While there is often national outrage when an incident of blatant racism takes place, everyday or commonplace racism against black people, which is often subtle, brief and in passing, and which happens in the normal course of life, goes unnoticed.

Such everyday racism is more disguised. Many white South Africans are often not even aware of the racial insults, slights and hostility they unleash against black people in their everyday interactions with them.

Research has shown that everyday racism causes blacks anxiety, persistent anger, mood swings and depression because of the unjust treatment in every sphere of life. It lowers the life satisfaction of blacks. It negatively impacts on their personal and professional relationships. It drives blacks to change jobs, lowers their productivity, and compels them to withdraw from social interaction with white people. It makes black people deeply distrustful of whites.

It is the assumption that a black shopper is an employee, because the person happens to be black – and therefore it is assumed that the person would be the manual worker. It is the white staff member following the black shopper throughout to “check” on him or her – the assumption is they may be stealing.

It is when a black shopper walks into a book store and the white staff member loudly asks “can I help you”, assuming that because the person is black, the person is not interested in reading and must be “lost”.

It is some white people not noticing blacks – jumping in front of a queue although a black person has been standing ahead patiently. And the white staffer on the other side of the counter, also helping the white customer that jumped the queue first, even if the white staffer saw the black customer was there before the white one.