Racial segregation in South Africa had been in force for many decades, even before the Apartheid government came into power in 1948. At this time, South Africa was "ruled by a white minority which enforced rigid segregationist laws over the black majority” (1). Due to the apartheid system, black people were excluded from various jobs especially roles of authority and from many professions which included representing the South African nation on an international level. One such example was the national rugby team called the Springboks. As resistance to the segregation laws grew in South Africa, so did the violence in South Africa. In 1960, 69 black protesters were killed in what is now dubbed the Sharpeville Massacre. Later another 236 were killed in the Soweto Riots in 1976. This immense loss of life led to increased pressure from concerned countries around the world, on South Africa, to end its Apartheid policy. Internationally it was decided by a number of nations, especially those in the Commonwealth, to end all contact with South Africa until the policy changed. This included sporting contact.
This depicts a child named Daniel Morgan-Lynch who was one of about 80 child anti-apartheid demonstrators who marched to the South African Consulate. In the background you can see that many of the children probably came straight from school as they appear to still be wearing school uniform and carrying school bags. Daniel and a number of others used stage make-up or paint to blacken or half-blacken their faces to represent the voices of black South African and white South African division. The words on Daniel’s sign read 'But our blood is the same colour' a sentiment shared by many present. Photographed on 8th August 1981 by Evening Post staff photographer Peter Avery. (9)