How is the Apartheid similar to the American Civil Rights Movement

Anti-Apartheid & Civil Rights

Outrage about apartheid in South Africa was not limited to the people of South Africa; citizens of the United States-particularly those who were fighting for equal rights in their own country-also sought to end systematic racial discrimination that was apartheid. At the same time as apartheid in South Africa, African Americans experienced segregation and racial discrimination in America. The anti-apartheid and civil rights movements overlapped in many ways, and many of those involved adhered to ideas of Pan-Africanism. In Dallas, Texas, many of the people who fought for justice saw themselves as part of a bigger movement that included both Civil Rights and anti-apartheid activism. This can be seen through the works of individuals who participated in the movements in Dallas, Texas, such as Pan-Africanist Arthur Riggins (Baba Ifayomi), former Dallas City Councilwoman Diane Ragsdale, Reverend Peter Johnson and former Southern Christian Leadership Council member Reverend Charles Stovall.

Apartheid in South Africa and the Emergence of a Movement

After the creation of the apartheid system in 1948 by the National Party (NP) government in South Africa, Indian, Coloured, and Black South Africans experienced racial discrimination and went through countless hardships throughout the apartheid era. Numerous segregation laws, including the infamous pass laws, were formed, designed to isolate the population, decrease black urbanization, and assign migrant labor and cheap work among South Africans, especially South Africans who were not white. The system of apartheid led to more horrifying occurrences and events, such as the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the 1976 Soweto Uprising. In the midst of the hardships and destitution that plagued the country of South Africa, many South African leaders and organizations stood together to fight against apartheid, such as Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, and Nelson Mandela, just to name a few. The South African leaders mentioned above were extremely determined to end a system that plagued the people and country of South Africa. Unfortunately, the National Party government banned, exiled, and imprisoned majority of the leaders and organizations that were involved in ending apartheid in South Africa. Nonetheless, Americans - especially African Americans, or the African diaspora - responded to the treatment of South Africans and decided to take a stand against apartheid.