For our Ford Scholars project, Professor Ismail Rashid and I designed a course on 20^th century South Africa.  This course will be taught in fall 2013 for 100-level students using Nelson Mandela and his 1994 autobiography Long Walk to Freedom as the primary point of entrance into South Africa in the 20^th century. In many ways, Mandela, born in 1918, is the perfect guide for the study of 20^th century South Africa.  As one of the most famous South Africans and one of the most influential figures of the time, Mandela’s unique life story touches on nearly all of the major events and themes of 20^th century South Africa.

I began this project with a deep reading of Mandela’s autobiography, as well as surveying comparable courses from around the world as a way to identify the weekly topics that will form the backbone of the course.  Readings will include Mark Mathabane’s novel, Kaffir Boy, and Afrikaans poet Antjie Krog’s book on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Country of My Skull.

I concluded the project by collecting film, photographs, and other media for student use, both in and outside of class.  Films to be included are the PBS documentary, Have You Heard from Johannesburg?; the multimedia project, Afrikaner Blood; and Deborah Hoffman and Frances Reid’s A Long Nights Journey into Day.  With most of the groundwork completed, I am looking forward to seeing how the course takes shape in the fall. ~Paul Clarke ’14

Limestone quarry where the high security political prisoners like Mandela were forced to do hard labor. The dust from the limestone caused lung damage and accounts for many of Mandela’s current health problems.

A young Nelson Mandela leaves Pretoria Courthouse following the dismissal of the state’s case against him in the so-called Treason Trial.