A group of mourners carry a United Democratic Front Banner during a mass funeral.

Chapter

Growing Resistance Meets Growing Repression

Investigate the resurgent wave of international and domestic anti-apartheid activism that led to increased violence before both sides compromised over a legal conclusion to apartheid.

Published: August 6, 2018

Last Updated: September 20, 2019

Chapter

Language

English — US

Subject

History
Social Studies

Grade

9–12

Democracy & Civic Engagement

Overview

The 1970s and 1980s saw a resurgence of the anti-apartheid movement as national and international groups intensified pressure on the South African government. In this chapter, we follow the sequence of events that forced the National Party to cooperate with resistance leaders to legally end apartheid.

What strategies did the people and organizations working for black liberation in South Africa employ during the 1970s and 1980s?
How did international pressure and international support influence the choices made in South Africa?
How did the National Party government respond to both domestic and international pressure?

This chapter is from the Growing Resistance Meets Growing Repression section of Confronting Apartheid and includes:

5 readings
Connection Questions

Inside this Chapter

Reading

Learn about the figures and events of the 1970s and 80s anti-apartheid movement that succeeded in bringing the National Party to the negotiating table with resistance leaders.

Group of black South African schoolboys running frantically

Reading

Activist Steve Biko’s speech links white racism to the Black Consciousness movement, calling on black South Africans to create their own power to fight oppression.

Steve Biko spearheaded the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) in South Africa from the mid 1960s until his death while in police custody in 1977.

Reading

Read the transcript of a video the South African government sent to American students as a way to convince the international community of the benefits of apartheid.

Group of people waving South African flags in back lit.

Reading

Look at a selection of anti-apartheid posters that show the diverse range of messages and issues covered within the movement.

The Durban strikes of 1973, and the subsequent formation of new trade unions, were instrumental in causing the first seams of apartheid to break apart.

Reading

Consider the case study of Polaroid, in which opposing sides (Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement and Polaroid) voice their reasoning of whether or not to divest from South Africa.

Caroline Hunter wears a “No Bullshit, Boycott Polaroid” campaign button.

Reading

Examine Nelson Mandela’s emotional rejection of a 1985 offer by the South African government to free him if he renounced violence and abstained from politics.

"A young Nelson Mandela poses for a photograph in Umtata shortly before moving to Fort Beaufort to attend Healdtown Comprehensive School. "

Lesson

Students explore the potential negative impact of images through the social media protest #IfTheyGunnedMeDown and develop a decision-making process for choosing imagery to represent controversial events.

National President of Black Lawyers for Justice, carries a picture of Michael Brown as he leads demonstrators on a march.

Lesson

Students explore how identity impacts our responses to other people and events by examining a cartoon and analyzing an opinion poll from a week after Ferguson.

Lesson

Students examine how identity and biases can impact how individuals interpret images and experience the challenge of selecting images to represent news events, particularly connected to sensitive issues.

People hold hands in prayer in the parking lot of convenience store that was looted and burned after Michael Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, Mo.

Lesson

Students establish a safe space for holding sensitive conversations, before introducing the events surrounding Ferguson, by acknowledging people's complicated feelings about race and creating a classroom contract.

Lesson

Students explore the role of social media in Ferguson, apply information verification strategies to social media posts, and develop strategies for becoming critical consumers and sharers of social media.

Peaceful demonstrators gather in Ferguson, Missouri, in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death.

Lesson

Students create a plan for enacting change on an issue that they are most passionate about using the 10 Questions Framework.

Person holding a sign at a Global climate change strike

Lesson

Students review the First Amendment, understand the importance of a free press, and consider how that freedom can conflict with other societal needs through journalists’ experiences in Ferguson.

Newspaper front page featuring story about protests and police in Ferguson.

Lesson

Students identify the responsibilities of citizen watchdogs, summarize strategies for combatting confirmation bias and responsibly consuming and sharing news and information, and complete a culminating essay.

Lesson

Students define explicit, implicit, and confirmation bias, and examine why people sometimes maintain their beliefs in the face of contradictory information.

Lesson

Students review the US Department of Justice report, revisit how confirmation bias impacts our understanding of events, and consider how to bridge the gap in understanding that often surrounds events like Ferguson.

Darnell Taylor marches with his daughter, Lauren, 4, on his shoulders down Market Street to Kiener Plaza as part of a march against police violence downtown St. Louis, Mo., on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cristina Fletes-Boutte)

Lesson

Students experience the challenges to reporting objectively by writing a news piece and watching a video about how journalists counteract bias in the newsroom.

Lesson

Students begin thinking about civic engagement in terms of their own passions and identities as they are introduced to the 10 Questions Framework.

High school students participate in class.

More Like This Teaching Resources Learning & Events

Facing History & Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, so we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.

Professional Learning

On-Demand

Virtual

Listen to #DisruptTexts founder Julia Torres about taking a critical lens to text selection in ELA classrooms.

Three students at table, working on a project

Professional Learning

On-Demand

Virtual

Issues of equity and education have long existed in our country and continue to manifest today. How can writing and the power of one's voice help us respond to these disparities? Listen to writer and educator, Dr. Clint Smith, where we hear his poetry and reflections on working for justice, equity, and civic agency in our schools.

Professional Learning

On-Demand

Virtual

Explore approaches to centering student voice, building authentic relationships and cultivating community with Molly Josephs, the creator of This Teenage Life, a youth-driven, story-sharing podcast that started as a school club.

More Like This View Upcoming Events View On-Demand Events

Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.

— Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY

Search

Search

Growing Resistance Meets Growing Repression