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You can use this page to email Monica Clarke about Apartheid and Me.
About the Book
Fully illustrated, this book is a fun, easy read for children under 10 years of age, who might not have heard of Apartheid and for those who might not even know the word, especially for those who will be living with its negative repercussions in their lives for a long time to come, and wonder why.
Nangamsa, who is 7 years old, lives with her grandmother in a township in South Africa during Apartheid. Her experience of ‘weird Apartheid,’ as she calls it, is told in her own words through conversations with her Ouma (grandmother).
Through her eyes and language readers, young and old, are introduced to concepts of racial classification and laws such as separate development (Group Areas Act); and prohibition of marriages between white and non-white (Mixed Marriages Act).
This book brings out the clear meaning ‘Apart-hate’, and gives parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss with primary school children the dangers of accepting social practices and laws which attack and erode human rights.
It ends with a brief overview of Apartheid for the information of parents and teachers.
The book is available in Spanish and French.
Print books are available directly from the author:
Apartheid and Me / Apartheid et Moi / El Apartheid y Yo
About the Author
See Website
Monica Clarke was born into Apartheid in South Africa (SA), where for 25 years she was an activist for the liberation movement (ANC). She left SA as a refugee and was granted political asylum in the UK in the early 1980s.
Monica uses her experience to work with excluded communities worldwide, telling her story in classrooms, workplaces and boardrooms.
Monica particularly enjoys presenting at Assemblies in schools
to support the Black History Curriculum
and to give children an opportunity
to question her directly about
what Apartheid South Africa was like.