Born a Crime
Trevor Noah
33 min
8 Key Points
4.5 RateWhat's inside?
Explore the captivating journey of Trevor Noah as he navigates through his challenging yet humorous childhood in apartheid South Africa, revealing how he turned adversity into success.
You'll learn
1. What's it like growing up in apartheid South Africa?2. Can humor help beat tough times?3. Can education and language break walls?4. How does a strong mom shape your life?5. What's the deal with racial identity and society's rules?6. How to go from rags to riches?Key points
01The Crime of Being Born
Every great story has a beginning, but very few begin with the protagonist's mere existence being a violation of the law. Under the oppressive regime of Apartheid in South Africa, the government was obsessed with keeping different racial groups entirely separate. The Immorality Act of 1927 strictly prohibited sexual relations between white people and people of other races. The penalty was severe, often resulting in years of imprisonment. Yet, in the face of this terrifying legislation, Trevor’s mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, a fearless black Xhosa woman, decided she wanted a child. She chose a quiet, gentle Swiss-German man named Robert to be the father. When Trevor was born, he was quite literally a piece of living, breathing contraband. His light skin was undeniable evidence of a crime that could send both his parents to prison. Growing up, the absurdity of this situation dictated every aspect of Trevor’s early life. For the first few years, he was largely kept indoors. When he was allowed outside, his parents could never be seen with him together. If they walked in the park, his father had to walk across the street, pretending not to know them, while his mother would often have to pretend to be his maid rather than his parent. It is a profound tragedy to consider a childhood where a mother must drop her child’s hand and walk away if the police drive by. Yet, Trevor recounts these early years not with bitterness, but with a sharp, observational humor. He highlights how ridiculous racism truly is when viewed through the innocent eyes of a child who simply wants to play in the sun. The relationship between Trevor and his mother was forged in this crucible of secrecy and survival. Patricia was not your average mother; she was a deeply devout, fiercely rebellious woman who found loopholes in the system wherever she could. Sundays were a marathon of faith, involving trips to three entirely different churches. They would go to a joyful, spirited black church in the township, an analytical and quiet white church in the suburbs, and a passionate, lively mixed church. Patricia believed each church offered a different kind of spiritual fulfillment. It was during one of these Sunday excursions that Trevor experienced a terrifying, yet absurdly comical, turning point. When Trevor was a young boy, the political climate in South Africa was boiling over. The transition from Apartheid to democracy was not peaceful; it was marked by violent clashes between different ethnic groups, particularly the Zulu and the Xhosa. One evening, after a church service, the family’s old, unreliable car broke down. Forced to take public transportation, they boarded a minibus taxi. The driver, a Zulu man, quickly realized Patricia was Xhosa and began making hostile, threatening remarks, accelerating the vehicle to a dangerous speed. The tension in the minibus was suffocating. Patricia, holding a sleeping infant Trevor’s younger brother and sitting next to Trevor, knew that their lives were in imminent danger. In a split second, she made a terrifying calculation. As the minibus slowed down slightly to navigate an intersection, Patricia threw the door open, shoved Trevor out onto the hard pavement, and threw herself and the baby out right after him. They tumbled into the dirt, bruised and bleeding, but alive. When Trevor angrily questioned why she had thrown him out of a moving vehicle, her response was practical and unbothered. She had saved their lives. This incident perfectly encapsulated Patricia’s parenting style: fierce, uncompromising, violently protective, and entirely unsentimental. She was raising a boy to survive in a world that did not want him to exist, and she had no time to coddle him.
02A Mother's Unyielding Rebellion
To truly understand Trevor’s journey, one must understand the absolute force of nature that was Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. She was a woman born into a system designed to keep her at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, yet she stubbornly refused to accept her assigned place. During Apartheid, black women in South Africa were largely relegated to two professions: domestic work or factory labor. Patricia, however, decided she was going to be a secretary. She secretly took typing classes, learned multiple languages, and eventually secured a white-collar job in Johannesburg, a city where black people were legally prohibited from living unless they were registered domestic workers. She survived by hiding in plain sight, renting apartments from sympathetic white landlords, and dressing in a maid’s uniform when she walked the streets to avoid suspicion. Patricia raised Trevor with an unconventional, almost radical philosophy. She refused to let the limitations of Apartheid define his heavily restricted world. While other children in the township were playing in the dirt, Patricia was bringing home English books, reading to him endlessly, and speaking to him as if he were an adult. She treated him as an equal, a sparring partner in debates, demanding that he think critically and articulate his thoughts. If they had a disagreement, she wouldn't simply shout at him; she would slip a meticulously written, fiercely argued letter under his bedroom door, forcing him to respond in kind. This unique method of discipline taught Trevor the power of words, logic, and persuasion long before he ever picked up a microphone. Their home life was filled with a blend of strict Christian devotion and hilarious, chaotic incidents that highlighted the clash between modern faith and traditional African beliefs. One of the most unforgettable stories from his childhood perfectly illustrates this dynamic. When Trevor was a toddler, the family lived in a house where the toilet was an outhouse located outside, shared with other families. On a particularly rainy day, young Trevor, terrified of the dark and the rain, decided he absolutely could not make the trek to the outhouse. In a moment of childish ingenuity, he laid down a piece of newspaper on the kitchen floor, relieved himself on it, folded it up neatly, and stuffed it into the bottom of the kitchen trash can. When Patricia discovered a foul smell permeating the house, chaos erupted. In the deeply superstitious community of the township, a mysterious, foul-smelling package hidden in the house could only mean one thing: witchcraft. Somebody had placed a curse on their home. The entire neighborhood was summoned. Elderly women gathered, praying fervently, speaking in tongues, and begging the Lord to cast out the evil demon that had invaded the Noah household. Trevor, watching this massive spiritual warfare unfold over his discarded bowel movement, was absolutely paralyzed with fear. He couldn't confess. If he told them the truth, the wrath of his mother would be far worse than any imaginary demon. He sat there, silently watching his mother burn the newspaper, chanting prayers to banish the evil spirits. This incredibly funny, deeply human moment is a brilliant reflection of Trevor’s upbringing. It shows how the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the township was constantly punctured by moments of sheer domestic absurdity. Patricia’s unyielding rebellion wasn't just about fighting the government; it was about defining reality on her own terms. She refused to raise a victim. She drove him through wealthy white neighborhoods, pointing out massive mansions and beautiful landscapes, telling him that the world was his to conquer. When family members warned her that she was giving a black child unrealistic expectations, she simply replied that even if he never left the township, she wanted him to know that a bigger world existed. She was actively decolonizing his mind, preparing him for a freedom that hadn't even arrived yet.
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03Chameleons and the Power of Language
04Love, Heartbreak, and Mulberry Trees
05Hustling in the Streets of Alexandra
06The Illusion of the Cheese Boys
07The Shadow of a Monster
08Conclusion
About Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host, and political commentator, best known for hosting The Daily Show, an American satirical news program on Comedy Central. He's also an author, with his memoir "Born a Crime" detailing his life growing up in apartheid South Africa.
