March 21 commemorates Sharpeville shootings, points to more work ahead

The 1960 killing of 69 peaceful protesters by South African police led to the 1973 recognition by the United Nations of March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In his now famous statement at his 1964 trial, Nelson Mandela set out his vision of a society free of racism – and what he was willing to do to attain that vision:

"I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve, but if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Much has changed in South Africa since Mandela’s trial and imprisonment, and much has changed elsewhere. But while South Africa has put apartheid behind it and the US has its first African-American president, there remains much to be done. In Canada, racially visible persons continue to face problems in important areas such as the labour market, and First Nations/Métis/Inuit peoples continue to struggle for adequate housing. March 21 sends the message that more work is needed if we are to reach Mandela’s vision.