South African black photographer pursues hate speech case

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Celebrated South African photographer Alf Kumalo climbs the courthouse stairs slowly, determined to pursue his hate speech case against a white man...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Celebrated South African photographer Alf Kumalo climbs the courthouse stairs slowly, determined to pursue his hate speech case against a white man he accuses of attacking him with an especially potent racial slur.

The 82-year-old Kumalo, who is black, said Wednesday, “We were supposed to have moved on from this kind of racist thing.”

Last month, a French court convicted a prominent, white perfume-maker of making anti-black comments and fined him the equivalent of $8,000. In Britain last month, a white student who mocked a black soccer player on Twitter was ordered jailed for inciting racial hatred.

South African human rights lawyer Sipho Mantula says more citizens need to know how they can protect their rights. Mantula lauds Kumalo for going to court.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press

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