What was the seweto uprising?

The Soweto Uprising, which began on June 16, 1976, was a series of protests led by South African black school students in the township of Soweto, near Johannesburg. They were protesting against the mandatory use of Afrikaans in schools, which they viewed as oppressive and a symbol of apartheid. The uprising was met with violent police repression, resulting in the deaths of many students, most notably Hector Pieterson, whose image became an iconic representation of the struggle against apartheid. The event galvanized international opposition to apartheid and highlighted the need for systemic change in South Africa.