Ending Apartheid

A group called the African National Congress (ANC) formed to work for Native rights.

A young man named Nelson Mandela joined. He was a tribal chief’s son. But he also went to college and to law school. He helped fight apartheid as a lawyer.

But the South African government didn’t let up. In 1960, they banned public meetings and arrested almost 2,000 people. The ANC and other protest groups were banned.

Mandela and other ANC leaders were eventually arrested ml and sentenced to many years of hard labor.

Over the years, the protests in South Africa grew. South African police responded brutally,

doing exactly what they had been trained to do at their Police Academy.

A lot of kids never knew what was really happening in their country. “The government hid the truth from us. The government controlled the television stations. In school, we weren’t taught the real situation in South Africa. If teachers were caught teaching that in class, they would be fined or put in prison.” Mark Abrahamson 16 years old

International pressure grew quickly after – United Nations asked countries not to trade with South Africa. 1964: South Africa was banned from the Tokyo Olympics (because they won’t let non-Whites on their teams). 1970: International Olympic Committee totally banned South Africa from all Olympic competition.

 The Anglican Church (British Episcopal Church) sent a Black pastor to be the Archbishop in South Africa. He was very intelligent, very kind, and very outspoken against apartheid.

1986: U.S. Congress passed the Anti-Apartheid Act, making it illegal for American companies to do business with South Africa. 1977: U.S. universities started taking $$ back out of South African businesses. 1985: International banks demanded loans be paid back – immediately.

The idea was this: If the world pulled their money out of South Africa, the South African government would HAVE TO change their policies – or go broke! August 4, 1986

In 1986, passbooks were finally ended. President F. W. De Klerk The impact? In 1989, a new President was elected. He was White, but he knew things had to change.

President DeKlerk convinced his government to release Mandela from prison – 28 years after he went to prison.

His son was a baby when Mandela was arrested. As a young man, the son visited his dad in prison.

Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 28 prison years in this cell.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela ran for President of South Africa & won. It was the first election where all South Africans could vote. BE1GFl6zWTOE_iu1EZ_NWTXS1kgPbBWOj009s_mCgA

Even after all he had suffered, he pushed the policy of a “non- racial” South Africa – a country for – Blacks, Coloured, Asians, and Whites Rugby World Cup portrayed in the movie Invictus

After 200 years of Whites-only policies, South Africa will need time to recover and catch up to the rest of the world.