The Soweto uprising happened on June 16th, 1976. It was a protest
against introducing Afrikaans as a medium in black schools all over
South-Africa. It was estimated that around 20,000 students took part in
this protest against the movement. Black South African high school
students in Soweto protested the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974,
which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in equal
terms as languages of instruction. The association of Afrikaans
with apartheid prompted black South Africans to prefer English. Tsietsi
Mashinini led students from Morris Isaacson High School to join up with
others who walked from Naledi High School. The students began the
march, only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their
intended route. The leader of the action committee asked the crowd not
to provoke the police, and the march continued on another route and
eventually ended up near Orlando High School. The crowd of between
3,000 and 10,000 students made its way towards the area of the school.
Students sang and waved placards with slogans such as, "Down with
Afrikaans", "Viva Azania" and "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must
do Zulu".
During these times people of colour in South-Africa was treated very
unfairly and I think it was very important for something to be done. The
black youth of South-Africa during those times led a very good example
by doing what they did. These students were very brave and they fought
for their political rights against the South-African government. As a
young person living in South-Africa it had to take a lot of positive mindset
to achieve great things like they did. I think as people who live in post-
Apartheid times it is very important for us to also learn how to be brave
and to stand up for things that we don’t believe in. These young students
learned how to work together in a group and they taught other young
people how to form part of a group and that group work will always have
a bigger impact when you want something to change. The 1976 Soweto
Uprisings serve as a great example of the critical role young people have
historically played in challenging the harsh and unjust conditions facing
them and bringing about a democratic dispensation in South Africa. On 16
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ZanelHakkesteeg. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R100,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.