Today marks the 34th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising. Soweto (SOuth WEst TOwnships) was a shanty town set up during apartheid for black individuals to move into. This area, which is located on the outer edge of Johannesburg, is still occupied today with poor black South Africans.
On June 16, 1976 in Soweto, thousands of black students marched and protested for days demanding equal education. The Bantu Education Act of 1953 not only segregated schools based on race, but also didn't provide the same type of quality education that white students were given. Black schools were also forced to teach in Afrikaans, which is a mixture of Dutch and African languages. Many were outraged at this because there was a general feeling that Afrikaans was the language of the oppressor. Young people had had enough, and sought to protest their education under the apartheid regime. A series of marches and protests took place that would make history. Students staged a march from their schools across Soweto, which was unbeknownst to teachers, police, and even some students ahead of time. The white police, in fear of the growing black masses, started shooting into the peaceful protest. After the first shots were fired, panic ensued and the police continued to shoot; when all was said and done, the officers had killed more than 500 people- most of them children. One of the only, and most famous, pictures of the Soweto Uprising is that of Hector Pieterson. He was a 12 year-old boy shot and killed by police. The photo shows his friend, and neighbour, carrying his body back as his sister screams in agony beside them.
The photo of Hector Pieterson and the reports of the Soweto Uprising set into motion a cataclysmic aftermath. More youths, in wake of the event, joined the ANC, which at the time was an underground rebel movement against the apartheid government; the ANC, before becoming the political party of South Africa today, actually overthrew the apartheid government in the early 90s. Before then though, they were seen as a black terrorist group to the white SA government. What also occurred in aftermath was that many white South Africans turned against the apartheid government- upset at their handling of people in Soweto. The most important event after the Soweto Uprising, which demolished the economy, was the international boycott against South Africa. These three factors, in the wake of the Soweto tragedy, were key components in bringing down the apartheid government.
So today, June 16th, South Africans commemorate the Soweto Uprising and the youth of the country that were so important in ending apartheid. Also, they celebrate the youth of today and where they'll bring the country-- making it a better tomorrow.
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