Located on the outskirts of Johannesburg, Soweto is a large group of townships. The word Soweto is actually an acronym: South West Townships.

In the 1930s, black mine workers occupied many townships surrounding Johannesburg. The first of the townships that began forming Soweto was Pimville in 1934. Today, approximately one million people and close to 30 townships make up the sprawling area of Soweto.

Many residents of Soweto were key figures in the anti-Apartheid movement. I toured the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, where people would congregate to share political ideas and discuss ways to end Apartheid. Another stop, and most memorable, was the Hector Pieterson Memorial on Vilakazi Street. It was here, in 1976, students took a stand that cued the eventual fall of the Apartheid regime.

In 1974, the National Party instated the Afrikaans Medium Decree, designating that many school subjects be taught in this language of the white South Africans. By 1976, frustrated black students decided to unite and publicly condemn the unjust laws of their oppression with a peaceful march on June 16th.

What began as a non-violent demonstration quickly turned deadly. Police began shooting at the students, as they marched through the townships. Thirteen year-old Hector Pieterson died on Vilakazi Street, becoming the first of many casualties in the Soweto Uprising.

News of the Soweto Uprising and the subsequent carnage spread like wildfire around the world, causing international pressure on the South African government to end Apartheid. Hector’s image became iconic of the struggle, and his memorial on Vilakazi Street is a sad but hopeful reminder of the number of young, courageous people who died in the fight for equality.

Vilakazi Street is also significant for its two former residents, two Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. These two men spent most of their lives fighting Apartheid, the former became the first black president of the country.

Today, Soweto is a popular tourist destination for visitors learning about the history of the struggle. Though I saw many modest tin shacks, I also drove past large houses of those who, their despite success, continue to stay in the townships. Soweto was and continues to be a trend-setting hub in South Africa.

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