International Race Relations Day 2023: Date, History, Facts

On March 21, we observe International Race Relations Day. This date was chosen to commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960. At least 69 black South Africans, including 10 children, were killed during this peaceful protest against the Apartheid Pass Laws. Immediately after the massacre, Time magazine described the Pass Laws as “almost a physical shackle” in one of its issues. In the wake of the tragedy, the U.N. General Assembly urged the international community to unite in order to end such calamities.

The background of International Race Relations Day

International Race Relations Day commemorates the deaths that occurred in Sharpeville in 1960. In 1979, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a week of solidarity for the victims of this ethnic intolerance. Since then, this week has been observed to encourage various communities and nations to intensify their efforts to prevent racial and ethnic conflicts.

1998 saw an official evaluation of the massacre’s specifics based on the findings of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. According to the commission’s report, police opened fire on an unarmed group of protesters against the Apartheid laws. In addition to the fatalities, more than 300 people were injured during the assault. After approximately 34 years, the apartheid system in South Africa was officially abolished. At the same time, discriminatory practices and laws have been abolished in a number of nations across the globe. In 2001, in Durban, South Africa, the World Conference against Racism was convened. Here, world leaders adopted an action-oriented document addressing issues such as xenophobia and recommending concrete measures to combat racism.

However, there are a great number of other regions and communities where certain ethnic groups face injustice. This holiday highlights the significance of recognizing cultural diversity. Today, educational institutions throughout the United States use diversity as one of their primary selection criteria.

Since the globe Conference against Racism in Durban in 2001, governments and organizations from around the globe gathered in 2021 to assess the progress made by various nations towards the eradication of racism. Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized the need for nations to continue fighting racial intolerance as a united front.

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5 IMPORTANT FACTS REGARDING RACE RELATIONS

In 2003, New Zealand first observed International Race Relations Day with the theme “Hands Up for Kiwis of Every Race and Place.”

88% of police stops in New York City in 2018 involved black and Latino individuals, and nearly 70% of them were entirely innocent, according to a 2018 survey.

In the early 1980s, only 43% of Americans supported interracial marriages, but by 2021, this percentage had risen to 79%.

A line from one of the tracks in Disney’s “Aladdin” was changed so as not to offend Arabs.

It is believed that the racist slur “honkies” originated in Chicago’s meatpacking facilities.

INTERNATIONAL RACE RELATIONS DAY DATES