Access & Use

Historical Note

The seeds of protest across American campuses were planted long before 1987 when locally the controversy of Apartheid in South Africa made daily headlines in the Albion College campus student newspaper, the Pleaid. On April 7, 1978, there was an editorial printed telling of the Anti-Apartheid events on the Michigan State University campus. MSU trustees voted in favor to divest from companies that were running businesses in South Africa, participating in the Apartheid economy.

At Albion College, the December 10, 1982 Pleaid issue printed a letter to the editor from three members of the Anthropology and Sociology Department: Leonard Berky, Elizabeth Brumfiel, and Allen Roberst, documenting atrocities occurring daily in South Africa. The letters went on to point out the College’s own investments in South Africa’s Apartheid economy. In October of 1985, thirty-two students, faculty, staff and local residents marched through Albion taking part in the NAACP National Day of Mourning Apartheid protest.

On a national level, in September 1985, a resolution was passed that companies with operations in South Africa must subscribe to the Sullivan Principles (voluntary codes of conduct for corporations operating in South Africa, introduced in 1977 by Reverend Leon Sullivan, a former civil rights leader and General Motors Board Member). Albion College stood behind the fact that they only invested in companies that subscribed to the Sullivan Principles.

During the 1987-88 school year, the Apartheid issue and controversy of whether or not the College should pull its investments from South Africa became a heated issue on campus. In February of 1988, the Campus Action Council (CAC) built a shanty in the middle of the quad, to remind people what life was like for the native African population under the Apartheid regime. The CAC did not follow campus policy for this protest, and the shanty was torn down the following Friday.

The new school year of 1988-89 brought new insight to the issue. Over the summer of 1988, the College sent a five-person representative team to South Africa to learn more about the issues surrounding Apartheid. The team consisted of Dr. Frank Frick, Professor of Religion; Justin Sleight, Board of Trustee member; Melvin Vulgamore, Albion College President; Thomas Cochran and Christopher Braund, College seniors. The trip was the first part of a three-step plan by the Board of Trustees of Albion College to address campus-wide concerns over disinvestments. The second part of the plan was to provide more educational programs and lectures on campus that would consider all sides of the issue. The final part of the Trustees' plan was to create a class that would offer an introduction to the issues surrounding the Apartheid question in South Africa.

In the Spring of 1989, the Department of Religion had its curriculum expanded to include the course, "Selected Topics in Religion: Introduction to South Africa". In the October 28, 1988 issue of the Pleaid, Professor Frank Frick, who was to teach the course, said the class “will examine [apartheid] issue from an economic viewpoint, a political viewpoint, and a moral dimension…although the course will not take a position on disinvestments, it will be clearly anti-Apartheid.” In the March 24, 1988 Pleaid issue, another article stated that there were 71 students enrolled in the class, despite the fact that the course was not listed in the College Course catalog, nor did it count for core credit. It is interesting to note that many members of the Trustees attended the class on a regular basis, including President Vulgamore. There were guest speakers, films, and examinations of current news stories. The class was designed to show both sides of the issue and let the students draw their own conclusions.

A survey was conducted on April 3, 1989 by the University of Michigan’s Institute of Social Research of 750 individuals from the student body, faculty and staff concerning their feelings on Apartheid. The survey showed that 60% of the total campus was in favor of disinvestments, with 62.6% of the student body and 74.6% of the faculty supporting it. At the same time, 67.2% of the administrative staff was against pulling the College’s investments out of South Africa. Unfortunately, the results of the survey were not available until after the Trustees made their April 14th decision.

On April 14, 1989, the Board of Trustees of Albion College came together to make their final decision on whether or not to change their investment portfolio. The November before, the CAC petitioned to be allowed to reconstruct their shanty on the Quad. This time they followed procedures and were granted permission. They were allowed to construct their shanty for weeks, so long as they did not build an opening, which would violate city building codes. The building was reconstructed on April 5 behind Robinson Hall to remind the campus and Trustees of the importance of this decision. On the night of the vote, they staged a peaceful protest outside of the building where the Trustees met.\ They stood outside singing and holding a candle light vigil.

The April 21, 1989 Pleaid leads with the headline “Trustees Vote Not to Divest from South Africa. Pledge Five Year Commitment.” At the same time they formed the Committee on South Africa (COSA) to address all of the campus issues dealing with South Africa. The class, "Selected Topics in Religion: Introduction to South Africa", continued to be offered even after the fall of Apartheid when Nelson Mandela was elected and for several years thereafter.  

Scope and Content
The Department of Religion Records - "Selected Topics in Religion: Introduction to South Africa" cover the years 1983-1996. The collection is comprised of the materials that were used to teach the course, including readings and deliverables.

The Collection consists of 4 series:

Series I: Course Packets

Series II: Articles

Series III: Research
Series IV: Audiovisual Materials

Series Description
The arguments and issues discussed in the course, "Selected Topics in Religion: Introduction to South Africa" are reflected in the following series: Course Packets, Articles, Research, and Audiovisual Materials.

The Course Packets series contains the course packets that students used for the class from 1988 to 1995. The series contains articles that students read during the semester, which were periodically updated as events occurred and new issues surfaced in South Africa. The readings are organized by semester and/or assignment week.

 

The Articles series has all the miscellaneous articles that were used in the class but not placed into a course pack. In an attempt to keep up with the issues as they occurred overseas, it was necessary to pull from current publications as supplements to the course pack. Duplicated articles in this portion of the collection were destroyed on September 16, 1999.

 

The Research series contains student Papers that were written for the course. Students did research in groups and collaborated on a paper addressing one issue related to South Africa. For example, in Box 1, Folder 15, there is a paper that addresses "African Misconceptions."

The fourth series, Audiovisual Materials, contains Computer Data and Audiocassette Tapes. The Computer Data contains the results of the April 2, 1989 survey done on the Albion College campus by the University of Michigan. The accompanying letter to Dr. Frank Frick explains the results of the survey. This letter corresponds to the Mainframe computer reel containing the program used in computing the results. The program data can be read on the large computer printout. The Audiocassette Tapes contain several lectures given on campus by people with subject expertise in South Africa. For example, Dr. Meriweather and his wife discuss their experiences in South Africa while residents. Their children attended the same schools as the local children; Mr. Meriweather was a doctor there; and Mrs. Meriweather worked in a nearby village. These lectures are preserved on 2 audiocassettes located in Box 2.

Inventory

BOX 1

Series: Course Packets

Folder 1 : Spring Semester Course IDY 289, 1988-89


• “South Africa in Brief”
• “A Brief Guide to South Africa and Apartheid” by Stephen M. Davis
• “South Africa: From Settlement to Union” by Ernest Harach
• “South Africa: A Chronology of Events”
• “Maps”
• “The South African Wasteland” by Breyten Breytenbach
• “Apartheid: An Evil System” by Bishop Desmond M. Tutu
• “Apartheid: Divine Calling” by D.F. Malan
• “The Ascendancy of Afrikanderdon” by Robert I. Rotberg
• “The Dream Fades” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “South Africa is Reforming Apartheid” by Pieter W. Botha
• “Negotiation is the Way to Eliminate Apartheid” by Mangosuthu Gataha Buthelezi
• “The Erosion of Apartheid” by Kane-Berman
• “The Dismantling of Apartheid” by South African Consulate General
• “Pace of Reform in South Africa”
• “Whole Structure of South African Universities Must Change” by James Moulder
• “The Freedom Charter”
• “Uakonto We Sizwe” (Spear of the Nation)
• “Revolution in the Making: Black Politics in South Africa” by Thomas G. Karis
• “Women in Apartheid Society” by Fatsa Meer
• “A Woman’s Place is in the Struggle, Not Behind Bars”
• “The Kairos Document”
• “Divided Over Apartheid” by Charles Villa-Vicencio
• “Sanctions and Disinvestment” by Methodist Church of Southern Africa
• “The Growth of Union” by MacShane, et al
• “The Black Trade Union Movement” by Steve Friedman
• “Pax Pretoriana: South Africa’s Occupation of Namibia: No End in Sight” by Transafrica
• “Apartheid’s External Wars” by William Minter
• “Apartheid-Blight of Southern Africa” by Friends Committee on National Legislation
• “SADCC: The Southern African Development Coordination Conference” by Fact Sheet
• “The Development of Racial Capitalism” by Davis, et al
• “Economic Growth and Political Change: The South African Case” by Stanley B. Greenberg
• “Anglo-American Corporation” by John Howley
• “South African Trade Now Led by Japan” by John Howley
• “Why Bothabomics Doesn’t Add Up: Apartheid Equals Poverty” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “Short Term-ism as an Endemic Market Failure in South Africa” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “A New Fiscal Policy and Economic Philosophy for South Africa in Transition” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “U.S. Policy Toward Apartheid: From Truman to Ford” by Thomas G. Karis
• “The Carter Years: Option Two with Liberal Clothing” by Robert Fatton, Jr.
• “The Conservative World View” by Robert Fatton, Jr.
• “In Defense of American Policy” by Chester A. Crocker
• “Why Constructive Engagement Failed” by Sanford Ungar and Peter Vale
• “Don’t Push South Africa to the Wall” by Karen Elliott House
• “The Strategic Importance of South Africa” by Larry Bowman
• “U.S. Policy Should be Based on Its Strategic Interests in South Africa” by Steve Salerno
• “The U.S. Does Not Have Strategic Interests in South Africa” by Robert B. Shepard
• “US. Policy Toward South Africa” by Congressional Digest
• “The Sullivan Principals: A Critique” by Elizabeth Schmidt
• “Western Companies Should Invest in South Africa” by Swiss Foreign Commerce Bank
• “Kellogg in South Africa”
• “The U.S. and Apartheid: Two View” by Sullivan and Dulgnan
• “Signatory Companies in South Africa” by Rudd
• “They’re Getting out of South Africa” by Neal Templin – USA Today
• “Is There a Role for U.S. Business in South Africa?” by S.J. Terreblanche
• “South Africa: The Case for Sanctions” by William Minter
• “The Costs of Divestment” by Gavin Relly
• “University Investments and South Africa” by Princeton University
• “Summary of Report on Matters Related to the Republic of South Africa” by Princeton University
• “Race for South Africa” by Paul Johnson
• “Sullivan’s Principles and Apartheid’s Practice” by Donald Kiselaan
• “House Approves Divestment Bill” by Dennis B. Mulqueen
• “U.S. Goods in South Africa: Little Impact of Divestiture” by John D. Battersby
• “South Africa Free Investment” by Dollars and Sense
• “Resolutions in Southern Africa” by General Conference of the United Methodist Church
• “Guidelines for Divestment”
• “Questions and Answers on Divestment” by The Africa Fund
• “The U.N. Against Apartheid” by Michael J. Berlin
• “Seven Scenarios for South Africa” by Robert I. Rothberg
  
   Folder 2 : Fall Semester Course IDY 220, 1990
  
  
• “South Africa: A Chronology of Principal Events”
• “A Brief Guide to South Africa and Apartheid” by Stephen M. Davis
• “How to View the Situation in South Africa”
• “South Africa: A Moral Concern and Educational Challenge” by Frank F. Frick
• “Maps”
• “Geology and Mineral Deposits of South Africa” by Tim Lincoln
• “The Origins and Entrenchment of European Dominance at the Cape 1652” by Richard Elphick and Hermann Giliomee
• “South Africa: From Settlement to Union” Ernest Harsch
• “Apartheid: Divine Calling” by D.F. Malan
• “The Ascendancy of Afrikanerdom” by Robert I. Rotberg
• “A Woman’s Place is in the Struggle, Not Behind Bars!”
• “African Woman’s Day”
• “Women in Apartheid Society” by Fatima Meer
• “A Bit in the Side? Gender Struggles in the Politics of Transformation in South Africa” by Shireen Hassim, Jo Metelerkamp and Alison Todes
• “Fud-u-u-a!” by Miriam Tlali
• “Divided over Apartheid” by Charles Villa-Vicencio
• “Challenge to the Church – The Kairos Document”
• “Some Thoughts on Sanctions” by Michael Corke
• “Sanctions and Disinvestment” by Methodist Church of Southern Africa
• “Afrikaner Church Calls Apartheid Sin”
• “Homelands: Failure of the Dreaming Mind”
• “Ethics, Medicine and Health in South Africa” by Solomon R. Benatar
• “Segregated Education in South Africa” by Mkhize Timothy Mashinini
• “Raging Inequality” by Christopher Wren
• “A Critical Mass of Educated Blacks is the Key to Social and Political Progress in South Africa” by Jean Mayer
• “Whole Structures of SA Universities Will Have to Change” by James Moulder
• “Similarities and Differences in the U.S. and South African Civil Rights Struggles” by James D. Orten
• “The Erosion of Apartheid” by John Kane-Berman
• “The Dream Fades” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “South Africa Reforming Apartheid” by Pieter W. Botha
• “Negotiation is the Way to Eliminate Apartheid” by Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi
• “The Dismantling of Apartheid” by South African Consulate-General
• “Pace of Reform”
• “The Freedom Charter”
• “Umkonto We Sizwe” (Spear of the Nation)
• “Revolution in the Making: Black Politics in South Africa” by Thomas G. Karis
• “The Growth of Unions” by Denis MacShane, Martin Plaut and David Ward
• “The Black Trade Union Movement” by Steve Friedman
• “The Development of Racial Capitalism” by Robert Davies, Dan O’Meara and Sipho Dlamini
• “Economic Growth and Political Change: The South African Case” by Stanley B. Greenberg
• “Anglo-American Corporation” by John Howley
• “Short Term-ism as an Endemic Market Failure in South Africa” by Sampie Terreblanche
• “A New Fiscal Policy and Economic Policy for South Africa in Transition”
• “U.S. Policy Toward Apartheid: From Truman to Ford” by Thomas G. Karis
• “The Carter Years: Option Two with Liberal Clothing” by Robert Fatton, Jr.
• “Why Constructive Engagement Failed” by Sanford Ungar and Peter Vale
• “U.S. Policy Towards South Africa” by Congressional Digest
• “The Sullivan Principles” by Reverend Leon Sullivan
• “Rev. Leon Sullivan and the Divestment Movement: Rev. Leon Sullivan’s 6/3/87 Statement”
• “The Sullivan Principles: A Critique” by Elizabeth Schmidt
• “Western Companies Should Invest in South Africa” by Swiss Foreign Commerce Bank
• “The U.S. and Apartheid: Two View” by Leon W. Sullivan and Peter Duigan
• “Kellogg in South Africa”
• “South Africa: Strait Talk on Sanctions” by William Minter
• “Sanctions: Do They Work” by Janice Love
• “South Africa: The Case for Sanctions” by Howard Wolpe
• “Structural Violence and Economic Sanctions” by Michael Corke
• “The Violence of the South African People: A Survey of South Africans on the Subject of Sanctions and Foreign Corporate Disinvestment” by the Gallup Organization
• “Upside Down in Angola” by Michael Massing
• “Apartheid’s External Wards” by William Minter
• “Apartheid: Blight of Southern Africa” by Friends Committee on National Legislation
• “SADCC: The Southern African Development Coordination Conference” by Washington Office on Africa Educational Fund
• “Southern Africa: Eight Years Later” by Chester Crocker
• “Namibia: Opening a New Chapter” by Mark Verbaan
• “The Rivonia Trail Speech to the Court” by Nelson Mandela
• “Umkonto We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation)”
• “The Mandela Document: The Full Text of the Document Presented by Nelson Mandela to P.W. Botha, July 1989”
• “A Reporter at Large” by Raymond Bonner
• “Address by State President F.W. de Klerk, DMS, at the Opening of the Second Session of he Ninth Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Friday 2, February 1990” by F.W. de Klerk
• “Nelson Mandela: Symbol and Sire of South African Freedom” by Frank F. Frick
• “Transcript of the Donahue Show, March 2, 1990” by Phil Donahue and Nelson Mandela
• “Rich and Poor Canton” by Frances Kendall and Leon Louw
  
   Folder 3 : Spring Semester Course IDY 220, 1992
  
  
• Introductory Material
• “Recognizing Ethnocentrism”
• “Between the Races: A Parable” by Marable
• “A Dry White Season”
• Maps
• “South Africa: Statistical Profile”
• “A Statistical Comparison of South Africa and the U.S.”
• “Major Black African Ethnic Groups in South Africa”
• “African Language Groups in South Africa”
• “A Brief Guide to South Africa and Apartheid” by Davis
• “Mineral Wealth”
• “South Africa and the Critical Minerals”
• “The Strategic Minerals in Southern Africa: Location and Transportation”
• “South Africa: A Chronology of Principal Events (Through April 1990)”
• “Frontline – Apartheid: Part 1 Early European Settlement”
• “Frontline – Apartheid: Part 2 1948-1963”
• “Frontline – Apartheid: Part 3 1963-1977”
• “Frontline – Apartheid: Part 4 1977-1986”
• “Albion College and South Africa”
• “Albion College and South Africa: A Proposal” by Braund, Cochrane, Sleight and Vulgamore
• “Statement of Trustees of Albion College on the Divestment Issue, April 15, 1989”
• “Albion College’s South Africa Initiatives: A Summary” by Frank Frick
• “South Africa: Moral Concern and Educational Challenge” by Frank Frick
• “Principal Arguments for and Against Divestment” by Albion College South Africa Study Team
• “A Case for Divestment” by Frank Frick
• “South Africa: Economics, Sanctions and the Divestment Movement”
• “A Chronology of U.S.-South African Relations”
• “The Erosion of Apartheid” by Kane-Berman
• “South Africa: The Case for Sanctions” by Wolpe
• “Report to the Congress Pursuant to Section 501 of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986” by Bush
• “Facts and Figures of South Africa: Twelve Frequently Asked Questions” by IRRC
• “South Africa: Movements, Leaders and Institutions”
• “Revolution in the Making: Black Politics in South Africa” by Karis
• “South African Trade Unions: A Historical Account, 1970-90” by Barrett and Mullins
• “Into the Crucible of Fire: The Church Steps Forward in South Africa” b Wallis
• “Finding Hope for South Africa” by Storey
• “Raging Inequality” by Wren
• “Segregated Education in South Africa” by Mashinini
• “Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela”
• "Revonia Trial speech” by Benatar
• “Nelson Mandela: Symbol and Sire of Freedom” by Frick
• “To Love When Others Hate” by Naude
• “Challenging Mandela (Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi)” by Tyson
• “South Africa in its Southern African Context”
• “Namibia: Opening a New Chapter” by Verbaan
• “South Africa: Ongoing Issues”
• “Homelands: Failure of the Dreaming Mind”
• “Ethics, Medicine and Health in South Africa” by Benatar
• “Fud-u-u-a!” by Tlali
• “Women, Violence and Theology” by Ackerman
• “Albertina Sisulu on a Post-Patriarchal South Africa” by Barad
• “Accidental Heroes” by Eprile
• “South Africa: 1989 and Beyond”
• “A Reporter at Large” by Vonner
• “The State President’s Speech opening Parliament on February 2, 1990” by Mandela
• “Pretoria Minute”
• “Is This the New South Africa?” by Rutter
• “Is There a Third Force? A Christian View?” by Cochrane
• “Watch Out – There is a Constitution About” by Sachs
• “South Africa’s Economic Prospects 1992-95” by Buys
• “Implications of the Referendum” by Welsh
  
  Folder 4 : Spring Semester Course IDY 220, 1993
  
  
• Syllabus
• Class List
• “Similarities and Differences in the U.S. and S. African Struggle for Civil Rights”
• “Bring Back Nelson Mandela” from Sarafina
• Selected South Africa Related Resources in the Albion College Library
• Pages 9-15 of an Introduction to South Africa
• “The Afrikaners: A Definition”
• “Apartheid: A Definition”
• “Khoikhoi: A Definition”
• “Coloureds: A Definition”
• “Xhosa: A Definition”
• “Sotho: A Definition”
• “Swazi: A Definition”
• “Zulu: A Definition”
• “African National Congress: A Definition”
• “Fugard, Athol: A Definition”
• “Luthuli, Albert John: A Definition”
• “Mandela, Nelson: A Definition”
• “Paton, Alan: A Definition”
• “Smuts, Jan: A Definition”
• “Tutu, Desmond: A Definition”
• “Bophythatswana: A Definition”
• “Transkei: A Definition”
• “Namibia: A Definition”
• “Mozambique: A Definition”
• “Angola: A Definition”
  
  Folder 5 : Spring Semester Course IDY 220, 1994
  
  
• “Albion College and South Africa: A Proposal” by Braund, Cochrane, Frick, Sleight, and Vulgamore
• “Statement of the Trustees of Albion College on the Divestment Issue, April 15, 1989”
• “Albion College’s South Africa Initiatives: A Summary” by Frank Frick
• “South Africa: Moral Concern and Educational Challenge” by Frank Frick
• “Principal Arguments For and Against Divestment” by Albion College South Africa Study Team
• “A Case for Divestment” by Frank Frick
• “All, Here and Now Black Politics in South Africa in the 1980s” by Lodge and Nasson
• “Black South Africans: Their Rise and Fall” by Louw and Kendall
• “A Brief Guide to South Africa and Apartheid” by Davis
• “A Chronology of U.S.-South Africa Relations”
• “The Crisis of Apartheid” by Sparks
• “The Erosion of Apartheid” by Kane-Berman
• “Ethics, Medicine and Health in South Africa” by Benatar
• “A Fateful Wind” by Sparks
• “Homelands: Failure of the Dreaming Mind” from Cross Times
• “Implications of the Referendum” by Welsh
• “Is There a Third Force? A Christian View” by Cochrane
• “Major Black African Ethnic Groups in South Africa”
• “Mineral Wealth”
• “The Rise of Apartheid” by Sparks
• “Segregated Education in South Africa” by Mashi
• “South Africa”
• “South Africa’s Economic Prospets 1992-1995”
• “South Africa: A Chronology of Principal Events”
• “South Africa – A Statistical Profile”
• “A Statistical Comparison of South Africa and the U.S.”
• “The Transition” by Sparks
• “Triomf” by Sparks
• “Watch out – There’s a Constitution About” by Sachs
  
  Folder 6 : Introduction to South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Spring Semester 1995 [Weeks 1-4]
  
  
• “The Roots of Black South Africa” by Hammond-Tooke, D.
• “The Anti-Apartheid Reader: South Africa and the Struggle Against White Racist Rule” by Mermelstein, D.
• “The Surplus People: Forced Removals in South Africa” by Platzky, L. and Walker, C.
• “Black Uprooting from ‘White’ South Africa: The Fourth and Final Stage of Apartheid” by Nash, M.
  
  Folder 7 : Introduction to South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Spring Semester 1995 [Weeks 5-6]
  
  
• “Black Politics in South Africa Since 1945” by T. Lodge, 1983
• “Challenge to Apartheid: Toward a Moral National Resistance” by Mokgethi Motlhabi, 1988
• “I Write What I Like: A Selection of His Writings” by Steve Biko, 1986
• “Selections from A-Z of South African Politics” by Weekly Mail and Guardian, 1944
• “ANC Freedom Charter”
  

  Folder 8 : Introduction to South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Spring Semester 1995 [Weeks 7-8]
  
  

• “The Anti-Apartheid Reader: South Africa and the Struggle Against White Racist Rule” by David Mermelstein, 1987
• “South Africa: Challenge and Hope” by Lyle Tatum, 1987
• “Selections from A-Z of South African Politics” 1989 onwards
  
  Folder 9 : Introduction to South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Spring Semester 1995 [Weeks 10-14]
  
  
• “The Reconstruction and Development Programme” by the African National Congress (ANC)

BOX 2

Series: Audiovisual Material

Subseries : Computer Data


• Written instructions to Frank Frick, dated April 24, 1989, detailing the information contained in the data
• Printed version of data
• Reel of computer tape

  Subseries : Audiocassette Tapes
   

• “Demise of Apartheid” – talk by Frank Frick
• “Violence in South Africa” – talk by Tom Cochrone
• Talk by Brown and Stevens – in Putnam 106 #1
• Talk by D. Meriweather – in Putnam 106 #1
• Talk by N. Meriweather – in Norris 101 #2
• Talk by Steffenson and O’Kennon – in Norris 106 #2
• Talk in Bobbitt #1
• Talk in Putnam 105 #1