Stop The Beachiness

Stop the “Beachiness:”

Pristine, white beaches are an endless joy for many people all over the world. Seeing the waves, sitting on the sand, surfing, children frolicking in the water is joyous. The sea has a calming effect on most people and in our hustle and bustle world, enjoying a day at the beach is the ultimate, affordable form of relaxation and fun for the family.
The childish giggles from the innocent children, the elderly couple holding hands probably reminiscing about their life, the beautiful bodies clothed in bikini’s, [while the young men hold their breath hoping one of those young people will look their way], it’s almost magical. Being there feels like a world away from home and for most poc’s, it is.

Those of you who are fortunate enough to live near the beach, please take time out to look at the pictures I have posted. There is no difference between Durban beaches and Bondi beach or one in the United States of America or anywhere in the world where stretches of beach are more popular and easier to access than others. Humans have littered and continue to litter and choke our natural resources and marine life. Humans, not black people! The fact that aerial photographs are taken showing the “black wave” in December is meant to indicate what? We know beaches are going to be full so why the need to comment on how full, how dirty, how “horrible” the beaches are?

Now that you have the information about the litter, the amount of people frequenting the beach and all the other “negative” aspects of black tourists, what do you do with the information?

Do you whine with family and friends and pray silently for the season to be over?

Do you become triggered at the volume of black people and suddenly racist comments sliding out your mouth like a hot knife through butter becomes easier to say because “look at them?”

Does the white privilege you hold onto for dear life, make you want to join the band of naysayers and “mother grundies?”

Which one of you stands up and stands out and uses your white privilege to effect change needed to accommodate your fellow citizens in a manner that is constructive, without being denigrating and humiliating towards them?

I live in hope that some of you will stand away from the crowd described above and lobby your ward councilors for the following:

• Demand more ablution facilities to accommodate the amount of people going to the beach, much like would be done at an international music festival.
• Let the ward councilor and traffic department make provision for the busses and taxis instead of issuing tickets for illegal parking.
• Let them allow for a space in which to slaughter.
• Demand more refuse bins based on the amount of people so as to lessen clean up afterward.
• Additional lifeguards can be employed on a part time basis for the holiday season.
• Demand visible policing within the throngs of people and not merely on the outskirts.
• Relax the criteria on poc vendors and allow for more than just established burger places to make money.
• Understand that alcohol will be consumed as it is the world over so extra vigilance over the children there would make a huge difference.

With forward planning, most potential “problems” can be averted or minimized but it will never be done when most people complain and do nothing.

Stop the “beachiness” of our beaches.