Born into poverty and into a world of oppression, a world where one was judged by the color of their skin, and denied freedom in their own land – this was the world author Mark Mathabane illustrates in his autobiographical book, Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa. From a very young age, Johannes, who later became known as Mark, lived through a harsh, unjust society ruled under the apartheid law in South Africa governed by the minority whites. He was born in the inhumane slums of Alexandra and had constant, terrifying encounters with the government authorities who sought to scorn the poor black communities. In addition to the struggles with discrimination in the governmental social system, he
