Skin

Sometimes we can lose loved ones when we find our sense of identity and belonging.

Interviewer:
His name is Leon Laing, but you probably know him as ‘Sandra’s’ brother.   A story that once captivated the nation, where the sense of identity and belonging was robbed and destroyed from an innocent young girl, has slowly faded in the memory of the South African society. However, due to the recent decline in Nelson Mandela’s health, the limelight has since been restored around the controversial life of Sandra Laing.
The story should be familiar to most due to the sheer amount of attention Sandra received when news broke out that a black girl had been born into a white family. Much finger pointing occurred in the direction of Sandra’s mother as the only logical explanation was involvement in an extramarital affair. What other explanation could have made sense?
The controversy didn’t stop there. It brought unwanted attention to Sandra’s brothers, Leon and Adriaan, who, to some, were thought to have viciously abandoned their sister whilst she was suffering throughout the most traumatic times of her life. Tonight we look above and beyond all speculation to find out the untold story of Leon Laing, the story that was kept in the dark for just way too long.

Thank you Leon for joining us tonight; we know it is a very sensitive topic for you to be talking about.
Now tell me Leon, did you abandon your relationship with Sandra as a result of prejudice, the views shared by majority of the white community at the time, or was it something deeper than that?

Leon:
Look, the one thing that has haunted me to this day is that very question. There is no doubt that racism still occurs, and that the segregation of blacks was firmly withheld in my household. However, that girl was a part of our family; she was one of us, not them. She belonged to the white community and from day one that’s how she was brought up. There is no doubt at times that she didn’t feel as if she...