During the 1950s and 1960s, the southern United States was split into two: The whites and the blacks. Restrooms, buses, and even schools were all segregated. This piece of history is fairly well known to American citizens, as Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech still echoes through museums. However, another major figure stepped up in South Africa decades later, and won rights for his people. It was Martin Luther King Jr. fought to end it here. Over in Africa, it was Nelson Mandela who stepped up for his country, and ended Apartheid.
Apartheid was a system of segregation enforced by Europeans in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The National Party were the orchestrators of it all, as the Bantu Authorities Act was one of the first …show more content…
Desmond Tutu, a fellow South African, won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. This was for his resistance against the Apartheid govenment, and the award led to more economic sanctions against the country. He raised awareness for the struggles blacks were going through, while demonstrating how to resist in a peaceful manner. By 1986, South African president P.W Botha declared a state of emergency, as the resistance movements were growing rapidly. Later that year, the U.S passed the Anti-Apartheid act, putting multiple economic sanctions on South Africa. It wasn’t until F.W de Klerk that anything changed. “On February 2, 1990, de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organizations. He also promised that Mandela would be freed shortly. de Klerk also removed the restrictions placed on Black communities since the state of emergency declared by Botha in 1986” (ANC Ban is Lifted). De Klerk relaxed the apartheid laws and released Mandela from prison after 27 years. Four years after Mandela was released, he became South Africa’s first black president, an important step towards civil rights in Africa. Though it didn’t fully end Apartheid, it was the deciding factor of when it would
Apartheid was a system of segregation enforced by Europeans in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The National Party were the orchestrators of it all, as the Bantu Authorities Act was one of the first …show more content…
Desmond Tutu, a fellow South African, won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. This was for his resistance against the Apartheid govenment, and the award led to more economic sanctions against the country. He raised awareness for the struggles blacks were going through, while demonstrating how to resist in a peaceful manner. By 1986, South African president P.W Botha declared a state of emergency, as the resistance movements were growing rapidly. Later that year, the U.S passed the Anti-Apartheid act, putting multiple economic sanctions on South Africa. It wasn’t until F.W de Klerk that anything changed. “On February 2, 1990, de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organizations. He also promised that Mandela would be freed shortly. de Klerk also removed the restrictions placed on Black communities since the state of emergency declared by Botha in 1986” (ANC Ban is Lifted). De Klerk relaxed the apartheid laws and released Mandela from prison after 27 years. Four years after Mandela was released, he became South Africa’s first black president, an important step towards civil rights in Africa. Though it didn’t fully end Apartheid, it was the deciding factor of when it would