The Rainbow Nation does not extend to my corn rows

"I just think salons are something that should stay separate!" Mandisa, who was sitting one row in front of Mandla and I, said firmly, before turning around and therefore bringing an abrupt end to the disagreement.

Somehow the disagreement between the three of us, which was played out on a kumbi ride into the city, had become ridiculously heated.

Mandla was relating a story about how a hair salon in Grahamstown (a city in the Eastern Cape that's home to Rhodes University) had turned him away saying, "Sorry, we don't do black hair." Mandla was saying that's not cool, and I was agreeing. But Mandisa didn't seem to have any problem with it.

The problem with our disagreement was that Mandla and I were arguing from a big-picture standpoint--from a larger, philosophical viewpoint--while Mandisa couldn't get past the issue of hair.

"Mandla, look at Brendan's hair and look at your hair. Can't you see the difference?" she asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, but it's one thing if they can't do black people's hair and another thing if they won't do black people's hair," I countered.

"See, she could have said, 'I'm sorry Sir, but I don't think we have anyone who knows how to do black people's hair very well, but we're looking into hiring someone,' " Mandla added.

"Mandla, we have [I can't remember the name of the "black" salon Mandisa mentioned], why didn't you just go there?" Mandisa asked.

"But can't you see the bigger problem with them saying, 'We don't do black hair'?" Mandla said.

Still in disbelief, Mandisa asked, "Do you really want a white person touching your hair, Mandla?"

I just thought it was a pretty funny disagreement. I was surprised the other people on the kumbi didn't pipe in with their two cents.

(Mandla and Mandisa are two Rhodes students who worked with me at CMFD during July. We were heading into town to do some surveying or something.)