Apartheid South African Grammar

An extract / an excerpt

A short part taken from a book, article, or text.

Autobiography

A book someone writes about their own life.

Whose

A word used to show that something belongs to someone.

Reveals

Shows or makes something known that was hidden or secret.

Immoral

Wrong or bad according to moral rules; not right or fair.

Apartheid

A system of legal racial segregation and discrimination that existed in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.

Interracial

Involving people of different races.

Forbidden

Not allowed; banned by rules or law.

Appalling

Very bad or shocking; causing horror or disgust.

Segregational

Related to keeping people of different races apart.

Natives

People who were born in a particular place, often referring to the original people of a land.

Racism

The unfair treatment of people because of their race or skin color.

Denigrated

Spoken about unfairly or with disrespect; made to seem less important or less valuable.

Light-skinned

Having skin that is pale or lighter in color.

Dark-skinned

Having skin that is deeper or darker in color.

Threatened

Made to feel unsafe or at risk of harm.

Honors / Pays tribute

Shows respect or admiration for someone or something.

Scapegoat

A person who is unfairly blamed for something bad that others did.

Township

A crowded, often underdeveloped area on the outskirts of cities where Black South Africans were forced to live during apartheid.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on race, gender, religion, or other differences.

Oppression

➡️ Cruel or unfair treatment by those in power, often used to control or silence others.

Protest

➡️ An action where people stand up against something they believe is wrong, like apartheid.

equality

The state of being treated the same, with the same rights and opportunities.

Liberation

➡️ Freedom from control, unfair rules, or imprisonment.

Systemic

➡️ Something that is built into a system — like racism that exists in laws or institutions.

Privilege

➡️ Special advantages or rights given to one group over others (like white privilege under apartheid).

Martyr

➡️ Someone who dies or suffers for their beliefs, often seen as a hero.

Pass laws

Laws that forced Black South Africans to carry passbooks to control where they could go or work.

Homelands/Bantustans

Poor, rural areas where Black South Africans were forced to live, often far from cities or jobs.

ANC (African National Congress)

A political group that led the fight against apartheid — Nelson Mandela was a key leader.

Freedom Charter

A document written by anti-apartheid groups demanding equal rights for all South Africans.

Civil Disobedience

Peacefully breaking unfair laws to protest injustice (used by many during apartheid).

Reconciliation

The act of making peace and rebuilding relationships after conflict (important after apartheid ended).

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)

A group set up after apartheid to help victims speak out and promote healing in the country.