Posted
on March 21, 2016
It
was a horrific system of racial segregation and discrimination.
It
kept the white minority in power, and it limited the rights and
freedom of the majority black population.
I
bet you know that I am talking about apartheid in South Africa, a
system that held sway from World War II to the early 1990s.
Of
course apartheid sparked resistance and protest! Today is the
anniversary of a peaceful protest against the Pass Laws, a part of
the apartheid system. The protest occurred in Sharpeville on this
date in 1960. We remember the day, not so much for the peaceful
protest, but instead for the violent and deadly response by police,
who shot into the crowd and killed 69 people and wounded 180 more!
Now
that the apartheid system has been ended, now that South Africa has a
constitution that gives equal rights to all, the nation remembers the
tragedy with a day that is meant to reaffirm the importance of human
rights, liberty and justice for all, equality – all that important
stuff. Although the international Human Rights Day is December 10,
South Africa's Human Rights Day is March 21.
The
horror of the Sharpeville massacre reverberated around the world and
inspired protests from international sources. Of course, there had
been some international criticism from apartheid's beginnings, but after the massacre, more and more organizations spoke out against the system. South
Africa found itself increasingly isolated from the rest of the world
in several ways: sports, culture, tourism, trade. There were cultural boycotts and economic sanctions. South Africa could no longer be a member of the British Commonwealth.
Starting
in 1966, the United Nations declared March 21 to be the International
Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We are all urged to
find ways to fight racism, promote tolerance, discuss human rights,
and so forth.
Some young people participate in online discussions
about racial discrimination on Voices of Youth, an online
bulletin board.
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
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