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“The Transnational and Local Dimensions of the U.S. Anti-Apartheid Movement” Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Robert Zebulun Larson Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2019 Dissertation Committee Dr. Peter Hahn, Advisor Dr. Jennifer Siegel, Advisor Dr. Mitch Lerner Dr. R. Joseph Parrott Copyrighted by Robert Zebulun Larson 2019 Abstract This dissertation analyzes the creation and cultivation of the movement to oppose South African apartheid in the United States. The anti-apartheid movement is frequently cited as one of the most successful protest movements of the twentieth century, both because of its scale as well as its success in enacting sanctions against South Africa despite a number of considerable obstacles. Less attention has been paid to how the anti-apartheid movement in the United States cultivated such a broad following. It would be a mistake to assume that because most people found apartheid to be morally repugnant, a movement capable of effectively lobbying the U.S. government was a historical inevitability. The dissertation analyzes the transnational dimensions of the anti-apartheid movement to study how a national constituency was built. This analysis opens up facets of the anti-apartheid movement in the United States, namely its local and grassroots dimensions, as well as the ways in which transnational actors shaped national committees. This analytical approach reveals that opposition to apartheid was cast in a variety of ways: opposition to racism, critiques of global capitalism, organized labor struggles, anti-nuclear proliferation, and peace activism were all different facets of the U.S. anti-apartheid movement during its existence. The significance of this analysis shows how the movement was sustained for a long period of time, how it succeeded, and the legacy of the anti-apartheid movement today. ii Dedicated to Prexy Nesbitt, Jennifer Davis, and Dumisani Kumalo iii Acknowledgements Graduate study is nothing if not a lonely endeavor; a PhD in the humanities is doubly so. I have certainly embraced that stereotype of the solitary graduate student writing at odd hours of the night or mumbling to themselves wherever they might be working. As I take stock of the process, I’m struck by the extent to which this dissertation was in fact a profoundly collaborative effort and was shaped by a great many people. First and foremost, this dissertation exists because of the instructors and advisors that I’ve been fortunate to have. At The Ohio State University, Peter Hahn and Jennifer Siegel offered thoughtful feedback and supported the project from its inception, as well as being willing to write a small flood of letters of recommendation and introduction. Robert McMahon oversaw the research seminar where I first began to write about African liberation activism and the first draft of my second chapter; his comments and feedback helped to shape everything that was to come. Mitch Lerner has consistently been a source of advice and encouragement. Joe Parrott’s advice and suggestions went a long way in turning the evidence and observations I had made into a cohesive, structured dissertation that I can take a measure of pride in, as well as encouraging me to continue digging into the topic. Scholars outside of OSU have been equally generous with their time and advice. Nicholas Grant at the University of East Anglia generously talked with me at length, shared advice, and offered to read drafts. Manna Duah and Brian McNamara at Temple University, two fellow graduate students who read drafts of my work at conferences, and with whom I have had the good fortune to remain in contact. Bill Minter offered to read drafts of my work, and with almost alarming speed was able to give me incisive feedback both about facts that had escaped my iv attention as well as broader trends in the anti-apartheid movement. Peter Alegi at Michigan State University advised me on certain understudied archives to approach in addition to enhancing my own understanding of the sports boycott. Researching as a historian without the support and help of archivists is an exercise in tilting at windmills. At Worcester State, the National Archives, the Amistad Archives, and the twenty institutions that I went to work in, staff patiently accommodated my numerous requests, informed me of collections I had missed or overlooked, and carefully went after boxes that had been misplaced and that I felt I desperately needed. Peter Limb at Michigan State in particular went above and beyond in suggesting people for me to interview and for archival collections to go and do work in. Too many historians take for granted the willingness of their subjects to speak with them. I was continually struck by the willingness of people who did not know me to not only give up their own time to be interviewed but to stay in contact with me to see how the project was coming along. A friend, Katherine Philipson, happened to know many activists and graciously introduced me to people. Prexy Nesbitt in particular spent hours willing to talk through minutiae with me, giving me dozens of names of others to consult, and encouraging me to dig deeply into the topic. Elizabeth Schmidt, Chris Root, Dave Wiley, Bill Minter, and others all gave me invaluable information, shaped my thinking, and were generous with their time and thoughts. I have been the beneficiary of not-inconsiderable financial support to carry out research. Without the grants and fellowships that I received, it is unlikely I could have carried out research in so many different archives and at least tried to give this dissertation the proper scope that it deserves. The Society for the History of American Foreign Relations, the Mershon Center at OSU, the Robert W. Woodruff Library at Emory University, the LBJ Foundation, and last but v certainly not least the History Department at OSU all gave me grants that allowed me to pursue an ambitious research program. Without their support, this dissertation could not have been written. Supplementing the generous support I received from these funding bodies was the willingness of family and friends to house and feed me, letting me stretch my budget as far as I possibly could. Marc and Wendover Brown hosted me several times in San Francisco as I found people to interview and archives to work in. Jeanine Fairchild and Uriah Hulsey did the same for me in New Orleans, allowing me to spend a great deal of time at the Amistad Center at Tulane University (and occasionally find time to enjoy New Orleans). The various members of the Blackman family opened up their doors to me while I worked in Boston at the Kennedy Library as well as their house in Madison, Wisconsin, which was the site of much of my initial research. Geoff Wallace, Anja Matjeko, and Eliza Wood opened their doors for me during conferences and short research trips, livening up the work with good company. Too many people to remember now met me for meals in places all around the United States. I realized early on in the process of writing that staying home to write was not conducive to my wellbeing, so I made it a habit to work in coffeeshops. A special acknowledgment must be made to the Roosevelt Coffeehouse, where I have effectively staked one seat at the bar as permanently my own little office. Whole chapters, article drafts, conference papers, and lesson plans were written over endless cups of iced rooibos tea while the staff, against their will, got to know me. A little human contact went a long way in keeping me grounded and happy. My parents, Jon and Julie Larson, set me on this path at an early age. Their love, encouragement, and support brought me to where I am today. The same can be said for my grandparents, all of whom endlessly delighted at having a grandchild who could rattle off dates, vi events, and facts, and who supported me by encouraging me to go to graduate school when I was still in elementary school. My parents-in-law, Roland Olson and Phoebe Blackman, were equally patient and loving even as I took up space in their house and brooded over my writing. Last but assuredly not least is my fiancée, Rose Blackman. Through it all, Rose has been unfailingly supportive: understanding and patient when I had to be gone for weeks at a time, willing to listen to me think out loud at great length and offer her own insightful feedback, and good company when I was working late at night or in the early hours of the morning (while also gently reminding me to take a break for the sake of the long haul). In every possible sense, Rose has been the best partner I could have asked for. vii Vita June 2006……………………………………..Sunset High School May 2010……………………………………..B.A. History, Lewis & Clark College August 2012…………………………………..M.A. History, McGill University August 2014-Present………………………….Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of History, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: History viii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................
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