1960 – African National Congress (ANC) Banned in South Africa

On June 16, 1960, following the Sharpeville Massacre in March of that year, South Africa’s apartheid government officially banned the African National Congress (ANC), the primary political organization fighting for Black liberation. The ban forced the ANC underground and marked a shift from nonviolent protest to armed resistance, eventually leading to the formation of its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. Key leaders like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo were driven into exile or imprisoned. The ban remained in effect until 1990, when it was lifted as part of the negotiations to end apartheid. June 16, already significant for the later Soweto Uprising, also symbolizes a moment of repression that led to global solidarity movements. The silencing of the ANC helped galvanize international boycotts and sanctions, making the organization a symbol of resistance and Black political perseverance in the face of state-sponsored racial oppression.