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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.
249:- Was like a father to Mark. He introduced him to tennis, gave him his first tennis racquet and mentored/coached him until he got the scholarship to the USA. He introduced Mark to different people who were prominent in the tennis circle. My dad is the "freckled faced colored man" referred to in the book. Abe Thomas loved Marvel comic books and collected them.
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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
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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
379:
In 2000, Mathabane established a non-profit organisation 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
162:
labourer 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
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under US President Bill
Clinton, and assisted him with his educational policies. Mathabane has written articles for some print sources. He has also been a guest on several different TV and radio shows, and is also a well-known speaker. Mathabane and his wife, Gail (née Ernsberger), their three
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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
200:. 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.
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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
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Mathabane randomly began to identify as Mark instead of
Johannes when he first began playing tennis at Ellis Park and was introduced to his first white friend.
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him to school when he was seven. Many problems ensued from this endeavour since his father did not support the idea of obtaining an education.
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407:, 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
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Mathabane was faced with a whole new world in
America. Even though he had escaped apartheid from South Africa, racial discrimination and
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is a modern-day thriller, which deals with controversial issues such as terrorism, racism, and intolerance in
America.
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134:, 18 October 1960) is a South African author, lecturer, and a former collegiate tennis player and college professor.
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934:"Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa l Author Biography"
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Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in
Apartheid South Africa l Author Biography
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illustrated his prior life in apartheid South Africa, and became a national best-seller. After reading
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tells the true story of the struggles of Mathabane's grandmother, mother, and sister in South Africa.
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invited Mathabane to appear on her show. Mathabane went on to write several other literary works (see
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children (Bianca, b. 1989, Nathan b. 1991 and Stanley b. 1994), and his extended family lived in
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is a true account of the struggles of Mathabane's sister Miriam in apartheid South Africa.
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The Lessons of Ubuntu: How an African Philosophy Can Inspire Racial Healing in America
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examined Mark and Gail's interracial relationship, and the obstacles that they faced.
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Kaffir Boy: the True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
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Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
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is a fictional thriller of a human rights lawyer in post-apartheid South Africa.
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1018:"Ubuntu: A Novel about South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission"
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Ubuntu: A Novel about South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
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political setting of South Africa. His father was Jackson Mathabane, a
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Love in Black and White: The Triumph of Love over Prejudice and Taboo
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Love in Black and White: The Triumph of Love over Prejudice and Taboo
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attending Bovet Primary School in Alexandra Township, South Africa."
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Mathabane had seven children, of whom Mark Mathabane was the eldest.
903:"Mark Mathabane, Author of Kaffir Boy, on Suicide Attempt at Age 10"
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815:""Mark Mathabane, Kaffir Boy author, on his mother's courage""
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was also his second autobiography, and was published in 1989.
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had left off and followed Mathabane's early life in America.
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South African expatriate tennis players in the United States
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738:"Author of Kaffir Boy, Mark Mathabane, Speaks at Schools"
636:"Author of Kaffir Boy, Mark Mathabane, Speaks at Schools"
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Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni
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by Mark and Gail Mathabane, published 1 October 2000 in
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Mathabane and his family lived in a one-square-mile
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435:Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid
428:Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid
1147:College men's tennis players in the United States
511:was published in 2000, and was nominated for the
411:'s best-sellers list, and as number three on the
476:was Mathabane's fourth book, published in 1994.
1076:by Mark Mathabane, published 1 October 2000 in
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455:In 1992, Mathabane coauthored his third book,
262:still existed in America. Mathabane attended
16:South African author and educator (born 1960)
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1127:South African emigrants to the United States
296:Later on in his life, Mathabane received an
270:in 1979. Following that, Mathabane attended
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529:Mathabane's latest work of fiction,
189:First steps to escape from apartheid
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312:Mathabane wrote his autobiography,
817:. Mathabanelectures on YouTube.com
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150:, the capital of the province of
1083:Excerpt: Love in Black and White
474:African Women: Three Generations
468:African Women: Three Generations
1002:. Mathabane.com. Archived from
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866:. Mathabane.com. Archived from
740:. Mathabane.com. Archived from
413:New York Times best-seller list
1117:People from Alexandra, Gauteng
1:
1142:American non-fiction writers
1040:"The Proud Liberal: A Novel"
1132:Limestone University alumni
401:Mathabane's first book was
221:1972 Wimbledon tennis star
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1172:South African Venda people
547:The Proud Liberal: A Novel
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375:Magdalene Scholarship Fund
274:in 1981 and then moved to
266:in 1978 and then moved to
231:South African Championship
217:Tennis and move to America
138:Early life in South Africa
1074:Excerpt: The Last Liberal
533:, was published in 2010.
1137:African-American writers
1087:The Multiracial Activist
1078:The Multiracial Activist
433:Mathabane's second book
461:Love in Black and White
121:Bianca, Nathan, Stanley
1162:Dowling College alumni
459:, with his wife Gail.
268:Saint Louis University
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142:Mathabane was born in
1122:South African writers
439:Kaffir Boy in America
302:Wittenberg University
233:tennis tournament in
1042:. Barnes & Noble
1020:. Barnes & Noble
1006:on 25 November 2010.
864:"Mark Mathabane Bio"
689:"Mark Mathabane Bio"
595:Kaffir (ethnic slur)
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363:. They relocated to
1187:White House Fellows
669:on 19 February 2012
369:Catlin Gabel School
93:Author and lecturer
959:"Scholarship Fund"
615:"Map of Alexandra"
356:White House Fellow
298:honorary doctorate
180:Mathabane's mother
167:Life in the ghetto
132:Johannes Mathabane
35:Johannes Mathabane
965:on 8 October 2010
909:on 8 October 2010
870:on 5 January 2010
744:on 8 October 2010
695:on 5 January 2010
642:on 8 October 2010
535:The Proud Liberal
531:The Proud Liberal
524:The Proud Liberal
421:Christopher Award
287:Poynter Institute
264:Limestone College
239:Limestone College
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332:#Literary works
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283:Dowling College
276:Dowling College
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227:Marjory Gengler
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1107:1960 births
344:White House
338:Recent life
318:, in 1986.
72:Citizenship
64:Nationality
1101:Categories
1046:5 November
1024:5 November
969:8 November
940:5 November
913:8 November
874:8 November
794:8 November
748:8 November
699:5 November
673:5 November
646:5 November
620:5 November
601:References
443:Kaffir Boy
417:Kaffir Boy
397:Kaffir Boy
352:Kaffir Boy
324:Kaffir Boy
320:Kaffir Boy
315:Kaffir Boy
223:Stan Smith
103:Kaffir Boy
41:1960-10-18
580:Apartheid
575:Alexandra
260:prejudice
156:apartheid
144:Alexandra
56:Transvaal
52:Alexandra
936:. ENotes
569:See also
559:, Enotes
365:Portland
289:and the
118:Children
1000:"Books"
152:Gauteng
821:5 June
585:Ghetto
496:Ubuntu
492:Ubuntu
485:Ubuntu
173:ghetto
130:(born
110:Spouse
300:from
160:Venda
1048:2010
1026:2010
971:2010
942:2010
915:2010
876:2010
823:2023
796:2010
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622:2010
31:Born
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