Mark Mathabane
Encyclopedia
Mark Mathabane is an author, lecturer, and a former collegiate tennis player and college professor.
, South Africa
, an area that is a part of Johannesburg
, the capital of the province of Gauteng
. He was born to a life of poverty in the apartheid political setting of South Africa. His father was Jackson Mathabane, a laborer who had an income of $10 a month. Mathabane has also stated that his father struggled with alcohol and gambling, and was even abusive. Magdalene Mathabane was Mathabane’s mother. She had been sold to Jackson Mathabane as a wife at the age of fifteen by her mother. Jackson and Magdalene Mathabane had seven children, of which Mark Mathabane was the eldest.
which was also home to more than 200,000 other individuals. These living conditions lacked the modern commodities of paved roads, electricity, and even sewer systems. Food was scarce in this ghetto, and the homes were nothing more than rough shacks. Mathabane never even had his first pair of shoes until he was fourteen years old. Mathabane’s early life in apartheid South Africa was devastating. He has stated that “living in apartheid was like living in Hell.” At the young age of six, Mathabane joined his first gang. Mathabane has stated that this lifestyle was horrific but that he did learn to cope in this environment. However, he has stated that it was the elements of this environment which suppressed his spirit with which he was not able to cope. This suppression of his spirit even drove Mathabane to the brink of suicide at the age of ten.
Mathabane’s mother took a job to send him to school when he was seven. Many problems ensued from this endeavor since his father did not support the idea of obtaining an education.
. From this book, Mathabane began to dream of escaping the apartheid lifestyle. Additionally, the family gave him his first tennis racket, which he used to train himself tennis
. Tennis would later become a key element in his eventual escape from apartheid South Africa.
, was a key element in helping Mathabane obtain a tennis scholarship to the United States
. Mathabane met Smith in 1977 at a tennis tournament in South Africa. In 1978, with the aid of Smith, Mathabane moved to the United States and started attending Limestone College
in South Carolina
.
still existed in America. Mathabane attended Limestone College
in 1978 and then moved to Saint Louis University
in 1979. Following that, Mathabane attended Quincy College
in 1981 and then moved to Dowling College
.
While attending Dowling College
Mathabane became the first Black editor of the school magazine. He graduated Dowling College cum laude with a degree in Economics in 1983.
Mathabane also pursued graduate level studies at Poynter Institute
and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Later on in his life, Mathabane received an honorary doctorate from Wittenberg University
.
, in 1986. Kaffir Boy illustrated his prior life in apartheid South Africa, and became a national bestseller. After reading Kaffir Boy, Oprah Winfrey
invited Mathabane to appear on her show. Mathabane went on to write several other literary works. (See LITERARY WORKS section.)
in 1993 after being invited by President Bill Clinton
, who had read Kaffir Boy. From 1992-1993, Mathabane served as a White House Fellow under U.S. President Bill Clinton, and assisted him with his educational policies. Mathabane is an avid and well respected writer who has written many articles for some prominent print sources. He has also been a guest on several different TV and radio shows, and is also a well-known speaker. Until recently, Mathabane lived with his wife, Gail (b. Ernsberger), their three children (Bianca, b. 1989, Nathan b. 1991 and Stanley b. 1994), and his extended family in North Carolina
. They relocated to Portland
, Oregon
in 2004, where he was formerly director of multicultural education at Catlin Gabel School.
, has been translated into several different languages, and is also used in many American classrooms.
. Miriam’s Song is a true account of the struggles of Mathabane’s sister Miriam in apartheid South Africa.
Apartheid
Ghetto
Johannesburg
Kaffir (ethnic slur)
South Africa
Early life in South Africa
Mathabane was born in AlexandraAlexandra, Gauteng
Alexandra or Alex for short, nicknamed Gomora is a township located in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is part of Johannesburg, close to the wealthy suburb of Sandton and is bounded by Wynberg on the west, Marlboro and Kelvin on the north, Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, an area that is a part of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, the capital of the province of Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
. He was born to a life of poverty in the apartheid political setting of South Africa. His father was Jackson Mathabane, a laborer who had an income of $10 a month. Mathabane has also stated that his father struggled with alcohol and gambling, and was even abusive. Magdalene Mathabane was Mathabane’s mother. She had been sold to Jackson Mathabane as a wife at the age of fifteen by her mother. Jackson and Magdalene Mathabane had seven children, of which Mark Mathabane was the eldest.
Life in the ghetto
Mathabane and his family lived in a one-square-mile ghettoGhetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
which was also home to more than 200,000 other individuals. These living conditions lacked the modern commodities of paved roads, electricity, and even sewer systems. Food was scarce in this ghetto, and the homes were nothing more than rough shacks. Mathabane never even had his first pair of shoes until he was fourteen years old. Mathabane’s early life in apartheid South Africa was devastating. He has stated that “living in apartheid was like living in Hell.” At the young age of six, Mathabane joined his first gang. Mathabane has stated that this lifestyle was horrific but that he did learn to cope in this environment. However, he has stated that it was the elements of this environment which suppressed his spirit with which he was not able to cope. This suppression of his spirit even drove Mathabane to the brink of suicide at the age of ten.
Mathabane’s mother
Mathabane has credited his illiterate mother with encouraging him to excel in education and to escape the confinements of apartheid South Africa. He has repeatedly mentioned her ability to always display love and encouragement even in her troublesome lifestyle.Mathabane’s mother took a job to send him to school when he was seven. Many problems ensued from this endeavor since his father did not support the idea of obtaining an education.
First steps to escape from Apartheid
Mathabane’s grandmother worked as a gardener, and he attributes some of the first steps in his eventual escape from apartheid South Africa to an instance when he went to work with his grandmother. The family that his grandmother worked for gave him his first English book, which was Treasure IslandTreasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
. From this book, Mathabane began to dream of escaping the apartheid lifestyle. Additionally, the family gave him his first tennis racket, which he used to train himself tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Tennis would later become a key element in his eventual escape from apartheid South Africa.
Change of name
Mathabane changed his name from Johannes to Mark in 1976 to hide his identity from the South African government.Tennis and move to America
1972 Wimbledon tennis star Stan SmithStan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
, was a key element in helping Mathabane obtain a tennis scholarship to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Mathabane met Smith in 1977 at a tennis tournament in South Africa. In 1978, with the aid of Smith, Mathabane moved to the United States and started attending Limestone College
Limestone College
Limestone College is a private four-year, coeducational liberal-arts college located in Gaffney, South Carolina. Limestone College is a Christian non-denominational college. Its programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate of Arts or Associate of...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
College life
Mathabane was faced with a whole new world in America. Even though he had escaped apartheid from South Africa, racial discrimination and prejudicePrejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
still existed in America. Mathabane attended Limestone College
Limestone College
Limestone College is a private four-year, coeducational liberal-arts college located in Gaffney, South Carolina. Limestone College is a Christian non-denominational college. Its programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate of Arts or Associate of...
in 1978 and then moved to Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in 1979. Following that, Mathabane attended Quincy College
Quincy College
Quincy College is a public junior college located in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is an open admission commuter school that offers associate's degrees in professional fields of study.-History:...
in 1981 and then moved to Dowling College
Dowling College
Dowling College is a private co-educational liberal arts college with three campuses spread across Long Island, New York. The college's main campus in Oakdale, NY sits on the site of William K. Vanderbilt's former Idle Hour estate, which is now known as Fortunoff Hall. The Brookhaven Campus in...
.
While attending Dowling College
Dowling College
Dowling College is a private co-educational liberal arts college with three campuses spread across Long Island, New York. The college's main campus in Oakdale, NY sits on the site of William K. Vanderbilt's former Idle Hour estate, which is now known as Fortunoff Hall. The Brookhaven Campus in...
Mathabane became the first Black editor of the school magazine. He graduated Dowling College cum laude with a degree in Economics in 1983.
Mathabane also pursued graduate level studies at Poynter Institute
Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a non-profit school for journalism located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's mission statement says that "The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of...
and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Later on in his life, Mathabane received an honorary doctorate from Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
.
Early success
Mathabane wrote his autobiography, Kaffir BoyKaffir Boy
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa is Mark Mathabane's 1986 autobiography about life under the South African apartheid regime...
, in 1986. Kaffir Boy illustrated his prior life in apartheid South Africa, and became a national bestseller. After reading Kaffir Boy, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
invited Mathabane to appear on her show. Mathabane went on to write several other literary works. (See LITERARY WORKS section.)
Recent life
Mathabane had his first visit to the White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in 1993 after being invited by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who had read Kaffir Boy. From 1992-1993, Mathabane served as a White House Fellow under U.S. President Bill Clinton, and assisted him with his educational policies. Mathabane is an avid and well respected writer who has written many articles for some prominent print sources. He has also been a guest on several different TV and radio shows, and is also a well-known speaker. Until recently, Mathabane lived with his wife, Gail (b. Ernsberger), their three children (Bianca, b. 1989, Nathan b. 1991 and Stanley b. 1994), and his extended family in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. They relocated to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in 2004, where he was formerly director of multicultural education at Catlin Gabel School.
Magdalene Scholarship Fund
In 2000, Mathabane established a non-profit organization which he named after his mother Magdalene. As stated on Mathabane’s website, the fund’s mission is to: “create hope in an impoverished, bleak part of the world by providing scholarships, books, uniforms and school supplies for needy children attending Bovet Primary School in Alexandra Township, South Africa.”Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
Mathabane’s first book was Kaffir Boy: the True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa, which was published in 1986, is an autobiography of his early life in apartheid South Africa. This book was listed as number one on the Washington Post’s bestsellers list, and as number three on the New York Times bestseller list. Kaffir Boy has also won a Christopher AwardChristopher Award
The Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
, has been translated into several different languages, and is also used in many American classrooms.
Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid
Mathabane’s second book Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid was also his second autobiography, and was published in 1989. Kaffir Boy in America picked up where Kaffir Boy had left off and followed Mathabane’s early life in America.Love in Black and White: The Triumph of Love over Prejudice and Taboo
In 1992, Mathabane coauthored his third book, Love in Black and White: The Triumph of Love over Prejudice and Taboo, with his wife Gail. Love in Black and White examined Mark and Gail’s interracial relationship, and the obstacles that they faced.African Women: Three Generations
African Women: Three Generations, was Mathabane’s fourth book and was published in 1994. African Women tells the true story of the struggles of Mathabane’s grandmother, mother, and sister in South Africa.Ubuntu
In 1999, Mathabane wrote his first fictional novel Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a fictional thriller of a human rights lawyer in post-apartheid South Africa.Miriam’s Song
Miriam’s Song was published in 2000, and was nominated for the Alan Paton AwardAlan Paton Award
The Alan Paton Award is a South African literary award that been conferred annually since 1989 for meritorious works of non-fiction. Sponsored by the Johannesburg weekly the Sunday Times, recipients represent the cream of contemporary South African writers who produce works that are judged to...
. Miriam’s Song is a true account of the struggles of Mathabane’s sister Miriam in apartheid South Africa.
The Proud Liberal
Mathabane’s latest work of fiction, The Proud Liberal, was published in 2010. The Proud Liberal is a modern day thriller, which deals with controversial issues such as terrorism, racism, and intolerance in America.See also
AlexandraAlexandra, Gauteng
Alexandra or Alex for short, nicknamed Gomora is a township located in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is part of Johannesburg, close to the wealthy suburb of Sandton and is bounded by Wynberg on the west, Marlboro and Kelvin on the north, Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south...
Apartheid
Ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
Kaffir (ethnic slur)
Kaffir (ethnic slur)
The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries...
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
External links
- Mathabane.com
- Excerpt: The Last Liberal by Mark Mathabane, published October 1, 2000 in The Multiracial ActivistThe Multiracial ActivistThe Multiracial Activist is a libertarian-oriented activist journal covering social and civil liberties issues of interest to individuals who perceive themselves to be biracial or multiracial. In addition, interracial couples and families and transracial adoptees are also constituencies...
- Excerpt: Love in Black and White by Mark and Gail Mathabane, published October 1, 2000 in The Multiracial ActivistThe Multiracial ActivistThe Multiracial Activist is a libertarian-oriented activist journal covering social and civil liberties issues of interest to individuals who perceive themselves to be biracial or multiracial. In addition, interracial couples and families and transracial adoptees are also constituencies...
- Dowling College