Milena Rhodes
Dr. Brown
English 306
7 March 2016
Rhetorical Analysis paper
The Purple Rain March
In the year of 1989, racial segregation in South Africa was an ongoing issue. South Africans who were not white were segregated politically, economically, socially, and legally. This system and laws of racial segregation are also known as the apartheid. Because of these laws, families were separated and forced to identify themselves separately from their children as either black or white. According to the authors of history.com, a set of laws in favor of the white minority which granted eighty percent of South African land were also passed in support of the apartheid. Now that eighty percent of the country was owned by whites, non whites were forced to carry around paperwork allowing their presence in restricted areas.
Not only were they forced to have proof for their allowance in areas, most black South Africans were forced to sell their land for low value to the country and left in poverty. Along with the passing of that law, came with the establishment of separate public facilities for whites and blacks. These laws caused an uproar in the South African community which lead to many strikes, protests, and resistance to the government. The apartheid resulted in the iconic The Purple Rain March and its revival of the black South African identity and equality.
The Purple Rain Protest also known as the “The Purple March” was an anti apartheid protest for racial equality. Fed up wit the white supremacy in South Africa, those who were not in support of discrimination decided to march on South African parliament. This protest served as an act of civil disobedience towards the government in hope to gain social, political, economical, and legal rights for non whites. This protest took place four days before the elections of parliament in the year of 1989. Protesters chose to conduct the march before the elections to promote social change and their views before votes were submitted.
Although the Purple March has gone down in history as an act of civil disobedience, it did not start off that way. The Cape Town protest was initially conducted peacefully, but was unfortunately taken out of hand by South African police. “The plan backfired, however, when one protester hijacked the nozzle from a police officer and sprayed office buildings and the local headquarters of the ruling National Party” (Everett Rosenfield). This was done for easy identification of protestors so later they could be arrested. In anger, one protester caught a hold of the water cannon from an officer and backfired. This caused the crowd to uproar and follow in example. As a result monumental buildings were now covered in purple paint. Buildings like the Old Town House and the National party headquarters were covered in purple paint and anti apartheid slogans. The phrase “ The Purple Shall Govern” covered the walls of the building and later became the slogan for the anti apartheid activists. “A day after the incident, all over the city in graffiti, were the words, “The Purple Shall Govern;” a play on the words of South Africa’s Freedom Charter, ‘The People Shall Govern.’”(Christina Gibbons.) Although the protest turned violent, the outcome was much greater. Along with the help of the Purple Rain Protest and other acts of protest, the South African government officially ended the apartheid leaving the country with no laws of segregation.
The Purple Rain March is an act of protest both literally and symbolically. Being as though the people of South Africa who did not support the apartheid physically marched the streets of South Africa proves this is an act of protest. However, the march serves as a symbolic protest as well because of the purple dye projected on the walls of the city and the participants in the protest. The overturn of the police violence symbolizes the frustration and anger towards the apartheid laws . This act of civil disobedience displayed how fed up the non whites were with the segregation and discrimination. The non whites of South Africa yearned for the social identity of racial equality. They strived for the same rights as the whites of South Africa, but because of the apartheid laws their racial identity prevented them from doing so. The social identity of racial equality is very important in this protest because it is the whole reason behind the march. Their lack of this identity caused them to feel left out of society and not as important all based off of their skin color.
The identity of racial equality also brought an emotional appeal to the South African people. The rhetorical strategy of pathos correlated very well with this protest and the people behind it. Without the emotion of the protestors, the impact of the march would not have been as great. I feel that the disapproval of the laws of the government drove the people of South Africa to stand up for their rights. Although it is not portrayed as pathos, the protesters’ reactions to the spraying of purple paint appeals to emotion.The protesters who did react to the police violence did so in order to retaliate based off of their personal beliefs. Their feelings towards the apartheid caused the to take a stand against the racially segregated government. Those who protested in a more peaceful way, also appealed to the strategy of pathos. Their actions of sitting on the ground while police are ordering them to move and spraying the paint shows their dedication for their beliefs as well.
Although pathos was the most reoccurring strategy, the ethos was present in the protest as well. The ethical component of the march displayed the ability of the protestors to overturn the government and their racist beliefs. Their persistence and actions from the march showed the government how serious the issue was and that a change needed to be made. This ethical appeal also proved credibility in the protest. If the government did not feel the protest was initiated from a reasonable cause, a change in the law would not have occurred. Without the emotional drive from the South African people , ethos could not be possible. This appeal to emotion and ethics resulted in the persuasion of the government and an official end to segregation in South Africa.
These strategies helped initiate one of the most important protests of equality in history. Without them, the Purple Rain protest would not have made history like it did. The actions of protestors and police caused a worldwide controversy. Without the Purple March, a decision from South African government might not have been made and considered during elections. Not only did The Purple Rain March help end the social injustices of South Africa, but it brought about social change and revived the identity of those who were not of white descent.
Works Cited
Rosenfeld, Everett. "Top 10 Most Influential Protests." Time. Time Inc., 28 June 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Gibbons, Christina. "The Purple Rain Protest." N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Leibenluft, Jacob. "Why Would the Police Spray Protesters with Purple Water?" N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
"Police Action Painting | Greg.org: The Making Of, by Greg Allen." Police Action Painting | Greg.org: The Making Of, by Greg Allen. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
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