Oliver Lindseth

“For purposes of the state, colored people became the almost-whites. They were second-class citizens, denied the rights of white people but given special privileges black people didn't have, just to keep them holding out for more. Afrikaners used to cal them amperbaas: "the almost-boss." The almost-master. "You're almost there. You're so close. You're this close to being white. Pity your grandfather couldn't keep his hands off the chocolate, eh? But it's not your fault you're colored, so keep trying. Because if you work hard enough you can erase this taint from your bloodline. Keep on marrying lighter and whiter and don't touch the chocolate and maybe, maybe, someday, if you're lucky, you can become white."

Which seems ridiculous, but it would happen. Every year under apartheid, some colored people would get promoted to white. It wasn't a myth, it was real. People could submit applications to the government. Your hair might become straight enough, your skin might become light enough, your accent might become polished enough--and you'd be reclassified as white. All you had to do was denounce your people, denounce your history, and leave your darker-skinned friends and family behind.”
― Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood