Annotated Timeline

Cry, the Beloved Country was published in 1948 just before the elections. The Nationalist party that no one expected to win passed the apartheid laws--the legal separation of races. Clearly, though, racial inequities existed in South Africa long before apartheid began, and the novel shows this--all apartheid did was legalize the racism that already existed. The relevance for Americans is obvious, since legal segregation existed here as well: those laws are known collectively as "Jim Crow." Thus, the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the fight for Civil Rights here in America are quite similar. For this assignment, I'd like you to compare the crusade against apartheid in South Africa with segregation in the southern United States.

Ye Olde Basic Instructions:
1. Follow the links below and TAKE COPIOUS NOTES.
2. Create an annotated timeline that highlights significant folks and events in the the anti-apartheid and civil rights movements. Start with the publication of Cry, the Beloved Country and finish in the present.
3. When you're finished, brag about how KEWL yours is compared to everyone else's. (Make sure it actually IS kewl first...)
4. Write a 1-2 page typed analysis of the movements, supporting your ideas with information gleaned from the excellent sites you've searched.

Ye Olde Detailed Instructions:
1. Visit them thar sites below. They're pretty swell. You'll need to note the important folks and events and explain WHY they're significant. As ye go, make those connections that I value so highly: how are they similar? How are they different? How does it all fit in the cosmic scheme of things?
2. Write yourself some annotations.
        Q: Dude. What's an annotation?
        A: It's a brief blurb in your own words describing the significance of a given person or event.
3. Make some visual decisions. South Africa's and America's histories, while parallel, should be represented in different colors: there's only ONE timeline, but you'll need to differentiate betwixt the two countries. Visual clues like that will (hopefully) prevent confusion. Especially mine.
4. Now plan your design.
It need not be a straight line.
Dude, be creative!
Wow, that was a haiku! Seriously--your timeline should be visually appealing as well as informative. Don't be afraid of color coding, pictures, illustrations, papier-mache constructs, orchestrated soundtracks, guest appearances by Nelson Mandela, etc. Do this whole thing on butcher paper or get yourself some poster board. Remember, Gentle Friend, that pencil is evil.
5. See #4 of Ye Olde Basic Instructions. I will give you more details in class.

Notes for Those with Grade Anxiety:
1. Calm down. Channel Gandhi. You'll be fine.
2.  Your timeline must include annotations that explain the significance of the folks and events you've listed. Your OWN WORDS are what I want--not the words from a web site. It must also have an original design that includes illustrations. Ten million extra credit if you can get Nelson Mandela here.
3. Your paper must include Works Cited and be flawless. EASY STUFF! =)

HAVE FUN! HOPE YOU LEARN OODLES!



CIVIL RIGHTS
Civil Rights Movement--Library of Congress
American Segregation and Jim Crow laws
Martin Luther King, Jr. Page
The Movement

Anti-Apartheid
History of Apartheid in South Africa
Historical Overview of the New South African Constitution
Interactive South African Timeline