Week 8: Top 10 Resources for Understanding the South African Context

The following is a list of different articles, videos and graphics I have compiled from my study abroad colleagues.This consolidated list dives into the history, current situation and different perspectives within South Africa.


1) Rachel Maddow talks about the history of apartheid in South Africa  In this youtube video Rachel Maddow outlines the history of apartheid. She explains the passbook system, the Sharpeville massacre, the militarization of the African National Congress (ANC), and Nelson Mandela's role in the movement and his election to presidency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqCKIUogn6E&feature=youtu.be

2) Factbox: South Africa since apartheid  This link compares facts about the housing, water, wealth, race, and unemployment in South Africa. The data shows the effects of apartheid and the changes South Africa has experienced under the last 18 years of ANC governance.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-24/news/sns-rt-us-safrica-anc-factbre85n067-20120624_1_blacks-south-africans-african-national-congress

3) South Africa's Ticking Time Bomb This article highlights the pressing threats to South Africa's future. The nation's high rates of inequality, poverty, unemployment, and political frustration reveal the long-term effects of apartheid and the remaining economic, social, and political issues to be resolved.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2014/07/02/south-africas-major-problems-youth-unemployment-and-economic-inequality

4) Apartheid Timeline PBS provides a chronological graphic of significant historical events and apartheid legislation in South Africa. I found this link helpful because it shows both sides of the movement by dividing the timeline between events that strengthened or weakened apartheid.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/endgame/timeline.html#

5) Power and Privilege Definitions This document is an amazing source that clearly defines terms from privilege and gender to institutional power and agents or targets of oppression. These objective definitions provide a strong background for understanding injustices throughout history.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amsa.org%2FAMSA%2FLibraries%2FCommittee_Docs%2FPower_Privilege_Definitions.sflb.ashx&ei=Gs34VK_WK5L4yQTElIDgDg&usg=AFQjCNF0hKvK_MzO4IebtQwaX3Oe6f1Yzw&sig2=ppEWSi2IGwDBhP-CrmIScw

6) Why is Crime and Violence so high in South Africa?  This link details the magnitude of violence in South Africa and how it affects different social groups. The information it provides as to why laws are not respected and the persistence of crime was particularly useful in understanding the struggles of South Africa.
http://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/Why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-South-Africa-20140918

7) Realizing Women's Human Rights in South Africa Dr. Tunney explains the four main factors that keep South African women marginalized. These factors are "the unwillingness of men to adapt to changing gender roles, the perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights, poor urban planning coupled with the economic vulnerability of women, and the police and courts’ inadequate implementation of legislation." This article provided fantastic insight into the problems women, and specifically black women, face in reaching equality post-apartheid. 
http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/06/10/tunney/

8) The Backlash Against African Women  In relation to the link above this, this article shows the violence and repercussions African women experience along the road to empowerment. As women progress politically and through education, the conservative backlash and terrible assaults attempt to keep these women inferior and powerless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/the-backlash-against-african-women.html?_r=0

9) Say it Loud, I'm Coloured and I'm Proud I have been struggling to understand what Coloured means in South Africa and this article provided information that helped me understand what Coloured is and Coloureds' general perspective in the nation and place in the apartheid movement.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/world/2013/10/south_africas_coloreds_identify_most_with_blacks_in_the_us.html

10) US Anti-Apartheid Movement Helped Bring Change to South Africa I included this video in my top 10 because it shows the role global public opinion and international relations played in bringing about the end of apartheid. It gives a historical link between the United States and South Africa and the power of Americans' solidarity versus apartheid.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-anti-apartheid-movement-helps-bring-change-to-south-africa/1900704.html