Though most nations have bleak histories of racial segregation, South Africa's period of Apartheid took racism to a crueler level. Apartheid was South Africa's 48-year-long period of violent separation of black South Africans from white South Africans. After the election of the nation's first black president, Apartheid officially came to an end. Racism between white and black South Africans however, did not. To repair ties between blacks and whites, the new South African government created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as the Amnesty Commission. At the TRC, Apartheid's victims would publicly speak about their suffering at the hand of white government during the period. At the Amnesty Commission, perpetrators would apologize for their actions, and, if their apologies were accepted, would avoid jail sentences.
Antjie Krog's memoir "Country of My Skull" gives a first hand account of the struggles of the TRC and Amnesty Commissions since their creations. As a white South African journalist reporting from the TRC, Krog listened to thousands of victims' hearings. She also saw first hand the effects of the TRC upon the new South African society.
Krog's experiences of life before, during, and after the TRC make her an expert source of information regarding the TRC, the Amnesty Commission, and the new South African society. Some information within the text was not put into chronological order, making it hard to understand the chain of events. The various names of important committee members and politicians were hard to recall, though Krog included a Glossary of TRC/Amnesty Commission/South African politicians at the end of the book. Despite its faults, Krog's memoir paints a picture of South Africans confronting their cruel past, but creating hopes for a brighter future. "Country of My Skull" beautifully shows that a populace can confront its past, but still retain its humanity and hope for a better future.
-Nelson Mandela
