JSE-listed independent learning institution Curro sparked an internet racial debate after their portrayal of a black child’s career as compared to a white child during the school’s career day exercise.
The picture shared by the brand, which has since been deleted, shows a black kid behind the till at a staged Checkers grocery shop, waiting to help a white kid. The white kid is seen holding her Checkers Smart Shopper card, ready to use it.
Internet users compared the portrayal of the black child to other pictures of white kids shared by the school during the same career day, which showed them in doctor’s gowns, working as veterinarians, with another picture of two white boys standing outside a Capitec ATM about to withdraw money.
This is not the first time the Curro brand has been linked to racism. Recently, a teacher at Curro Academy in Johannesburg’s Protea Glen was suspended for calling black learners monkeys.
Back in 2015, Curro Foundation School in Roodeplaat was found guilty of racism by the Gauteng Department of Education as they grouped black kids in classes together while white kids were put in their own classes.
Seeing the career day post, internet users shared different sentiments. While others were angered by the portrayal of the black child as a white child subordinate, others were surprised that this was causing an uproar, commenting that it was a portrayal of the South African reality.
Bathong Curro?? pic.twitter.com/LcBF4v3dCt
— Witness Mandisa (@WitnessMandisa1) March 31, 2024
Out of all those activities, they decide to make the cashier black 😭#CurroMustFall pic.twitter.com/Hwq2Ne6CWC
— Ceboz (@chiefcebo_) March 31, 2024
One user expressed how racism has managed to continue from generation to generation, adding:
That’s the reality we are living in. Blacks are Cashiers , whites are the bosses.
They get taught racism , we know the haven’t changed because we’ve lived with them .
One of them once told us that his grandfather told him not to marry black girls and the reason was racist.
— Diaz wa Le Darkie 👌😎 (@NgwanaMzansi) March 31, 2024
One user came from a different angle, commenting:
I think y’all fail to know how kids operates.. Do you know that kids are fascinated with being the seller at a shop rather than the buyer? We see this all the time in our homes when our kids try to sell us things in our house. I bet the white girl also really wanted to be selling
— Thammy Young (@thamz_young) April 1, 2024
Another user added:
I dont see whats wrong here..its the reflection of our reality…truth does hurt but it does not mean we must frown upon it…now Currio must lie & show white kid at the bottom of the food chain..its us who are there in majority.
— Mfundo (@Mfundo_WCH) April 1, 2024
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