“Things I Was Doing Were Toxic”: Woman Admits She Was Racist Before Meeting Husband

• A young woman, who has Indian and White family members, shared that she was racist before she met her husband
• She shared that racism was normalised in her household, with one of her family members even feeling comfortable using a derogatory term
• The couple spoke to Briefly News, noting that the woman had reconnected with one of her family members, while the man shared what he wanted his child to know about racism

A KwaZulu-Natal woman revealed that before meeting her husband, she found herself to be racist. Fortunately, she had snapped out of the mindset and lives a beautiful life with her little family.

Eyelash technician Ingrid-Rose Chitombi, who noted she was half White and half Indian, is married to Daniel Chitombi, a private emergency consultant who grew up in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. Daniel told Briefly News that they met in 2021 but officially started dating in 2023.

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In a video shared on Briefly TV Life's YouTube channel on 16 April, Ingrid-Rose stated that it was when she moved to Richards Bay that she was "very racist."

She told the publication:

"It was only when I got with Daniel that I started realising how much of the things I was doing were toxic. I would clench my handbag close to me when I walked past black people, or I wouldn't necessarily trust black kids. That was because it was normalised at my house."

The couple received backlash from Ingrid-Rose's family members, who were openly racist towards Daniel and his family. Ingrid also shared that one of her family members even felt comfortable using the K word.

She shared about her family:

"I think it's because they have money or their position in church. That was also one of the reasons they could treat people below them like that."

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The boy mom told Briefly News that she had since reconnected with one person in her family, stating:

"We've set some boundaries, and we're just hoping for the best."

When Briefly News asked Daniel what he would like his child to know about racism, he commented:

"I'd like him to know it exists but not experience it or end up being racist without knowing it. Since he is mixed-race and has an Indian, White and Black side of the family, it's inevitable for him not to experience racism.

"We will protect him to the best of our abilities and let him know that some people are like that, but it shouldn't affect his character or create hate in his heart."

Watch the YouTube video below:

3 Other stories about interracial couples

• In another article, Briefly News reported on an elderly couple who shared details about their relationship that started before apartheid ended. The longtime lovers' story touched many people.
• Last year, a couple went viral after a woman showed that she took her boyfriend shopping in Marabastad. Their adorable date won local internet users' hearts.
• An Asian man shared his experience of waiting anxiously in the car while representatives from his family went to his girlfriend's home for lobola negotiations.

Source: Briefly News