Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. It was a system implemented by the white minority government in order to maintain their political and economic control over the country. Under apartheid, people were classified into racial groups (White, Black, Colored, and Indian) and were subjected to different rights and privileges based on their race.

Black South Africans were the most oppressed group under apartheid. They were stripped of their rights and forced to live in designated areas known as "homelands" or "townships." They were also subjected to harsh labor practices, limited educational opportunities, and restricted access to basic services such as healthcare and social services.

The apartheid system sparked widespread resistance and activism among Black South Africans, leading to the rise of prominent anti-apartheid leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Steve Biko. The struggle against apartheid culminated in the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990 and the eventual dismantling of the apartheid system in the early 1990s.

In 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections that were open to people of all races, and Nelson Mandela was elected as the country's first Black president. The end of apartheid marked a significant victory for the anti-apartheid movement and set the stage for reconciliation and nation-building in South Africa.