On 16 June 1976, an estimated 20,000 children from schools in the township of Soweto in Johannesburg, took to the streets to protest the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in local schools. Afrikaans was seen by many as the language of the oppressor.

What happened on the 16th of June 1976?

On 16 June 1976, an estimated 20,000 children from schools in the township of Soweto in Johannesburg, took to the streets to protest the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in local schools. Afrikaans was seen by many as the language of the oppressor.

What was happening in June 1976?

The Soweto uprising was a series of demonstrations and protests led by black school children in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976….

Soweto uprising
Location Soweto, South Africa
Date 16–18 June 1976
Deaths Minimum of 176 with some estimates ranging up to 700
Injured 4,000

What is June 16th called now?

Youth Day
Since the early 1990s, June 16, now known as Youth Day, has been remembered, commemorated, and memorialised as public history.

Who was the leader of the June 16 in 1976?

Tsietsi Mashinini
Tsietsi Mashinini (1957 – ) Awarded for: For his bravery and leadership of the Soweto Student Uprising of 16 June 1976.

Why is June 16th so important?

Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising, which took place on 16 June 1976, where thousands of students were ambushed by the apartheid regime. On Youth Day, South Africans pay tribute to the lives of these students and recognises the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime.

Why is June 16 called the Youth Day?

Youth Day commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of 16 June 1976. In 1975 protests started in African schools after a directive from the then Bantu Education Department that Afrikaans had to be used on an equal basis with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools.

What happened on 16 June youth?

On 16 June 1976 more than 20 000 pupils from Soweto began a protest march. In the wake of clashes with the police, and the violence that ensued during the next few weeks, approximately 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed and property destroyed.

What does it mean to be born on June 16?

A Gemini born June 16 is symbolized by the Twins and has the ability to rise to any social occasion. The sign of the Twins is influential for those born May 21 – June 20, when the Sun is considered to be in Gemini, a symbol of communication and sharing.. If you are born on the 16 th of June, your zodiac sign is Gemini.

Why do we celebrate June 16 in South Africa?

“16 June celebrated in South Africa, reflect on the massacre of school children during the Soweto Uprising of 1976. A day that began as a peaceful demonstration of students against Apartheid education policies.

What happened on June 16th in history?

This Day in History: June 16 On this day in 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova became the first woman to travel in space, having been launched into orbit aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6, which completed 48 orbits in 71 hours.

What do we celebrate on June 16?

“June 16 means freedom of education. The protest that was done by the youth of 1976 brought us the freedom that the students of today have.

What can we learn from the youth of 1976?

Here are five things we can learn from the youth of 1976:

  • Stand up for what you believe in. The youth who peacefully marched to Orlando Stadium were tired of living under conditions that made it hard for them to be young and free.
  • Collaboration.
  • The right to access education.
  • Women can be leaders.
  • Your voice matters.