The struggle to free South Africa from its apartheid shackles was long and complex. One of the many ways in which the apartheid regime maintained its stranglehold in South Africa was by controlling the freedom of speech and the flow of information in an effort to silence the voices of those who opposed it. United by the ideals of freedom and equality but also nuanced by a wide variety of persuasions, the voices of liberation were many: African nationalists, communists, trade unionists, pan-Africanists, English liberals, human rights activists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Jews, to name but a few.
The struggle to free South Africa from its apartheid shackles was long and complex. One of the many ways in which the apartheid regime maintained its stranglehold in South Africa was by controlling the freedom of speech and the flow of information in an effort to silence the voices of those who opposed it. United by the ideals of freedom and equality but also nuanced by a wide variety of persuasions, the voices of liberation were many: African nationalists, communists, trade unionists, pan-Africanists, English liberals, human rights activists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Jews, to name but a few. The Voices of Liberation series ensures that the debates and values that shaped the liberation movement are not lost. The series offers a unique combination of biographical information with selections from original speeches and writings in each volume. By providing access to the thoughts and writings of some of the many men and women who fought for the dismantling of apartheid, this series invites the contemporary reader to engage directly with the rich history of the struggle for democracy. This volume presents a brief biography of Ruth First, followed by a selection of her writings as a political activist, scholar, and journalist. The book also presents a timeline summary of significant events in Ruth's life within the context of major socio-political events of the time. It concludes with a reflection on her legacy from a current perspective and offers a further reading list.
HER LIFE
Early years
University
The Congress Alliance
Life in exile
HER WRITING
Africans turned off the land
Pretoria conquered by the women!
Pass books for women issued in Winburg
Alexandra: where the pass laws breed murder
The new slavery
Tens of thousands flock to Mai Mai daily
Anti-pass protests shake the land
Potato boycott launched
Farm slave scheme cracks
In the presence of history
South Africa today
Our duty as we see it
From the Freedom Charter to armed struggle
After Soweto: a response
Revolutionary propaganda at home and abroad: discussion guide note
The gold of migrant labour
Gentlemen and officers
The cell
HER LEGACY
Bibliography
Photo credits