Unit #1 – Africa Lesson #10 – Apartheid in South Africa

What does racism look like? If it’s legal, would it be wrong? How can you stop racism?

Apartheid System of racial segregation Found ONLY in South Africa Official government policy by National Party from 1948 to 1994 Against blacks 1m explanation

Discovering Apartheid Read on p. 140 Top right full paragraph and bottom right full paragraph Reactions? Thoughts? What were some areas that were controlled? How? What did the police do? What did the Sharpville Massacre do that can be considered positive? Who is Nelson Mandela?

APARTHEID “apartness” Legal racial laws in South Africa in late 1900s Most of the $$ in South Africa was controlled by the white minority The black majority was enslaved by the white minority WHAT WOULD YOU DO? If you lived in this place, would you have demanded equality?

Population of South Africa 10% White 90% Black Whites had the best land Whites used blacks to do the “dirty work” Passbook Required by South African blacks … but not by South African whites

Foundation of Apartheid In 1652 the Dutch colonized South Africa. They believed the land was theirs. They defeated many Africans and forced them to work as servants and slaves. In 1806, Great Britain captured the colony from the Dutch. When diamonds and gold were discovered, the British forced blacks off the mineral-rich land. In 1948 the AFRICANER dominated Nationalist Party was elected to power.

White Minority Population Called “Afrikaners” Protected their special privileges from colonial days Keep black population from rising in power or money Blacks… did not… Whites lived in nice houses

Most blacks lived in shanty towns

The shanty towns became centers for black groups who resisted the white government. Thousands resisted apartheid by refusing to work, refusing to buy white products, going into “white only” areas, and marching in nonviolent demonstrations.

Schools for blacks: primitive and purposefully poor

Policy became Official The government established an official policy of “apartness” or “apartheid” in local language, Afrikaans. The South African government tried to completely separate the small number of whites from the black majority. 3m explanation What was life like?

Anti-Apartheid Movement Goal: end Apartheid by any means Led by young men like Nelson Mandela Attacked government Violence (like Sharpeville) Was captured Was Thrown in jail There, he would remain for most of his life

Most black men had to leave their homeland to find work in mines or factories. And were not permitted free travel back to their families. Women raised whatever crops they could or worked as domestic help.

In 1960’s, the white South African government tried to destroy those who resisted apartheid by imprisoning the leaders of anti-apartheid groups. Still, blacks increased their actions against the government. By the late 70’s many of those leaders had died mysteriously in jail..

The End of Apartheid That would mean an end to the legal racism in South Africa. It was totally entrenched in society there. What could have ended it? Read the left column of p. 142 What was the initial pressure to end Apartheid? What changed? What did the new constitution of the 1990s say about black South Africans? What was the monumental change?

The end of Apartheid 1990 President Frederik Willem de Klerk Started negotiations to end apartheid 1994- Mixed racial elections Won by African National Congress Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, who had been held in prison for 25 yrs Nelson Mandela, who had been held in prison for 25 yrs., was released in 1992. He then ran for, and immediately became the new president of South Africa.

How did this all happen? popular uprisings and protests United Nations protested in 1960 Pope John Paul II spoke out against it Americans boycotted South African products Apartheid seen as antiquated as the dinosaurs Some South Africans refused to change

Analyze this political cartoon What would a dinosaur in any political cartoon symbolize? What seems to be happening to this dinosaur? What does it look like the white guy is trying to do?

Stephen Biko Stephen Biko was a student leader His writings mobilized the South African black population He became famous for his slogan "black is beautiful” By the 1970s he was an outspoken leader of the anti-Apartheid movement He was banned from public speaking In1977, Biko was arrested and interrogated by police The interrogation lasted twenty-two hours and included torture and beatings. Biko was chained to a window grille for a day, and died from his injuries. Stephen Biko

Analyze this song What is the song about? What do you think the words mean: When I try to sleep at night I can only dream in red What happens when you blow on a candle? What happens when you blow on a fire? What do you think they meant by: You can blow out a candle But you can't blow out a fire 6m song