Shortly after African National Congress Leader Govan Mbeki was set free this month, a group of his supporters held a rally at Johannesburg's Khotso House, headquarters of a dozen antiapartheid groups. Only a year earlier, white occupants of an apartment house across the street had caused a minor riot at the same spot by tossing flowerpots and other missiles onto the crowd from their balconies. This time curious residents again peered from their balconies, but no one down below thought of ducking. Even though the apartment building is restricted by law to whites only, most of the onlookers were black.
With...