re: #278 HappyWarrior

I never knew your mom was South African. I remember learning about Apartheid in high school watching Cry Freedom and it just made me so sad knowing that our government’s policy was supporting that regime.

As pressure mounted against South Africa’s apartheid regime in the USA, Congress passed a sanctions bill against that nation. President Reagan vetoed the bill, which Congress overrode.

The USA avoided criticism of South Africa at first because of Jim Crow here.

In 1960 the USA banned arms exports after the Sharpsville Massacre, and in 1964 the US Navy discontinued port visits. (My father was in the Navy and made a trip to South Africa before the Navy ceased such operations.)

The USA’s history with South Africa is a bit complicated (like most foreign affairs), a summary can be found a Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org