Common Reading 2020: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison.
Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting.
About Trevor Noah
- Life's Work: An Interview with Trevor Noah (Harvard Business Review, 2018)As a biracial kid growing up in apartheid era South Africa, Noah learned to confront social injustice by poking fun at it. Now, at age 34, he brings that same sensibility to a world-touring stand-up act and a gig hosting The Daily Show on Comedy Central—a role he took over from Jon Stewart and quickly made his own.
Race, Identity, and Apartheid in South Africa
- Mandela: Long Walk to FreedomCall Number: DVD6927
After Freedom: The Rise of the Post-Apartheid Generation in Democratic South AfricaCall Number: DT1971 .N49 2014
Constructing Race: Youth, Identity, and Popular Culture in South AfricaCall Number: DT1756 .D65 2001
The Struggle Is My Life by Call Number: DT779.95. M36 A57 1990
Miriam's Song: A MemoirCall Number: DT2405 .A44 M38 2000
No Future Without Forgiveness by Call Number: BR1450 .T88 2000
South Africa: The Present as HistoryCall Number: Online
Loosing the Bonds: The United States and South Africa in the Apartheid YearsCall Number: E183.8 .S6 M28 1997
Ties That Bind: Race and the Politics of Friendship in South AfricaCall Number: Online
Borrow Born a Crime from the Waidner-Spahr Library
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Call Number: PN2287 .N557 A3 2016
Dealing with Trauma Triggers
In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah describes violent incidents that he experienced as a child. Some readers may feel triggered by this material.
- Dickinson students in need of assistance are encouraged to contact the Wellness Center.
- Dickinson employees may utilize the Employee Assistance Program to speak to a mental health professional.
This self-care checklist for dealing with trauma triggers in the media may also be useful in a non-emergency situation.
In the case of an urgent need, please refer to these Emergency Resources.
Common Reading 2020: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison.
Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting.
News
- Historical Newspapers: Apartheid in South AfricaHistoric coverage of apartheid in South Africa by a number of major (mostly American) newspapers. Contains primary sources. Full text.
- World News Digest: Mandela Elected President of South AfricaNews sources broadly related to Nelson Mandela's election in 1994. Coverage: 1952 - 2016. Contains primary sources. Full text.