Answer to Question #267371 in History for Kelsey Jand

Question

Read, highlight, and comment the following excerpt:

How many more Sharpevilles would there be in the history of our country? And how many more Sharpevilles could the country stand without violence and terror becoming the order of the day? And what would happen to our people when that stage was reached? In the long run we felt certain we must succeed, but at what cost to ourselves and the rest of the country? And if this happened, how could black and white ever live together again in peace and harmony? These were the problems that faced us, and these were our decisions.

Answer 1

On March 21, 1960, police in Sharpeville, South Africa, shot hundreds of people protesting laws that restricted the movement of blacks. Sixty-nine protesters died, and the massacre became an iconic moment in the struggle against apartheid.The Sharpeville massacre contributed to the banning of the PAC and ANC as illegal organisations. The massacre was one of the catalysts for a shift from passive resistance to armed resistance by these organisations.It's been 60 years since the Sharpeville massacre, when 69 unarmed civilians were killed by armed South African police on March 21 1960. The significance of the date is reflected in the fact that it now marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli had called for it to be a national day of mourning, in honour of the dead of Sharpeville and Langa. ... On 30 March, a spontaneous and peaceful protest march began in Langa and Nyanga, swelling to over 30 000 people as the procession continued, headed again to Caledon Square.