WHO: Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress (ANC), imprisoned for 27 years for sabotage against apartheid.

WHAT: Advocated nonviolent and armed resistance to apartheid.

WHERE: South Africa; most notably Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Robben Island.

WHEN: Key moment: Rivonia Trial, 1964.

WHY: Fought for equal rights and an end to apartheid rule.

Who:

• Key defendants: Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists, all members of the African National Congress (ANC) and its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe.

What:

• Trial of anti-apartheid leaders charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government.

• Named after Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, where police discovered documents linking the accused to armed resistance.

Where:

• Held in Pretoria, South Africa.

When:

• October 1963 – June 1964.

Why:

• The apartheid government aimed to crush internal resistance by sentencing prominent leaders to life imprisonment.

• Mandela and others admitted to sabotage but denied terrorism or intent to harm civilians, arguing they were fighting for justice and equality.

Significance:

• Mandela’s famous closing statement: “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” captured global attention.

• The trial ended with life sentences for eight of the accused, including Mandela.

• International outcry and increased pressure on the apartheid regime followed the trial.

WHO: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, prominent anti-apartheid cleric and human rights advocate.

WHAT: Spoke out internationally against apartheid, promoted peaceful resistance and reconciliation.

WHERE: South Africa, particularly active in Cape Town and through the Anglican Church.

WHEN: 1970s through 1990s.

WHY: Believed moral leadership and nonviolence could dismantle systemic racism.

WHO: Thousands of Black South African students.

WHAT: Protested mandatory education in Afrikaans.

WHERE: Soweto township, near Johannesburg.

WHEN: June 16, 1976.

WHY: Afrikaans was viewed as the language of the oppressor; students demanded to learn in their native languages.

WHO: Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist and founder of the Black Consciousness Movement.

WHAT: Promoted psychological liberation, pride, and identity among Black South Africans.

WHERE: Eastern Cape and national influence through student organizations.

WHEN: Active in the early to mid-1970s until his death in police custody in 1977.

WHY: Believed Black people needed to overcome internalized oppression to fight apartheid.

WHO: 5,000–7,000 Black protesters, South African police.

WHAT: Protest against pass laws ended in police firing into a crowd.

WHERE: Sharpeville, a township south of Johannesburg.

WHEN: March 21, 1960.

WHY: Protesters challenged the pass laws requiring Black South Africans to carry internal passports.