CHALLENGING THESTATUS QUO: YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN IN BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS COMMUNITY WORK, 1970s SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

Young activists who took part in South Africa's Black Consciousness movement challenged the apartheidstatus quowith their bold calls for black psychological liberation. This article uses new evidence to elucidate the work these youthful activists did in health and economic projects in the rural Eastern Cape that, in part, upheld certain customs. The article also brings young professional women into the history of African youth, arguing that the involvement of professional black female activists changed the way activists and villagers perceived the abilities and roles of young black women.

Reimagining university–community engagement

“…South Africa has a long history of student involvement -often supported by academicsin community struggles. Instances include the Cape Peninsula Students Union in the late 50s (Alexander 2013) the Black Community Programmes initiated by members of the South African Students Organisation in the 70s (Rambally 1977;Hadfield 2017) and student involvement from "liberal" universities in establishing support groups for Black workers such as the Institute for Industrial Education in Durban and the Industrial Aid Society in Johannesburg (Vally, Bofelo, and Treat 2013).…”

The everyday politics of being a student in South Africa: A history

“…Other scholars have highlighted the influence of radical Christianity both in generating the ideals of 1971 (Macqueen, ,b; Magaziner, ), and in keeping these ideals alive after 1976 (Hadfield, ). Young women and Christian networks were indeed especially important at the grassroots (Hadfield, ). Apartheid officials generally paid more attention to male‐led protests than to female‐led development projects, thanks to a long history of seeing Black men as the primary political threats (Healy‐Clancy, ).…”