British South Africa Police, Security Memorandum on Native Affairs No. 67, June 27 1952.
“It has been reliably reported that the following conversation took place between a European lady sales assistant and an African in a bookshop on the 19th June 1952:
African: ‘By the way is it strictly necessary to address me as ‘boy’?’
Assistant: ‘That is the way I usually address Africans who come into the shop.’
African: ‘Some of us can read, you know.’
Assistant: ‘So I believe.’
African: ‘If this sort of thing continues there is bound to be quite a lot of trouble. When I was in London some weeks ago nobody there addressed me as ‘boy’, only as ‘Sir’. It appears that London is an excellent place to live in.’
Assistant: ‘Then why don’t you go and live there?’â€