UnApologetically Mel

On Reconciliation Day, I reflect on three moments — from racism in an Irish pub to a toddler questioning my skin colour — and why choosing light over bitterness is still an act of resistance.

I didn’t grow up reading about apartheid — I grew up inside it. From segregated beaches to hotel doors that wouldn’t open, this is a personal account of life as an Indian girl navigating a system designed to decide who belonged and who did not.