Coloured: How Classification Became Culture

by Tessa Dooms, Lynsey Ebony Chutel

'This is a book for Coloured people, by Coloured people, a book of Coloured and colourful stories from varied corners of the South African vista, past, present and future.'
What does it mean to be Coloured? Who are Coloured people? Are they San or Khoe, Malay or mixed, and where in South Africa do they fit in? And then the enduring, but also insulting, question:
do Coloured people even have a culture?
In this book, Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel challenge the notion that Coloured people do not have a distinct heritage or culture – that they are neither Black nor White enough – and present a different angle to that narrative. They delve into the history of Coloured people as descendants of indigenous Africans and as a people whose identity has been shaped by colonisation and slavery, and unpack the racial and political hierarchies these forces created.
Although this book examines a difficult history, it is also about the culture that Coloured communities have created for themselves through food, music and shared lived experiences. This culture is an act of defiance and resilience.
Coloured is a reflection on, and celebration of, Coloured identities as lived experiences. It is a call to Coloured communities to reclaim their identity – and an invitation to understand the history of Coloured people and their place in the making of South Africa's future.

Genres: Race, Nonfiction, South Africa

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2023

Reviews

[Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Identifying as Coloured is more complex than having a racially mixed heritage: Colouredness is a spectrum of identities with varied origin stories that intersected during apartied to create a cluster of complex communities….’

This book is about Coloured people, revealing their lineage as descendants of indigenous Africans and their evolution through the egregious history of colonisation, slavery, and racial hierarchies.

For the reader, it demonstrates vividly and viscerally a community that had to (re)invent and (re)imagine themselves outside of its paintful history of colonisation, slavery, apartheid and “post” - apartheid

This book does important work in (re)claiming culture. Through lucid and picturesque storytelling, Dooms and Chutel take readers on a compelling journey through Coloured communities in Eldorado Park in Johannesburg, Eersterust in Pretoria, and Wentworth in Durban to underscore that Colouredness is not monolithic. In their hands and through the excavation of its history, we see that Colouredness is filled with different musical roots, huiskos, mother tongues, religions, and conceptualisation of masculinity and femininity.

This book is a powerful reminder that for Coloured communities….”the work of reclaiming the soil is crucial, it will make many forms”

This book is a gift. For me, it felt like a hug for my soul and heart.

It is a communion and an education. The authors write “the very word “Coloured” is loaded. To some, it is a slur…. To others, it is a burden. To others still, it is unifier in a.country….”

With grace, love, and tenderness, the authors beautifully endeavour and succeeded to answer the question Who are Coloured People?

Put simply, Dooms and Chutel reminds us that “(t)he world is held together, really it is held together, by the love and the passion of a very few people.”

At its core, this is a love letter to Coloured people, by Coloured people.

[Si · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a necessity.

To me, reading this book symbolises the role we, as South African citizens, should each play in advancing the ideology of a rainbow nation. There are many avenues to live out this concept; not just with sport. Literature can also unite. 

The authors take us on a journey of what it means to be Coloured in the South African context. This means that it is a culture, a way of life, a shared experience; and not limited to or including physical appearance. What a relief that the latter was addressed given that many South Africans think that being born from Black and White parents automatically makes you Coloured or being light-skinned means you are Coloured. There is a difference between Coloured and mixed race.
(Important for people outside of SA to understand that we have Black and Coloured as two separate racial classifications stemming from our diverse and complex history).

Coloured is a book that depicts the broad identity of one of the races that were marginalised in South Africa. There are so many similar experiences across many of the other marginalised races. More importantly, the authors encourage Coloured people to trace their lineage and embrace all parts of it, and then reclaim their place in the present and future of South Africa.

For someone who is an "outsider", this book helps actualise the identity of the Coloured community. It's a must read for all South Africans who want to embrace our diversity.

[Megan Flemmit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and informative

[Rirhandzu Rissenga · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Identifying as Coloured is more complex than having a racially mixed heritage: Colouredness is a spectrum of identities with varied origin stories that intersected during apartheid to create a cluster of complex communities brought together by historical circumstance.”



This was an interesting read to give readers exposure into the Coloured community and address a lot of stereotypes faced by the ethnicity group. The authors shared their personal backgrounds and history of their families and how it was to live in Coloured community. There were a lot of similarities to the black community in terms of how apartheid marginalised us, how music played a huge part in our upbringing and the struggle with straightening our hair and burning our scalps with relaxer. Also appreciated that distiction between coloured and mixed races cos I always assumed they all fall under same ethnicity group.

[Zanele Kekana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ESSENTIAL read. This book delicately examines the painful history of coloured people from colonial and apartheid South Africa. It delves into how their lived experiences have gone on to shape coloured culture today.

[Between2_worlds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and especially loved that it was from a personal,intimate lens instead of a purely academic one. I read people's histories, and there's something powerful in that.

[BushwickReader101 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, a few things. Given all the discourse surrounding the music star, Tyla, my curiosity on race and Coloured identity was sparked. I am a 25 year old Black South African woman. And I've been living in the United States for the past 7 years. I mention that to admit that much of my adult framing/understanding on race has been greatly influenced by my observations and experience in the United States.

This book was informative and educational on Apartheid racial classification. I appreciated the historical facts the authors explained. I learned a few new things about South African history.

That's where my compliments cease, unfortunately. Firstly, I was quite perplexed at the parallels that the authors made between Coloured culture and African-American culture. This is all before they made any connection to Black South Africans. Further, I confused how that connection might have be made in sincerity because as acknowledged in the book the Coloured community are often deeply anti-Black. Throwing in W.E.D Du Bois quotes to connect Colouredness to Blackness, was a little comical to me.

As stated in the book, White supremacy and Apartheid legacy has truly done a number on all of us. But the lack of self-awareness and critical thinking about current Colouredness I found lazy. Creolized people are not unique as they exist all over the world, but I am truly unimpressed by its foundations in anti-Blackness in the South African context.

The personal anecdotes were lovely but I was hoping for some deeper critical thought and this book did not deliver that.

[Monene Moila · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Coloured” by Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel is a rich and immersive journey through the history, identity, and cultural evolution of the Coloured community. I absolutely loved how the odyssey of food, music, and language etc. was woven throughout the book, showcasing how these elements have persevered and essentially preserved the culture over time. The storytelling is both informative and deeply personal, making it feel like a conversation that honors the past while reflecting on the present. It’s a beautifully written exploration and evolution of heritage and belonging that left me with a deeper appreciation for the complexities of coloured identity.

[Shamiela Sarlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colonialism and exploitation cling to the same deceit, invoking God and religion to oppress and dehumanise. The pattern endures even now. Despite a world abundant in resources, that a select few wish prosperity for themselves only is astonishing.

The social scars Apartheid left on non-white South Africans are still plain to see. This book depicts them with remarkable beauty and honesty.

[Shanice Hinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Dooms and Chutel for telling stories of South African coloured peoole. I am now wiser.

[Heath Hellenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read. As a coloured person resonated fully with this book, recommended to all coloured people and people who'd like to understand coloured as a culture

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book about the intersectionality of colouredness. This sparked a newfound sense of pride in my culture!

[Eulogi Rheeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful read; I encourage all South Africans to read it for a deeper understanding of the complex history of our country.

[Tas Sweets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, Inspiring. Well researched. Allows us tbe insight to what it is like from the point of view of another fellow south african.

[Maphuti Langa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Coloured” the authors detail what it means to be coloured in the South African context, the book challenges the notion that a coloured identity is not limited to physical appearance of being mixed race. There is so much more to layered to the coloured identity including culture, heritage and shared lived experiences. I found the book to be well researched in terms of the complex and difficult context covered on the history of Black and Coloured racial classifications as a stemming from apartheid.

The book goes into detail about how coloured people were marginalised in the peak of oppression and how they responded to this. There were some similarities with the black community in terms of the damage that apartheid played but the distinction for the coloured community is made clear in the book. The authors personal family history and heritage as forming part of the coloured community was a great value add because it put faces and names and challenged most of the stereotypes faced by coloured people.

This book was such an insightful and eye opening read that challenged some of my stereotypes and added a new understanding of the coloured community. I would recommend to anyone who wants to understand and embrace all identities that she put beautiful country.

❤️ “ Identifying as coloured is more complex than having a racially mixed heritage; Colouredness is a spectrum of identities with varied origin stories that intersected during apartheid to create a cluster of complex communities brought together by historical experiences.”

[Rosh (_soap_box) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mixing of personal narrative and historical facts is how every Non-fiction should be written. I wanted a little bit more on the building of toxic masculinity and the perceived threat of queerness due to apartheid but I still had a wonderful time. As an outsider to the coloured community this was informative for me and I can see the amount of love and care used to craft. An excellent read in all aspects.