District 6

Tuesday, September 10th. The apartheid government's goal was to classify everyone in South Africa by race. The categories included white, colored (mixed race), native African, Indian and Asian. And individual's status, rights and privileges were defined by your classification. Native Africans had to carry a 'pass' book at all times which identified them and where they lived. Being caught without your pass was punishable by an automatic 3 to 6 month jail sentence.
Certain areas inhabited by non whites could be classified as white areas and those living there forced to move. This was the case with District 6 in 1966. The residents were moved to an area outside the city and their houses destroyed. One of the bulldozer operators collected and saved the street signs as the houses were demolished.
Later the street signs became the genesis of a District 6 museum. At the first exhibit,  a grid of the area that had been razed was displayed on the floor and the former residents were invited to write their names and make comments on the spots where they lived or at other locations important in their lives.
Overtime, residents came forward with all kinds of memorabilia for the museum, making it a continuing work in progress.
There was a presentation the evening we visited by an author who had written a biography of a former resident, Richard Rive, a writer and teacher who was born in District 6. The highlight of the evening was a dramatic recreation of one of Rive's short stories about Christmas in the District.
The photos show the display of the street signs and an artist's presentation of the classification of races.