Apartheid
Throughout history, many people are segregated against based on their race. This is exactly what the Apartheid did: it established the legal separation of races. In the seventieth century, many dutch citizens came and colonized in South Africa because of its plentiful natural resources. In the early 1900's, the Afrikaner National Party made the Apartheid with the intention to keep their control over the economic and social system in South Africa. The Apartheid also separated people and showed favoritism based on race. This provided white South Africans with better paying jobs, higher wages (even if a black person was working the exact same job) and prevented blacks from voting in elections. Blacks were also forced off their land and moved into reserves called "homelands". These "homelands" were in places with infertile soil and the houses were very small and compact. This resulted in many blacks give up farming and getting jobs as servants or laborers to support their families. These "homelands" were also often overcrowded, so it was hard for many of them to get food and clean water. The black South Africans were also unable to travel, or even leave their own homeland, without a special pass. Many black South Africans were upset with the inequality the Apartheid caused, so some black South African nationalists founded the African National Congress. The African National Congress fought for equality and justice in their society, and believed in nonviolence as the way to overcome the Apartheid. They protested the laws with marches and disobedience. But, these protests only worsened things because in the 1940's the government increased restricted the blacks more and passed more acts limiting the black's rights. If someone was even suspected of being a member of the African National Congress, they had the possibility of receiving numerous punishments, such as whippings and being sent to jail. Many people were tortured and abused in the jails. But, this did not stop the African National Congress fighting for their equal rights. If anything, more people became inspired to end the unjust laws, even some white South Africans. Finally, in the late 1900's, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu worked to bring successfully bring change. He exposed the unfairness and cruelty of the Apartheid to the world, and the Apartheid was finally lifted in 1989. Now that the Apartheid has been lifted, both the black and the white South Africans are equal under the law and the African National Congress still leaves a legacy in South Africa and world today. The African National Congress greatly inspired the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and blacks are seen as equal under the law all over the world.