The Organization of African Unity attempted to prevent conflicts that could lead to intervention of former colonial powers and acknowledged the problematic nature of African boundaries.Kwame Nkhrumah, the President of Ghana, also promoted unity throughout Africa, and thought of unity as a way to resist foreign influence.

The government of South Africa created a series of laws, called apartheid or separateness, that asserted white supremacy and institutionalized racial segregation. 87% of South Africa was sectioned off for the white minority, while those with colored skin were forced to live in ethnic homelands.

Young leaders of the African National Congress, like Nelson Mandela, inspired direct action campaigns to protest against apartheid. The ANC expressed the goal of a future in which there was multiracial, democratic rule in South Africa. After the government declared the ANC illegal, and imprisoned leaders such as Nelson Mandela, international opposition to apartheid grew and Mandela became a symbol of white oppression to the people of South Africa. This inspired many protests, which eventually led to the dismantling of apartheid and the release of Mandela from prison, who soon became the first black president of South Africa.

Africa