Sophiatown is a a suburb of Johannesburg. Sophiatown was initially established as a white neighbourhood, but by the 1920s it had become the most racially diverse part of the city. Between the 1920s and the 1950s, Sophiatown was renown for its cultural vibrancy and nicknamed the Chicago of South Africa. The suburb was home to many of South Africa's most renown artists and activists, including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.<BR> <BR> Sophiatown's multiracial community defied the increasing attempts by the South African government to impose its vision of strict racial segregation over the country. In the early 1950s, facing a lack of housing for working class whites, the South African government forcibly evicted the inhabitants of Sophiatown and demolished the neighbourhood. The previous residents were moved to townships some distance away from the city. <BR> <BR> Today, this event is remembered as one of the most notorious crimes of the apartheid South African government. After it's demolition, a new suburb called 'Triomf' (the Afrikaans word for 'Triumph') was built in its place. The suburb's name was restored to Sophiatown in 2006.