Item 1146 - Fax by Nelson Mandela to Mr. Patric O'Meara

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ZA COM MR-S-1146

Title

Fax by Nelson Mandela to Mr. Patric O'Meara

Date(s)

  • 1991-11-22 (Creation)

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Transcription of speech made by Mr Mandela

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(18 July 1918-5 December 2013)

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Migrated from the Nelson Mandela Speeches Database (Sep-2018).

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ANC Archives, Office of the ANC President, Nelson Mandela Papers, University of Fort Hare

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  • English

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TRANSCRIPT

Dear Mr O'Meara

It is a great privilege for us to have this opportunity to say a few words about the outstanding contribution of Prof. G Carter.
Dr Gwendolen Carter has for decades been closely associated with South African politics and particularly the politics of the national liberation movement.

Her interest in South African began during the 1950s, when she undertook a major study of our country, which was published under the title, "The Politics of Inequality". A book as scholarly as it was informative, it helped shape the perception on an entire generation of US Political Scientists about the policies of apartheid and their impact on its principal victims, the African people.

On the strength of her profound knowledge of South Africa, Gwendolen Carter was appointed one of President John F Kennedy's principal advisers on South African affairs. She retained that post after the assassination of Kennedy into the presidency of Lyndon B Johnson. Though she lost her position among White House policy advisers when Richard M Nixon took office in 1968, she remained an influential voice among students of African affairs as an authority on South Africa.

Gwendolen Carter's most significant contribution to South African studies was the multi-volume project she initiated together with Professor Tom Karis, titled "From Protest to Challenge". Years of careful searching and cataloguing, including regular trips to South Africa, built up an impressive archive documenting the politics of liberation since 1884. The project benefitted from the contribution of a number of outstanding students, inspired by Gwendolen Carter, especially Gail Gerhart, who is continuing the work commenced by her mentor with Professor Karis.

In addition to her research, Dr Gwendolen Carter was known to many generations of students as a teacher. She was a long standing member of the Political Science Department at Northwestern University, in Illinois, and regularly read papers at conferences of the African Studies Association throughout the United States. She left an indelible mark on African scholarship and will always be fondly remembered in South Africa as one of the numerous friends of the anti-apartheid movement.

We thank you for affording us the opportunity to participate in the honouring of this great friend of South Africa.
Yours Sincerely

N R MANDELA
President

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Acquisition method: Hardcopy ; Source: ANC Archives, Office of the ANC President, Nelson Mandela Papers, University of Fort Hare. Accessioned on 18/01/2010 by Zintle Bambata

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