What were the major differences between South African apartheid and American segregation?

Question

Moreover, why wasn’t the United States blackballed on a global scale for segregation the way South Africa was for apartheid?

In: 212

Answer 1

South Africa had a huge majority population of ethic black people going back centuries. They weren’t imported as slaves, they were the original inhabitants. They were conquered and as good as enslaved by European settlers, first the Dutch (Boer) and then the British. Their tribal lands were stolen. It was literally a small white ruling class dominating a majority black working class. American segregation comes more subtly. Poor whites, encouraged by rich whites and churches, held black minorities in disdain instead of seeing them as fellow sufferers. A divide and conquer scenario.