitalized). The official races, determined by government decree, were: White, Asian (Indian), Coloured, and Black. Status and privilege was assigned according to that racial order.
A White government official would have run a standard HB pencil through Derek Augustus' thick, wavy hair and arrived at his race classification--which would be identified in his passbook document.
A teacher for 38 years in South Africa, Augustus' hair is now snowy white and still thick and wavy. His skin colour is a rich, coffee and cream brown. African Americans might refer to his color as a darker "paper sack brown."
Having been born and raised in what he refers to as a "multi-racial" area of Durban, along the east coast of the country, he had neighbors and friends from many diverse racial groups. In the late 1950's, Augustus' large family was forced to move to a designated "Coloured" area within the coastal city.
He stated, "My life totally changed then. My sisters, brothers, and I were forced to attend a 'coloured' school." He continued, "The fairest of the coloured children were permitted to attend the better White schools."
The racial classification system became so complicated as to include several different kinds of coloured people. There was the Cape Coloured designation, the Cape Malay group, and one simply identified as "other." He related how an indigenous ethnic category of people known as the Griqua were classified as Coloured because of their lighter skin color.
Augustus would be able to assist the Origins Centre with ancestor information relating to his maternal parent's family tree that extended to the islands of Mauritius, now a short, four-hour flight off the eastern coast of Africa. His father's next of kin came from St. Helena, an island about 1,200 miles off the western coast of Africa. Historically, the island is well-known as the place of exile for Napoleon in the early 1800's. He noted that his grandparents from Mauritius spoke Creole and the St. Helena relatives spoke English.
Married in 1968, his wife Lucelle further complicated the apartheid government's role in their lives. Eventually, she was carrying two passbooks--one that listed her as "Coloured", while the other identified her as "White."
Augustus said the duel passbook identity came about because the company she worked for had jobs identified by the government as reserved for Whites. The White owner of the firm took on Coloured workers and he managed to have the officials classify all his workers as White.
The Catholic couple had difficulty obtaining permission to marry within the church. At that time it was illegal for anyone fron any race category to marry a White person. His soon to be wife was forced to discard her White identity passbook in order for the Catholic priest to legally marry them. A marriage certificate had to be approved by the South African Home Affairs Bureau.
With hesitant laughter, Augustus described how the government planned to have certain labor pools filled by the four race groups. He said, "Whites were to be given supervisory, managerial positions, while the Asian Indian population were meant to be within the realm of commerce and trade. The Coloured category would be given preference for skilled positions such as artisans and vocational jobs. The Blacks were to be the labourers.
If Derek Augustus' ancestors were alive today, they would be proud of his accomplishments in the field of education. They would smile broadly on his multi-cultural, multi-racial family, one that lives in harmony in what has been described as the "Rainbow Nation."
The apartheid government forced people to look at colour as something that divided its people", Augustus related. He went on, "If you look at people today, especially young people, they don't see color. If they do, it's their parents that influenced them."
He believes the present Black government has tried to relate its own failings to the apartheid regime--emphatically saying that it is now time for South Africa to move forward. Augustus resents the government's role in what he describes as "dragging up the past." He stated, "Our government should be fighting for better education facilities for young people. It should stress equality for its people, along with steadfastly maintaining a strong democratic government."
If Derek Augustus volunteers his DNA for study by the Wits University professionals, they will surely find a pedigree of ancestors from the islands to the east and west of the African continent. They might even turn up relatives from the four racial groups established by the apartheid government of old. And who knows, Dad, perhaps they would find an ancient person from the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia!
That would suit him just fine. A multi-cultural, multi-racial ancestry that would proudly represent who Derek Augustus is today.
No, he did not leave his family. He didn't run away from the responsibility of raising and caring for his five children. John Frank Davidek didn't abuse his wife; he wasn't a drinker and God knows he didn't know anything about (street) drugs. He certainly knew about "over the counter" drugs--the ones doctors used back then to treat his illness. He knew how they failed to heal him. Sadly, we knew it too.
My twin brother and I knew our father was a hard worker. Hell, he had to keep the grocery store going in order to be the man who literally would "bring home the bacon." As a butcher, he was the fellow who sliced the bacon--and every other part of a pig's carcass. He knew, as did our Mom, Marie, every aspect of a side of beef, lamb, what have you in the area of meats in a market.
Yes, I've heard stories about his toughness; they are told alongside other stories about his laughter, generosity, and fun-loving nature. It seems just about everyone loved my father. That makes me feel pretty good, especially now that I am writing about his death from complications from multiple sclerosis 55 long years ago. Jim and I were eight years of age then.
I am absolutely sure that 55 years from now one of Derek Augustus' children or grandchildren would willingly honor him in some manner. My father, John Frank Davidek, was an immigrant to the United States, coming from what is now the Slovak Republic. My friend, Mr. Augustus' grandparents came from islands off the coast of Africa.
That said, I honor you, Derek Augustus, with this brief narrative about your celebration of life and family here in South Africa. I'm wondering how our Davidek lives would have turned out if my father would have immigrated to this beautiful, ethnically-diverse country. I just know in my heart of hearts that he would have enjoyed knowing Derek Augustus and his (large) family. Here's his story, Dad:
Innovative and pacesetting, the Origins Centre at Wits University in Johannesburg would have a field day analyzing Derek Augustus. Derek is a so-called "coloured" citizen in South Africa. Yes, even in this, the age of the "Rainbow Nation", Derek would be described as coloured.
Being coloured here is not unusual in and of itself, of course, but the DNA geneticists at the center are qualified to reveal ancestral possibilities that go far beyond what meets the eye concerning one's ancestry.
Using technology unheard of until recently, scientists at the centre identify volunteer's donated cells to determine patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Said patterns are known as haplogroups and are found in all people.
Way before DNA testing, race was determined in South Africa by virtue of the infamous 1950 Population Registration Act. The then apartheid government devised a simple method to learn if a person of colour was indeed "Coloured" (it was law that the races be capitalized). The official races, determined by government decree, were: White, Asian (Indian), Coloured, and Black. Status and privilege was assigned according to that racial order.
A White government official would have run a standard HB pencil through Derek Augustus' thick, wavy hair and arrived at his race classification--which would be identified in his passbook document.
A teacher for 38 years in South Africa, Augustus' hair is now snowy white and still thick and wavy. His skin colour is a rich, coffee and cream brown. African Americans might refer to his color as a darker "paper sack brown."
Having been born and raised in what he refers to as a "multi-racial" area of Durban, along the east coast of the country, he had neighbors and friends from many diverse racial groups. In the late 1950's, Augustus' large family was forced to move to a designated "Coloured" area within the coastal city.
He stated, "My life totally changed then. My sisters, brothers, and I were forced to attend a 'coloured' school." He continued, "The fairest of the coloured children were permitted to attend the better White schools."
The racial classification system became so complicated as to include several different kinds of coloured people. There was the Cape Coloured designation, the Cape Malay group, and one simply identified as "other." He related how an indigenous ethnic category of people known as the Griqua were classified as Coloured because of their lighter skin color.
Augustus would be able to assist the Origins Centre with ancestor information relating to his maternal parent's family tree that extended to the islands of Mauritius, now a short, four-hour flight off the eastern coast of Africa. His father's next of kin came from St. Helena, an island about 1,200 miles off the western coast of Africa. Historically, the island is well-known as the place of exile for Napoleon in the early 1800's. He noted that his grandparents from Mauritius spoke Creole and the St. Helena relatives spoke English.
Married in 1968, his wife Lucelle further complicated the apartheid government's role in their lives. Eventually, she was carrying two passbooks--one that listed her as "Coloured", while the other identified her as "White."
Augustus said the duel passbook identity came about because the company she worked for had jobs identified by the government as reserved for Whites. The White owner of the firm took on Coloured workers and he managed to have the officials classify all his workers as White.
The Catholic couple had difficulty obtaining permission to marry within the church. At that time it was illegal for anyone fron any race category to marry a White person. His soon to be wife was forced to discard her White identity passbook in order for the Catholic priest to legally marry them. A marriage certificate had to be approved by the South African Home Affairs Bureau.
With hesitant laughter, Augustus described how the government planned to have certain labor pools filled by the four race groups. He said, "Whites were to be given supervisory, managerial positions, while the Asian Indian population were meant to be within the realm of commerce and trade. The Coloured category would be given preference for skilled positions such as artisans and vocational jobs. The Blacks were to be the labourers.
If Derek Augustus' ancestors were alive today, they would be proud of his accomplishments in the field of education. They would smile broadly on his multi-cultural, multi-racial family, one that lives in harmony in what has been described as the "Rainbow Nation."
The apartheid government forced people to look at colour as something that divided its people", Augustus related. He went on, "If you look at people today, especially young people, they don't see color. If they do, it's their parents that influenced them."
He believes the present Black government has tried to relate its own failings to the apartheid regime--emphatically saying that it is now time for South Africa to move forward. Augustus resents the government's role in what he describes as "dragging up the past." He stated, "Our government should be fighting for better education facilities for young people. It should stress equality for its people, along with steadfastly maintaining a strong democratic government."
If Derek Augustus volunteers his DNA for study by the Wits University professionals, they will surely find a pedigree of ancestors from the islands to the east and west of the African continent. They might even turn up relatives from the four racial groups established by the apartheid government of old. And who knows, Dad, perhaps they would find an ancient person from the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia!
That would suit him just fine. A multi-cultural, multi-racial ancestry that would proudly represent who Derek Augustus is today.
posted by JOBURG JOURNAL at 9:48 AM
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