No Easy Walk to Freedom

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1.  What do you know about apartheid in South Africa during the mid-20th century? What were some apartheid laws and what were their effects on various sectors of the South African population?

Teaching Suggestion: If your students are unfamiliar with apartheid, you might direct them to the links below or guide preliminary research on the topic before discussing the question.

• This article on apartheid includes a definition and a brief description of apartheid history and policy.
• “A History of Apartheid in South Africa” includes a discussion of apartheid laws, resistance efforts prior to 1960, and a brief history of the ANC and their phases of political mobilization. The information on the ANC may help students begin thinking about Shifts in Strategies and Tactics.

2. Who was Nelson Mandela, and why is he considered an international social justice icon?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may be more familiar with Mandela’s incarceration and eventual tenure as president than with the earlier activism that resulted in his imprisonment. For that reason, it might be helpful to allow time for initial investigation prior to students answering the question.