On the morning of 21 March 1961 police fired on a crowd of Black people killing 69 of them. The incident is known as Sharpeville Massacre, it was one of the first and bloodiest demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa, the policy that sanctioned racial segregation and also required nonwhites to carry documents authorising their presence in restricted areas.
In memory of Sharpeville the United Nations chose 21 March to mark the World Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination proclaiming their strong determination to fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Indeed, the violence of racism has not been eradicated, yet. It manifests itself as indifference, prejudice, anti-Semitism and many other expressions of hatred, including online hate.
The present pandemic has shown us in a dramatic way the unity of humankind and the folly of racism. The Covid crisis has seriously affected the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless, the most marginalised.
Now, more than ever we feel we must fight racism, which can infect our societies, just like a virus. Solidarity and prayer have no borders.
The pandemic has dramatically revealed the unity of humankind and the nonsense of racism.
