Soweto Uprising 1976

Soweto was the scene of an infamous demonstration in 1976, known as the Soweto Uprising. Schoolkids marched in protest of a law that required classes to be taught in Afrikaans, a language that few of them spoke. Schools were grossly inadequate, receiving less than 10% of the funding white schools received. When the police felt threatened by the crowd, somehow they opened fire on the crowd, killing dozens of students. Among those killed was Hector Pieterson, the 12 year old boy shown in the arms of a man who tried to help, along with his sister. The museum dedicated to him and the Soweto Uprising is an important part of understanding apartheid and the Soweto neighborhood. Check out the story.