Apartheid : Do We Want For Just Get Over It `` And Move On `` Too Quickly?

Mandela once said, “A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.” (Page 32). This quote is an accurate description of all the people who supported the apartheid in South Africa starting when the National Party was elected in 1948. Knowing why this happened and what brought the apartheid to an end is vital to not making the same detrimental mistake again. Apartheid came to an end because of internal unrest, external pressure, and great leaders.

Thesis Statement: Apartheid may have been a horrible era in South African history, but only so because the whites were forced to take action against the outrageous and threatening deeds of the blacks in order to sustain their power.

The apartheid of South Africa was a period of perpetual distress and nameless and tried faith in the general public who it unremittingly impacted.

Nelson Mandela was one of the most influential activists, and his legacy remains not just in South Africa but the entire world. Nelson Mandela participated in the eradication of the apartheid, and in 1994 became South Africa’s first black president. Mandela and many other black South Africans worked hard to end the unjust segregation in South Africa, and they were successful in destroying the wicked apartheid system. Over 20 years after the eradication of the apartheid, is South Africa completely free of the past segregation and social problems it faced before? Even though activists like Mandela changed many social problems the country faced, sadly segregation and racism until this day haunts the country. The social problems in this country includes social stigmas that both races have for each other, economical differences between the black and white populations, and the segregation of schools and neighborhoods.

Can you imagine having all your basic rights stolen from you, being an outsider in the land of both you and your ancestors? The possible hurt and anguish you just felt was a daily occurrence for millions of people in South Africa, brought on by the apartheid. The apartheid system ruled over South Africa for nearly 50 years, and limited the possibilities for many young black children to receive an education and lead happy lives. The strict rules of the apartheid are a major theme in the autobiography, Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane, and continually shapes the main character’s life, usually for the worse. Throughout the course of this essay I will be highlighting the tolls the apartheid took on the lives of many black, coloured, and Indian South Africans.

The apartheid of South Africa was a time of constant fear and unknown and tested faith in the people who it continuously impacted.

South Africa is segregated into two communities based on their skin colour, which will determine the way they are treated. Mandela’s speech is written in a way that persuades the nation to end racial discrimination through his choice of words. He uses words such as ‘justice’ which represents fairness and morality; ‘indignity’ which evokes a sense of hostility, causing the South African audience to feel humiliated; and ‘inalienable’ persuading

The Atlantic article by Kenichi Serino, entitled “How Apartheid Haunts a New Generation of South Africans”, discusses the lasting effect of the segregation system in South Africa, specifically focusing on young adults and the way in which they face limits due to lasting racial sentiments in areas such as education, as well as job opportunity. Serino succeeds in provoking an emotional response in the audience through the avenue of powerful and strategically placed quotes, incorporated with the grim reality of the situation. Additionally, the author of the piece sets out to familiarize the audience with the concept of apartheid through his informative style and also, inform the reader of the long term injustice suffered by Africans in the country long after the initial period of official discrimination.

From 1948 to 1991 South Africa was going through a humanitarian crisis similar to what was occurring in America, segregation. However, there was one key difference in South Africa, the black South Africans were being controlled by a white South African minority. In America, non-colored citizens didn’t have to do much to segregate life, but in South Africa, the white South Africans needed to feel like they were in control. After the National party was elected in 1948, the government (white south Africans) started to heavily segregate South Africa. The result of the heavy segregation and hard laws resulted in a tremendous feeling of exile. Isolation was an extensive part of the apartheid years in South Africa as shown by the cruel prison sentences,

South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s population racially and considered non-whites inferior (“History of South Africa in the apartheid era”). Apartheid was designed to make it

Many of the contemporary issues in South Africa can easily be associated with the apartheid laws which devastated the country. The people of South Africa struggle day by day to reverse “the most cruel, yet well-crafted,” horrific tactic “of social engineering.” The concept behind apartheid emerged in 1948 when the nationalist party took over government, and the all-white government enforced “racial segregation under a system of legislation” . The central issues stem from 50 years of apartheid include poverty, income inequality, land ownership rates and many other long term affects that still plague the brunt of the South African population while the small white minority still enjoy much of the wealth, most of the land and opportunities

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal

Colonial inheritance has had a serious effect on all Africans lives and has irreversibly changed the continent and its people forever. The impact of apartheid is evident when analyzing Mxolisi and Nelson Mandela’s lives. Both men were exposed to similar oppressive environments as they lived in South Africa during apartheid, though their stories show generational differences. Mandela was an activist early in the apartheid regime and then spent a significant period of his life in jail until the end of the regime as he took part in reassessment of apartheid and negotiations. Mxolisi was born and raised during Apartheid and much of his experiences growing up took place while Mandela was in jail. These two men were both victims of colonial inheritance and apartheid, which lead them to extreme measures as they acted in protest of an oppressive government with the hope that they might gain back power, rights, and freedom for themselves and the South African people.

I have always thought that Nelson Mandela has been one of the most important people in history. I find it very fascinating that one man could end the Apartheid and that is why I want to find out more about this. South Africa is a country with a past of enforced racism and separation of its multi-racial community. The White Europeans invaded South Africa and started a political system known as 'Apartheid' (meaning 'apartness'). This system severely restricted the rights and lifestyle of the non-White inhabitants of the country forcing them to live separately from the White Europeans. I have chosen to investigate how the Apartheid affected people’s lives, and also how and why the Apartheid system rose and fell in South Africa.

Even though we as the post-Apartheid teenagers tend to roll our eyes at the mere mentioning of the word, we must acknowledge the influence it has had on the moral decay of our