Apartheid is a system that segregates people based on race. From 1948 to 1993 the people of South Africa had been separated into four legal groups based on race - blacks, whites, coloured, and Indian.

Some of the inequalities that happened during Apartheid in South Africa include:

• Trains and buses were segregated and made different stops according to the people they served.
• Black and coloured groups were not permitted to vote.
• Movie theatres, public beaches, swimming pools, toilets, parks, and even graveyards were segregated.
• Mixed relationships and marriages were against the law.
• Non-whites were not allowed to travel freely, even within South Africa. For example, in the 1970s and 1980s, non-whites were forced to carry passbooks stating their address and profession at all times. They had to ask permission from the police to enter white areas or to leave home for a long period.

In 1973, Apartheid was called a crime by the United Nations. The UN defined Apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons...”

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Text by Celeste Beck & Matthew Boggie Image by Meredith Claire