Apartheid in the Rear View Mirror: The Successes and Failures of the first Thirty Years of South African Democracy
January 8, 2025
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
118 Elliot
118 Elliot St, Brattleboro, VT 05301
What is the state of South African democracy? The talk will examine the factors that led to South Africa’s negotiated revolution, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Mandela presidency, the ANC and post Mandela governments, economic and social developments, constitutional development, and the impact of the 2024 election on South Africa’s post-Apartheid and current foreign policy and the Government of National Unity.
Though not the subject of his talk, Dr. Shore’s perspective will enhance our understanding of Elon Musk’s role in the upcoming administration. Given the large role Musk is expected to play in the incoming administration, the timing of this talk might give us some insight into what shaped his views about democracy.
Dr. Larry Shore is a professor and documentary filmmaker in the Department of Film and Media Studies at Hunter College (CUNY) in New York City. Larry grew up in Johannesburg and emigrated to the United States in the 1970s. He attended the University of the Witwatersrand where he received a BA majoring in Political Science. While at Wits he was involved in NUSAS and the Wilgerspruit Fellowship Centre.
Dr. Shore has an MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from Stanford University. He was active in the American Anti-Apartheid Movement, and in 1990, when the changes began in South Africa, he co-founded the South African American Organization (SAAO). Larry also periodically teaches a course on “South Africa, Southern Africa and the United States.”
Larry’s documentary film “RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope” has been widely screened in South Africa and the US. See the website (www.rfksafilm.org) for more details. It was recently screened at the Brattleboro Congregational Church in August 2024. He is currently working on a new film about the South African and American Anti-Apartheid Movements in the 1980’s.
The event is free and open to the public. A $10 donation is suggested, however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
REGISTRATION LINK If needed, find the Zoom link here
