A Hazendal man, who was born in a mixed-race family during the height of apartheid, has written a book about his life with the hope that it may help to heal, inspire, and educate.
Daryl Henning was born to a coloured mother and white father, and is the middle child of three siblings. He grew up in Salt River, which was considered a coloured area at the time, before his family moved to Observatory, the then “white side”.
His book, Rainbows Beyond the Door, was launched earlier this month. In the foreword, Dr Micheal Cassidy, the founder of African Enterprise, described the book as “a racial, spiritual and political thriller – a true South African must-read story”.
“I was a product of forbidden love, and because I was born in 1961 with a darker complexion, my mother got a fright and in her shock, asked someone to take me away. Both my older brother and sister were born light-skinned. So essentially I was rejected at birth. The book explores racial themes and acceptance and me trying to find my way in this divide. It also deals with identity and the need for approval, building bridges and breaking barriers. It’s a story of resilience and hope. If I can make it, then anybody can,” Mr Henning said.
Every chapter of the 277-page book could stand as a story by itself, but all the strands came together to make the book, he said.
“At the end of each chapter, there are also questions, which groups or individuals can use to reflect on their own challenges and to come away with learning,” Mr Henning said.
His relationship with his father was strained also because of his skin colour, he said. It was for this reason that he left home at the age of 19.
“The name of the book came about as I thought of how my father used to lock me out of the house, but because we had the chance to reconcile years later, I thought about when change happens, we open the doors to our hearts. To me rainbows are symbols of hope.”
After school, Mr Henning worked in a clothing factory as a clerk before he went on to study theology. He worked full-time in ministry when he joined the Christian organisation, Scripture Union, and later went to work in the corporate world.
The book also speaks about his faith and his political activism in the fight against apartheid.
Rainbows Beyond the Door, is available from Scripture Union, Amazon, and Takealot, at R290 each, as well as from Mr Henning, at 078 404 6511.
