Oppression and Transgression: Apartheid and Acts of Resistance in South Africa.
This paper will examine the history of South Africa in the twentieth century. With an emphasis upon its recent history, it will be argued that we may understand the history of the resistance against Apartheid only by appreciating its complexity. It will begin with a discussion of the origins of the racist state in 1910, and early responses to racist oppression on the part of groups such as the African National Congress that was formed in 1912. It will be shown how this resistance gradually evolved from peaceful protest to violent struggle in reaction to the casual brutalities of the racist system, which was punctuated by random atrocities such as the Sharpeville Massacre. It will be seen that the resistance against Apartheid was also fought on other fronts; most significantly in the form of the economic pressure and sanctions exerted against the regime by both domestic and foreign opponents. 10 pgs. 27 f/c. 6b.
