Every Day Is Special: April 27 - Freedom Day in South Africa

April 27 - Freedom Day in South Africa - AND Birthday of Coretta Scott King!

Posted on April 27, 2021

This is an update of my post published on April 27, 2010:

On this day in 1994, South Africa held its first post-apartheid elections.

Apartheid was a formal system of segregation and discrimination along racial lines. Racial segregation and racial discrimination were common in all of colonized Africa, including South Africa, but on this date in 1950, a law was passed setting up the formal system. The Group Areas Act made segregation the law of the land, with forcible removal and relocation of “blacks,” “coloured,” and “Indians” in order to achieve that segregation.

Under the apartheid regime, non-whites had only limited rights to vote, so they couldn't overthrow apartheid through free and fair elections. Instead, non-white folks in the country had to use resistance, boycotts, and protests - including some violent protests. Nelson Mandela was one of the stars of the anti-apartheid movement - even after he was imprisoned for political reasons!

Nelson Mandela

One reason that all those protests finally won was that many people in other countries joined in with protests and governments of other countries, such as the United States, finally-finally-finally passed sanctions against South Africa.

And so, in the very late 1980s and the early 1990s, apartheid was ended and political prisoners were released.

Nelson Mandela, who had become the leading voice for non-violent resistance and protest, was released after being in prison for 27 years!!!!

Like I said, today is the anniversary of the 1994 election. For the first time, in South Africa, everyone of voting age (over 18) from any racial group was allowed to vote. And Nelson Mandela was elected president.

Scenes from the 1994 election:
Above, Mandela voting.
Below, the lines to vote were
looooooooooooooong!

To commemorate the day and celebrate freedom, the day is a public holiday.

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

April 27, 1927, Coretta Scott was born. She grew up to marry Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before and particularly after MLK's assassination, Coretta Scott King was active in the U.S. civil rights movement. She dedicated time and energy, not only to ending racial segregation and discrimination, but also to rights for women, world peace, equality for people of all sexual orientations, and opposition to apartheid.

Before and particularly after her husband's assassination, Coretta Scott King was active in the civil rights movement in the United States. She dedicated time and energy, not only to ending racial segregation and discrimination, but also to rights for women, world peace, and equality for people of all sexual orientations.

Coretta Scott King also participated in protests against the South African apartheid regime and urged U.S. president Ronald Reagan to approve economic sanctions against the government in an effort to end the regime. She traveled to South Africa to meet with Winnie Mandela, wife of then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela.

I wonder if she felt like that first free-and-fair election, and Mandela being elected president, were an extra-special birthday present?

Learn more about Nelson Mandela, Coretta Scott King, and South Africa.

Watch the movie Invictus. This excellent movie stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon and concerns Nelson Mandela's efforts to unite South Africa after years of violence and segregation. It's both heartwarming and inspiring. We don't see the violence and injustice that preceded the events in the film; instead, we are offered visions of forgiveness, growing understanding, and sport. (The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language.)

Read The Day Gogo Went to Vote, by E. B. Sisulu. (Gogo means “grandmother” in Xhosa and Zulu.)

Explore the photos and facts about South Africa available on Kids' National Geographic.

Listen to an interview (well, a chunk of an interview) with Coretta Scott King.

Quotes from Coretta Scott King and Nelson Mandela:

“Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated. “ – Coretta Scott King

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

“I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King, Jr., said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'" – Coretta Scott King