Lives of Courage: Women for a New South Africa - Softcover

Russell, Diana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0595291392 ISBN 13: 9780595291397

Publisher: iUniverse, 2003

Synopsis

In 1987 and 1988, Dr. Diana Russell journeyed from the United States to the land of her birth to learn about the special role of women in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The fruit of her research is this extraordinary book: the first hand accounts, in their own words, of 24 courageous risk-taking women activists (portraits included). These are not only world-famous leaders like Winnie Mandela and Albertina Sisulu (although their stories are included in the book) but ordinary women who were trade unionists, members of radical organizations, student activists-black and white, African, Indian and Coloured, young and old.Lives of Courage: Women for a New South Africa compellingly dramatizes the little-known role of women who fought apartheid and its cruel apparatus-banning, banishment, house arrest, imprisonment, and torture-even as they strove to keep together their beleaguered families. With rare candor, they speak of the price they and families paid for their activism, of the difficulties of being a woman in a racist and sexist society, of the terrors they had endured, and of the dreams they nourished of a new South Africa. The fighting spirit of these women, their courage and conviction in the face of a modern state's vindictiveness, shines from every page of this inspiring book.

About this title

About the Author:

Diana E. H. Russell, Ph. D., was an Emerita Professor of Sociology at Mills College, Oakland, California, U.S.A., where she taught for 22 years. She is currently self-employed and works full-time on research, writing, consulting, lecturing, and feminist activism. Dr. Russell is the author/co-author/editor/co-editor of 17 books?most of them on sexual violence.

From Publishers Weekly:

Apartheid, argues Russell ( The Politics of Rape) , sociology professor at Mills College in California, is intended to divide not only blacks from whites but all groups and families from each other. Raised in a white, English-speaking South African family, the author, who left at age 20, returned in 1987 to record these 24 moving oral histories of white and black women activist leaders of diverse ages, backgrounds and occupations in their struggles against oppression by the regime and by men. In addition to torture, sexual terrorism and degradation endured during prison terms, many of these women sacrificed motherhood to activism. Such famous leaders as Winnie Mandela, Albertina Sisula and Helen Joseph, among others included here, expect a revolution and stress the need for international pressure. Among those interviewed are members of the banned African National Congress, trade unions and groups primarily concerned with sexism and other feminist issues. These are tales of notable valor. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0595291392
• ISBN 13: 9780595291397
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 412