March 21st marks a very important celebration, that is The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The reason for choosing March 21st in celebration of the human rights against racial discrimination is that 60 years ago this day witnessed an inhumane event.
That is the Sharpeville massacre of South Africa, where 69 black people were killed and 180 injured by the police force after protesting against the apartheid pass laws. These laws forced black citizens to always carry passes with them, while the white citizen was not obliged. This was one of the many laws passed during the apartheid regime, which discriminated the black South African people. After making head news, the Sharpeville massacre gained a lot of international criticism on South Africa’s apartheid policy.
Black people’s blood had to be spilled for the South African government of the time to change laws and political systems against discrimination and racism. It would be years after the gruesome event for the apartheid in South Africa to eventually collapse during the early 90s. In 1996, the first South African black-president and anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela, signed the country’s new constitution, at the site of the Sharpeville massacre to commemorate the event.
People of color have been and still are being discriminated throughout the world up to this day. It’s sad to see that there are still people in the world who judge their peers by the color of their skin, ethnicity, religion or culture. Millions of people suffer from physical and mental trauma due to racism and racial discrimination. When the world will understand that what being human is the most important thing we all have in common, we would learn to embrace and love people of different races and ethnicities.
Take this day to learn more about the people in your community, get to know them better if you will and show them your full support and acceptance as they are. Beyond the color of the skin, race, and religion, we’re all humans.