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Anti-Apartheid Solidarity

This collection contains materials from Bay Area anti-apartheid movements of the 1980s originating from various sources,primarily Bay Area-based South African solidarity groups. Generally, materials in this collection focus on raising awareness of conditions in South Africa under apartheid and promoting local demonstrations and other expressions of solidarity and resistance against the apartheid regime.

Many materials in this collection focus on local divestment movements, calling for direct actions and/or raising awareness of U.S. corporate/municipal investment in South Africa.Divestment was a tactic used to protest the apartheid regime, primarily accomplished by appealing to universities, local/state governments, and companies to disinvest funds from South Africa, and further, to boycott corporations which continued to invest in South Africa. American oil and technology companies were particularly scrutinized by activists. One such company was IBM, whose significant collaboration with the apartheid regime is detailed in several of the materials in this collection. The American divestment campaign against apartheid gained substantial traction in the 1980s, particularly on college campuses – the University of California system withdrew a total of $3 billion worth of investments from South Africa. Another Bay Area anti-apartheid campaign represented in this collection centers around South African Airways, “the unofficial South African consulate,” which maintained services and whose presence was protested in San Francisco and in airports across the country.

This collection also contains materials on theAnti-Springbok-5, in particular regarding their illegal detainment, charges,and trial for their acts of solidarity and resistance against South African apartheid. The Anti-Springbok-5 were five anti-imperialists who were arrested while protesting the American tour of the Springboks, the all-white South African national rugby team whose members served as representativesof the apartheid regime. Overall, the materials in this collection represent asmall subset of international anti-apartheid solidarity movements. Ultimately, a combination of this external pressure and internal resistance led to the defeat of apartheid in 1994.

Documents

Emergency Demonstration Emergency Demonstration
Publisher: Campaign to Shut Down South African Airways, Freedom Rising Africa Solidarity CommitteeDate: 8/17/1985Volume Number: 17-AugFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Calling for demonstration in San Francisco against South African Airways
You Have Touched the Women, You Have Struck a Rock You Have Touched the Women, You Have Struck a Rock
Publisher: Women Against ImperialismFormat: MonographCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
One-page publication explaining South African women's struggles
A Call to Action A Call to Action
Publisher: Bay Area Free South Africa MovementDate: 3/8/1985Volume Number: 8-MarFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
On International Women's Day, a ceremonial passbook burning and film "You Have Struck A Rock"
Communique #8: Bombing of IBM Offices, N.Y. Communique #8: Bombing of IBM Offices, N.Y.
Publisher: United Freedom FrontDate: 3/19/1984Volume Number: 19-MarFormat: CommuniqueCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
UFF takes responsibility for bombing IBM at 3000 Westchester Ave. in a northern suburb of NYC because of IBM's collaboration with South African government
Memorial to a Freedom Fighter, Pokela: Leader of the P.A.C. 1922-1985 Memorial to a Freedom Fighter, Pokela: Leader of the P.A.C. 1922-1985
Publisher: Pan Africanist Congress of AzaniaDate: 8/4/1985Volume Number: 4-AugFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Memorial ceremony
American Steel Jobs and South Africa American Steel Jobs and South Africa
Authors: Carole Collins, Kevin Danaher, Frank Mont, Melissa Pullins, Jean Sindab, Kenneth ZinnPublisher: United Steelworkers of America and the Washington Office on Africa Educational FundDate: 9/1984Volume Number: SeptemberFormat: PamphletCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
"How U.S. support for South Africa affects your community
Azanian Women Fighting Racist South Africa Azanian Women Fighting Racist South Africa
Publisher: Freedom Rising! Africa Solidarity CommitteeDate: 8/17/1984Volume Number: 17-AugFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Event to celebrate International Day (August 9th) of Solidarity with the Struggle of Women in South Africa; speaker Ethel Mogadi, Women's Cooridnator, Europe Pan Africanist Congress of Azania; poetry from Black Pearl t.w.m.p.; African dance by Kusema Vijiti Institute
The Struggle in South Africa Today The Struggle in South Africa Today
Publisher: Southern Africa Freedom Committee--All-Peoples CongressDate: 3/23/1984Volume Number: 23-MarFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Event featuring Monica Moorehead, national coordinator of People's Anti-War Mobilization and delegate to 1980 International Conference on South African Women-Canada; 1984 declared Year of the Women of South Africa and 24th anniversary of Sharpeville Massacre
Crossroads/Berkeley Crossroads/Berkeley
Publisher: Freedom Rising! Africa Solidarity CommitteeFormat: MonographCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Re: cops attacking Berkeley "shantytown"
Boycott The Gods Must Be Crazy Boycott The Gods Must Be Crazy
Publisher: Art Against ApartheidFormat: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Calling for picketing of film at UA Theater in Berkeley and Vogue Theater in San Francisco