June 16 to Today: Voices Against Injustice

Just as the sun rises each morning and sets each evening, the inevitable is upon us. Society is tipping into a critical state. Inequality is growing, democracies are swerving to the extreme right, the environment is collapsing, and the social and political quandaries of today are bigger than ever. Some would say we are moving backwards, with violence and injustice becoming customary, while equality and empathy slowly disappear. 

Tragically, countless communities are facing unimaginable conditions. War is breaking out, and while some possess the privilege of remaining unaffected, others suffer its reality. Famine, destruction, oppression, discrimination. Victims’ voices are being silenced. Their conditions, inhumane. We need leaders and organizations to confront these crises, but more than that, we need individuals across the world to rise for those who cannot fight for themselves. We need you.

Let’s go back in time–

South Africa, the 1970s: the height of Apartheid. 

Derived from the Afrikaans word for “apartness” or "separateness", Apartheid refers to the dehumanizing system that kept power and wealth in white minority hands while denying basic human rights to the Black majority. South Africans were classified into racial groups: White, Black, Coloured, and Indian/Asian. Countless laws enforced this separation. 

One, the Bantu Education Act of 1953, created a separate, inferior school system for Black students. These schools were underfunded, overcrowded, and designed to funnel students into low-paying, unskilled labour. More than that, it forced students to learn in Afrikaans, the oppressors’ language.

Then came June 16, 1976: The Soweto Uprising

That morning, in a town located just outside Johannesburg, 10,000 to 20,000 students marched in the streets. They protested against the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools, carrying signs that read “Down with Afrikaans" and “We want to learn our own language”. They protested peacefully, powerfully. Police responded with tear gas and, later on, live bullets. 

Officially, over 500 youths died that day, the first being 12-year-old Hector Pieterson, who was shot by the police while peacefully marching amongst the crowd. This tragedy is remembered not only for the lives lost but also for the resilience of South Africa’s Black youth, whose defiance marked a significant turning point in the fight against Apartheid. Their courage exposed the brutality of this regime to the world, sparking change and paving the way for liberty against segregation. 

Figure 1

Hector Pieterson was rushed to the hospital by a fellow student and his sister. 

© Sam Nzima

I share this with you to remind you of the power that we, young people, hold in the fight against injustice. Today we face crises on every front–social, environmental, and political. The world needs youth resistance to challenge the systems and policies that allow inequality and injustice to persist. 

Be the resistance. 

Take a look at the massive youth-led protests of today: Nepal, whose government collapsed under the collective action of students, recent graduates, and young workers, all demanding change and an end to the corrupt leaders. Madagascar, where the Gen Z citizens shared a vision of justice and took to the streets, leading to the resignation of their president. Or the July Mass Uprising in Bangladesh, which remained a student movement for weeks before evolving into a full mass uprising, opposing their prime minister, Hasina. All protests were student-led and resulted in major transformations of governments and power within their country. 

Ultimately, it does not matter how big or small an impact you make. Change does not always begin with a revolution. Not all rebellions are massive or sudden. Sometimes it starts small: standing up for what is right in the classroom, educating yourself and others on important topics, making sustainable choices, and joining a local protest. You are not responsible for solving every problem across the globe, but all it takes is one single act of resistance that can ripple outward. If each of us acts individually, we can create collective change.

And if you happen to spark a revolution, that works too.