In conversation with Johan Erasmus - Dear America: Your Boer Lives Matter Narrative Is Doing More Harm Than Good
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In a detailed and thought-provoking letter titled “You are not
helping South Africa — a conservative white Afrikaner’s note to
our US friends,” Johan Erasmus—a Pretoria-based pastor, PhD
candidate in race and reconciliation, and co-founder of a
multicultural church and NGO—raises urgent concerns about
the way U.S. conservative commentators have adopted and
amplified the “Boer Lives Matter” narrative. Drawing from his
deep connections within South African Afrikaner communities
and his respect for figures like Ben Shapiro and Jordan
Peterson, Erasmus acknowledges the valuable counterbalance
these voices provided during movements like Black Lives
Matter. However, he questions the glaring double standard in
their readiness to validate claims of white victimhood in South
Africa while dismissing similar narratives from Black
communities in the United States. For Erasmus, this selective
empathy reflects a troubling lack of nuance—one that ignores
the broader reality that Black South Africans are
disproportionately affected by crime and structural inequality.
Erasmus further warns that supporting separatist ideas like
Orania—an Afrikaner-only town seeking autonomy—is
hypocritical for American conservatives who once condemned
secessionist movements in their own country. He uses pointed
analogies to illustrate the absurdity of justifying white
nationalism in South Africa under the guise of cultural
preservation, while ignoring its apartheid-era roots. While not
blind to the failures of the ANC or the dangers of populist
rhetoric, Erasmus challenges American conservatives to apply
the same level of scrutiny they demanded during the George
Floyd protests to their own handling of South African narratives.
He urges them to recognize that their current stance not only
distorts the truth but also alienates the majority of Afrikaners
who remain committed to a shared, reconciled future with their
Black compatriots. In Erasmus’s view, to be truly conservative is
to seek truth above tribalism—no matter where the political
chips may fall.
helping South Africa — a conservative white Afrikaner’s note to
our US friends,” Johan Erasmus—a Pretoria-based pastor, PhD
candidate in race and reconciliation, and co-founder of a
multicultural church and NGO—raises urgent concerns about
the way U.S. conservative commentators have adopted and
amplified the “Boer Lives Matter” narrative. Drawing from his
deep connections within South African Afrikaner communities
and his respect for figures like Ben Shapiro and Jordan
Peterson, Erasmus acknowledges the valuable counterbalance
these voices provided during movements like Black Lives
Matter. However, he questions the glaring double standard in
their readiness to validate claims of white victimhood in South
Africa while dismissing similar narratives from Black
communities in the United States. For Erasmus, this selective
empathy reflects a troubling lack of nuance—one that ignores
the broader reality that Black South Africans are
disproportionately affected by crime and structural inequality.
Erasmus further warns that supporting separatist ideas like
Orania—an Afrikaner-only town seeking autonomy—is
hypocritical for American conservatives who once condemned
secessionist movements in their own country. He uses pointed
analogies to illustrate the absurdity of justifying white
nationalism in South Africa under the guise of cultural
preservation, while ignoring its apartheid-era roots. While not
blind to the failures of the ANC or the dangers of populist
rhetoric, Erasmus challenges American conservatives to apply
the same level of scrutiny they demanded during the George
Floyd protests to their own handling of South African narratives.
He urges them to recognize that their current stance not only
distorts the truth but also alienates the majority of Afrikaners
who remain committed to a shared, reconciled future with their
Black compatriots. In Erasmus’s view, to be truly conservative is
to seek truth above tribalism—no matter where the political
chips may fall.
