Apartheid

Segregation is and has been a major issue across the entire world. In South Africa, segregation met a new high with Apartheid, or the legal separation between races. Before the 1994 elections in South Africa, tensions were high and violence was regular.

From the beginning of the 1900's, tensions have been high in South Africa. In 1909, an all-white parliament had power even though they were the minority (Doc 1). Dr. Hendrick F. Verwoerd, South African Prime Minister said “We want to keep South Africa white. Keeping it white can only mean white domination”(Doc 2). In South Africa, white people made up about 13% of the population whereas black people were 75%. One would think that the black population would have 70-80% of the land but on the contrary, they had 13% and whites had 87% (Doc 3). In 1964, the blacks started to push back. Albert Lutuli, African National Congress (ANC) president led the 1964 appeal for the international boycott of South Africa (Doc 4). Also in 1964, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for acting out against the white government. In 1948 the UN wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was violated numerous times by the Apartheid in Africa (Doc 8).

Other nations had businesses in South Africa and when Apartheid was brought to light by educated students, it made these companies look like savages to be helping the oppressors. This made it harder and more expensive for wealthy Africans to get technology. That was about the only thing that other nations did to help out the oppressed (OI). In 1994, the free Race elections were held. Nelson Mandela was named president after he was released from jail. Most of the generation credited with the creation of apartheid had passed and young politicians with progressive views stepped up. This does not mean apartheid was dead, but it was dying.

Segregation is still alive and thriving in some nations. We wont ever completely kill