1980: In South Africa, black and colored citizens make up 75 percent of the total population.

Today: In South Africa, black and colored citizens still make up 75 percent of the population.

1980: Apartheid is the official government policy of racial segregation in South Africa. This policy calls for harsh divisions between the races, adversely affecting the economic, political, and social lives of black and colored South Africans.

Today: While some black and colored South Africans enjoy a standard of living previously enjoyed only by whites, the majority continue to live in the townships established during apartheid. These townships consist of run-down, single-story dwellings—often shacks—built very close together. Other non-whites live in even worse conditions to be closer to the cities in which they work.

1980: Race is the central issue in South African politics. Apartheid creates sharp lines of political and social division, and...