April 27, 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation from 1948 through 1994. Apartheid became an international issue and a prominent topic for human rights activists around the world and in South Africa. Apartheid famously came to an end with the election of Nelson Mandela to South Africa’s presidency in 1994.
Throughout its existence apartheid inspired a lot of analysis in the U.S. and is well represented in archival collections here at Brown. The item highlighted in this post, a handbook from The South Africa Catalyst Project is from the Hall Hoag Collection of Extremist and Dissenting Propaganda. The South Africa Catalyst Project was formed in 1977 in Palo Alto, California. The SACP focused on the investment policies of Stanford University and in turn US investment policies in apartheid South Africa. They aimed to pressure organizations that were financially supportive of South Africa to change their policies and put an end to apartheid. Under the leadership of Chris Hables Graym the SACP also provided information and tips for others attempting to start groups in their own universities and communities. The group disbanded in 1982. The handbook includes: background on apartheid, the history of the student movement, case studies, approaches for stopping apartheid, lists of companies investing in the pro-apartheid government and lists of organizations working to stop apartheid.
The Gordon Hall and Grace Hoag Collection of Dissenting and Extremist Printed Propaganda contains printed organizational literature (largely pamphlets and leaflets), with smaller numbers of photos, audio–visual items, manuscripts, and monographs published by fringe and extreme groups from the right and the left. The Hall Hoag Collection spans the political spectrum and constitutes the country’s largest research collection of right and left wing U.S. extremist groups in the 20th century.
More information about: the Hall-Hoag Collection.
More information about: The South Africa Catalyst Project.