South African Youth Day, June 16th

South Africa is known all over the world for its righteous teens and their involvement in political issues.

Kids and teens in South Africa even have their own national holiday, National Youth Day on June 16, to honor the political and social struggles of South African youth, that eventually led to their new democracy. Known as Soweto Day until just a few years ago, Youth Day in South Africa was originally created to remember the Soweto Uprisings, the massive educational protests by students in 1970's.

Flashback to the '70's
It's the end of the school year for many South African teens and the apartheid government has decided that all classes will now be taught in a Dutch language called Afrikaans. Only the country's minority European ruling class speaks Afrikaans. Native African high school students are outraged that they will have to all-of-a-sudden learn in a language that they don't even speak. Plans are made to resist.

On June 16, 1976, close to 30,000 high school students take to the streets in protest of racism in their government. South African teens gain the attention of the world during the Soweto Uprisings. Afterward, the government changes its decision to require Afrikaans in schools. This marked the beginning of the end of apartheid or institutionalized racial segregation in South Africa.

It is estimated that between 300 and 600 people lost their lives during the uprising, which became a defining moment in the resistance against apartheid.

Today
National Youth Day means South African kids get a day off from school, but that's not all. The legacy of South African teen action for freedom and democracy, which began in Soweto, continues to influence teens in the post-apartheid era.



What do you think is the most important thing that the Soweto uprisings can teach children from other countries today?