Apartheid means separation, or isolation, in the Afrikaans language. Such a simple, unassuming word...until you realize the real effect that word has had on humanity. Racial discrimination, inequality, and oppression are only a small part of the evil that causes men to classify other men as different or inferior. There is a lesson to be learned from studying apartheid and that lesson is that it comes in many forms and is called by many names, but the abuse of power exists today and permeates all regions of the globe. How many more atrocities will humanity have to face before we accept our differences and treat all men and women as our own brothers and sisters? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The precursor to apartheid legislation in South Africa dates back to the 1850s. At that time, legislation was being drafted that divided masters and servants, skilled and unskilled laborers. Members of the master and specialist classes were generally white and benefited from the laws. Servants and unskilled laborers were generally not white and were exposed to severe oppression under these laws. Examples; the Masters and Servants Acts of 1856 and 1904, prohibiting strike action by unskilled workers, and the Black Land Act of 1913 (until 1991) prohibiting non-whites from owning land outside designated reservations, which comprised approximately 7 % of all land. land in South Africa. Apartheid became an official national policy for South Africa when the National Party took power in 1948, and remained in force for almost 50 years. It is important to remember that at this time, white people made up only 20% of the population. About 70% of the population was black, about 2% were Asian (mostly from India), and about 8% were mixed race, classified as mixed race. Although racial discrimination was not new to South Africa, the legislation surrounding apartheid legalized human rights violations committed against non-whites in that country. Since the unification of South Africa in 1910, the white minority has practiced segregation. The National Party (made up of descendants of Dutch settlers living in groups known as the Boer Republics) began implementing policies of racial segregation in which non-white South Africans were forced to live in separate areas, go to substandard segregated schools and use their services. separate public facilities such as separate parks, public transport and beaches. Non-whites were required to carry identification when traveling within the country and were subject to brutality and arrest if they did not comply. Marriage between people of different races was strictly prohibited, even illegal. An organization called the African National Congress responded to apartheid laws with civil disobedience, boycotts and strikes. This organization launched what it called the Defiance Campaign and its leader was Nelson Mandela. Mandela worked as a mostly peaceful activist against racial inequality for nearly 20 years before co-founding an activist organization and ultimately being arrested for conspiring against the government and sentenced to life in prison. South Africa's policies have been subject to international scrutiny. in 1960, when then-British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan spoke out against apartheid in his famous speech..