what is apartheid

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that was implemented in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. The term "apartheid" means "apartness" in Afrikaans, reflecting the policy's goal of separating people based on race. Under apartheid, the white minority government enforced laws that deprived the non-white majority of political and civil rights, restricting where they could live, work, and access public facilities. It was characterized by legal prohibitions on mixed marriages, limitations on movement, and the classification of people into racial groups with different rights and privileges. Apartheid involved both "petty apartheid," which segregated public facilities and social events, and "grand apartheid," which strictly separated housing and employment opportunities by race. The system targeted primarily Black South Africans, forcing millions into designated areas called "homelands" or "bantustans," where political and economic power remained limited. The apartheid regime emerged from colonial roots and was solidified when the National Party came to power in 1948. It faced increasing internal resistance and international sanctions, which eventually led to its dismantling in the early 1990s, culminating in the establishment of a democratic, non-racial South Africa in 1994 with Nelson Mandela as its first Black president. Apartheid is considered a crime against humanity under international law due to its systematic and institutionalized racial oppression and segregation. Although the South African apartheid era ended, the term is sometimes used more broadly for other systems of racial segregation and discrimination today. This system is known for its deep social, economic, and political impacts, which South Africa continues to address in the post-apartheid era. If you'd like, I can provide more details on specific apartheid laws, key events, or resistance movements. Let me know!