A young black woman with white parents has had to grow thick skin in dealing with the stereotypes, piercing stares and sometimes insults hurled at her by strangers about her family dynamics.
Mandisa Mlitwa (21), from Morningside in Durban, said it took her years to be able to comfortably walk in public places with her white parents, and has encouraged other youngsters who might be going through a similar situation to learn to ignore all the snide comments and be content with who they are.
Mlitwa recently posted a heart-warming appreciation Facebook post about her adoptive parents — her late mother Sandra McLaren and father Roy Reed. In the post, Mlitwa mentions all the things her parents have done for her and also vents about the struggles of growing up with white parents.