Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg, South Africa
Apartheid held South Africa in its grim grip from 1948 to 1994. This legalized, government-sanctioned racism was based on segregation. South Africans were designated into four racial groups; white, black, Indian, and non-white colored. There were specific areas for white people, separate (and often worse) areas for non-whites. Interracial marriages were illegal. Non-whites could not use public toilets, go to beaches, and were barred from living among white people in cities.
Black citizens could not vote or actively engage in politics. Leaders like Nelson Mandela brought the injustice of apartheid to the attention of the international community. Additionally, international outcry, sanctions, embargoes, and eroded diplomatic relations pressured the South African government to end apartheid. The Apartheid Museum explores the rise and fall of apartheid. The experience immerses visitors in the stories of those who lived it, and those who fought back.
