The day John Chiti was born was a difficult one for his family in Zambia. "They were shocked and they were confused because I was born different," he says.
Chiti was born with albinism, a congenital condition of having no pigment in the skin or hair, which appear white.
His family "didn't understand how come Black people can have a white child," Chiti says. "Maybe my mother had an affair with a white man. Or it is a curse. So there was a lot of ignorance about the condition."
That ignorance shattered Chiti's family. His father blamed his mom and wanted nothing to do with his child. This was the first of many hurdles Chiti had to overcome before becoming the man he is today – successful, assured and well-known.
Chiti's life is the inspiration behind a film that's new to Netflix called Can You See Us? It chronicles the life of a boy called Joseph who grows up with albinism in Zambia.
In the movie, when Joseph is born, the father shouts, "Leave me alone! Whatever that thing is, it's not my child!"
The boy's parents divorce, just as Chiti's did. Chiti was raised by his mom and, before long, his stepfather. "I thought he was my real father because this is the person I remember from all the early childhood memories," he says. "I had a very strong bond with him."
Chiti found love and acceptance from his nuclear family and an occasional friend but often felt isolated. His peers made fun of him. Chiti hoped that when he got older, he could buy a special lotion so that "I'll be Black like my friends and I'll play with my friends and I'll be accepted."
Then, when he was 15, he was attacked. His assailants wanted his leg.
"Body parts of people with albinism are believed to have powers, to make wealth, to cure diseases," says Chiti. "And because of that, many people with albinism are hunted and killed. It's a crime, it's murder, it's assault."
A similar attack on Joseph unfolds in the film: Blood is drawn, but then a group descends on the scene and the attackers flee before they can inflict irreversible harm. This kind of assault on those with albinism is sadly common in Zambia and surrounding countries, says executive producer and screenwriter Lawrence Thompson.
"I think the film has made quite an impact cause everybody says they didn't know that was what was happening," he says.
Hakainde Hichilema, the president of Zambia, attended the premiere. He later wrote on Twitter: "The movie Can You See Us? is a gripping tale of a little boy's difficult childhood. The setting, music and cinematography were on point though some scenes were emotional to watch."
And Thompson is hopeful that reforms are in the works. "[The president] is looking at strengthening the laws in place around the attacks on people with albinism," says Thompson.
In his experience, Chiti says that such violence tends to be motivated by people's hostility toward difference.
"It's like we are in the wrong place," Chiti says. "And it's like the community is telling us, 'You don't belong here.' For you to be African, you have to be Black."
Visibility is the most important way to dismantle these prejudices, according to Chiti. It's something he has managed to achieve by becoming a well-known singer and musician in Zambia. He uses his status to elevate issues of disability rights and albinism.
For instance, Chiti founded the Albinism Foundation of Zambia, an organization that works to fight discrimination and secure equal rights for those with albinism. And he's currently serving as ambassador for the African Disability Protocol, a framework for developing laws and policies to promote disability rights across Africa.
"I become a celebrity," he says. "People are seeing me on TV, listening to my music. So when they see [a person who's albino] in the streets, it's no longer a strange thing because we have people with albinism in the limelight."
Today, Chiti has reconciled with his biological father. He's also become a full-time police commissioner, in part to help crack down on attacks that people with albinism face.
And he has three kids of his own. "Albinism is never something we even talk about at home because it's not an issue," he explains. "I would like to reach a place where we see someone as someone, as a person. And not the color, not the complexion, not the condition, not the disability."
Chiti has come so far — he says he just wishes his mom could see him now. She died suddenly when he was 11.
"One thing that regrets me is that she's not here," he says. "To see how I have grown. To just eat a piece of cake from whatever I'm achieving."
Transcript
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The new film "Can You See Us?" tells a story of hardship and discrimination punctuated by joy. The Netflix movie chronicles the life of a boy growing up with albinism in Zambia, where those with the condition are often discriminated against. NPR's Ari Daniel spoke with the man whose story inspired the film.
ARI DANIEL, BYLINE: The day John Chiti was born was a difficult one for his family.
JOHN CHITI: They were shocked, and they were confused because I was born different.
DANIEL: Chiti was born with albinism, a condition of having no pigment.
CHITI: I look white, while them - they are Black. And they didn't understand, how come Black people can have a white child? Maybe my mother had an affair with a white man. Or it is a curse. So there was a lot of ignorance about the condition.
DANIEL: That ignorance shattered Chiti's family. His father blamed his mom and wanted nothing to do with them, a moment dramatized in the film at the birth of the boy they call Joseph.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CAN YOU SEE US?")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Kennedy, what's wrong?
KANGWA CHILESHE: (As Kennedy) Leave me alone.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Kennedy, is the baby OK?
CHILESHE: (As Kennedy) Whatever that thing is, it's not my child.
DANIEL: Chiti's parents divorced, and he was raised by his mom and, before long, his stepfather. He found love and acceptance from his nuclear family and an occasional friend, but Chiti often felt isolated, made fun of. And when he was 15, he was attacked. They wanted his leg.
CHITI: Body parts of people with albinism are believed to have powers, to make wealth, to cure diseases. And because of that, many people with albinism are hunted and killed.
DANIEL: A similar attack unfolds in the film. Blood is drawn. But then a group descends on the scene, and the attackers flee. It's sadly common in Zambia and surrounding countries, says Lawrence Thompson, the film's screenwriter and executive producer.
LAWRENCE THOMPSON: I think the film has made quite an impact because everybody says they didn't know that was what was happening.
DANIEL: The president of Zambia attended the premiere, and Thompson's hopeful that reforms are in the works.
THOMPSON: He was looking at strengthening the laws in place around the attacks on people with albinism.
DANIEL: Such harm, says John Chiti, is motivated by people's hostility towards difference.
CHITI: It's like we are in the wrong place, and it's like the community is telling us, you don't belong here. For you to be African, you have to be Black.
DANIEL: Chiti says visibility is the most important way to dismantle these prejudices. He's actually gotten pretty prominent himself. He went on to become a well-known singer and musician in Zambia, and he's been able to use his platform to elevate issues of disability rights and albinism.
CHITI: I become a celebrity. People are seeing me on TV, listening to my music. Oh, John Chiti's albino. So when they see one in the streets, it's no longer a strange thing because we have people with albinism in the limelight.
DANIEL: Chiti says he wishes his mom could see him now. She died suddenly when he was 11.
CHITI: One thing that regrets me is that she's not here. She's not here to see how I have grown, to just eat a piece of cake from whatever I'm achieving.
DANIEL: Today, Chiti has three kids of his own.
CHITI: When they go to school, that is what they hear. Their father is a star. He's a star. He's a musician. Albinism is never something we even talk about at home because it's not an issue. I would like to reach a place where we see someone as someone, as a person and not the color, not the complexion, not the condition, not the disability.
DANIEL: Chiti's involvement with the film and his songwriting are all about this mission.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
DANIEL: In this song, the lyrics get right to the point. They explain that albinism is just a color. We are one people. Ari Daniel, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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