Apartheid was an official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal and economic discrimination against nonwhites.
This was not a simple situation where only one or a small group of people are being prejudice. This involved the separation of the whole country.
The Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of three categories: white, black (African), or coloured (of mixed decent).
The coloured category included major subgroups of Indians and Asians. Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent.
For example, a white person was defined as in appearance obviously a white person or generally accepted as a white person. A person could not be considered white if one of his or her parents were non-white.
The determination that a person was “obviously white'' would take into account his habits, education, and speech and deportment and manner.
A black person would be of or accepted as a member of an African tribe or race, and a coloured person is one that is not black or white.
The Department of Home Affairs (a government bureau) was responsible for the classification of the citizenry. Non-compliance with the race laws were dealt with harshly. All blacks were required to carry “pass books” containing fingerprints, photo and information on access to non-black areas.
Africans living in the homelands needed passports to enter South Africa: aliens in their own country.
Not was it just one person being prejudice against another, it was a separation of the whole country. Even though we are all human, prejudice views are not uncommon in our world, even though most of them are wrong.
In relation to the book, "to kill a mockingbird" there are many examples of racism and like the Apartheid and the racism was seen as acceptable this is of course a key theme within the book. Racism did not affect only those who were black, but the ones who were also affiliated with them.
Atticus, a lawyer, who defended Tom Robinson (Who was a Negro), was mocked. The blacks where considered inferior. Maycomb's society is like a hierarchy. We have the Professional or Business class on top, next the poor yet respectable class, then the poor and disrespected class (Also known as White Trash) even lower in the society was the Negros they come under everyone despite all of their honourable and respectable conditions.
The significance of the title of to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird represents innocence, it is considered a sin to kill a mocking bird, hunters who kill mockingbirds for sport kill innocence, or people who discriminate against others because of their colour, and who are really innocent, also kill innocence without even thinking about what they are doing.
Reasons for racism are varied and complex. Even though the world today generally see's racism as wrong, Racism still occurs.
