The End oI Apartheid: The Role oI Two Enemies

Kyle Miller
Senior Division
Individual Website
This year I wanted to learn more about civil rights movements outside oI the United
States. I didn`t know much about civil rights movements abroad, but I did know that there was
one recently in South AIrica. AIter doing some minor research I Iound out about the system oI
apartheid in South AIrica and all oI its horrors. I also came across two seemingly important
people in my research, Nelson Mandela and F.W De Klerk. I Iound that these two men were key
in ending apartheid. I conducted some Iurther research and Iound that this topic, on the end oI
apartheid, would be an excellent topic to study.
I started my research by looking in my global history textbook Ior a general overview oI
apartheid. My textbook led me to do research on Nelson Mandela and F.W De Klerk. I Iound a
lot oI inIormation about them Irom the Nobel Prize website and the biography website. Next I
searched Ior primary sources; I Iound a number oI primary sources on the AIrican National
Congress website. This website had many Iamous speeches oI Nelson Mandela as well as
speeches Irom other party members. I also searched the internet Ior videos and audio clips
relating to apartheid, and I Iound many videos on Nelson Mandela and on F.W De Klerk.
Overall there was a wealth oI inIormation that was available to me both on the web and in the
Iorm oI videos and audio.
I chose my presentation category this year because I wanted to do something new and
diIIerent: I wanted to do a project that involved an element oI Iun. The website category allowed
me to do this. I like computers and a website is a great way to display a research project and
involve an element oI interactive Iun that you cannot get with any oI the other categories. In
creating my website I tried to make it as creative and as eye catching as possible. I also tried to
make the website as user-Iriendly and interactive as possible. I tried to incorporate as many
videos, photos, and audio clips as possible while still maintaining a historically accurate, well
organized research project.
The theme oI this year`s National History Day Project was Revolution, Reaction, and
ReIorm in History, my topic Iits very well into this year`s theme. The topic oI the end oI
apartheid relates to revolution because The AIrican National Congress, the anti-apartheid group
in South AIrica, Iought Ior the end oI apartheid. The topic relates to reaction because the events
that Nelson Mandela put into motion in his early years are brought to Iruition in the end oI
apartheid. The topic relates to reIorm because the end oI apartheid itselI is a reIorm in South
AIrica. The topic oI end oI apartheid truly relates to this year`s NHD theme in all aspects.