Barbara Masekela

Last updated

Barbara Masekela
Born
Barbara Mosima Joyce Masekela

(1941-07-18) 18 July 1941 (age 82)
Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa
Alma mater University of Zambia: Ohio State University
Occupation(s)Poet, educator and activist
Notable workPoli Poli (2021)
Relatives Hugh Masekela (brother)

Barbara Mosima Joyce Masekela (born 18 July 1941) [1] is a South African poet, educator, and activist who has held positions of arts leadership within the African National Congress (ANC).

Contents

Early life and education

Barbara Masekela was born on 18 July 1941 in the Alexandra Township of Johannesburg, South Africa, the second of four children born to Pauline and Thomas Masekela. Her father had been an artist; [2] her older brother Hugh Masekela grew up to be an accomplished jazz musician. As an infant, she was sent to live with her grandmother in Witbank (which is now known as EMalahleni). At the age of 10, Barbara returned to Alexandra Township to attend Saint-Michael's Anglican School. Her parents fostered a politically conscious household; from an early age Barbara was knowledgeable about the political climate of South Africa. While attending Inanda Girls’ Seminary in Durban, she had the opportunity to meet many of South African civil rights activists, such as ANC leader Albert Luthuli, which would shape her future political and educational careers. [3] In 1960, Masekela completed her high school education and went on to work at the New Age newspaper.

Six months later, she enrolled in the Basutoland campus of the University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland. After one semester at the university, she moved to Ghana to help the newly independent country introduce Western-style methods of learning. In February 1963, Masekela contracted tuberculosis and was then sent to the United Kingdom, where she received treatment over the next year. After she was rehabilitated, she stayed in the UK for a few months, before moving IN 1965 to New York City, where she enrolled in Fordham University. Her educational career at Fordham University was short-lived; in her Anthropology classes she experienced racism from her professors, who considered non-Western societies to be primitive and uncivilized. Masekela fell ill again and returned to Africa, continuing her education at the University of Zambia in 1967. [1]

While in her third year at the University of Zambia, she was in a car accident; the resulting injuries forced her to stay with her brother in California until she recuperated. After her injuries had healed, she remained in the United States to finish her BA degree with a major in English from the Ohio State University in 1971. In 1972, she began teaching at Staten Island Community College. In 1973, she moved on to teaching English literature at Rutgers University until 1982. During her time at Rutgers, she only took a leave of absence to complete her master's degree in 1976. [1]

Political career

After being away from South Africa for 22 years, Masekela still kept up with and supported her country through the newspapers where African National Congress (ANC) issues were appearing in the headlines almost every day. From the media, Masekela learned about their push for the economic sanctions that would weaken the South African government, and their ever-strengthening ties with the Scandinavian countries, all of which had long been associated with human rights issues. It was noted that Zimbabwe and Mozambique gained independence and were fighting the apartheid system along with South Africa. It was then, in the early 1980s that Masekela joined the anti-apartheid movement and gave speeches and demonstrations in America, giving her the reputation of being a serious activist. [1] In August 1982 Masekela made her trip back to Lusaka, Zambia, where she worked as administrative secretary for the ANC on a full-time basis. [4] After only working for the ANC for a year, she was asked to head the ANC’s Department of Arts and Culture, which she accepted. [3]

In 1990, shortly after his release from his 27-year prison term, Nelson Mandela came to the United States and to India to thank everyone who had helped him and the ANC. Masekela was asked to accompany him, to handle arrangements and scheduling, and also to help raise funds and support from students and politicians for the organization in the multiracial, democratic elections that almost certainly lay ahead. Streamlined and efficient, she impressed Mandela so much that he asked her to become the head of staff in his office. In the same year, Masekela gave a speech that made clear the relationship she always claimed between art and the culture of any society, that art in any form expressed the long-term values of a society, whether political, legal, or social. [1]

She served the South African government at the highest level when, after his inauguration as President, at which she presided, Mandela appointed her the first new South African Ambassador to France and UNESCO in 1995. Subsequently, on 8 September 2003, President Thabo Mbeki appointed her South Africa's ambassador to the United States. Between ambassadorial appointments, she served as an executive director for public and corporate affairs for De Beer Consolidated Mines. She served as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Masekela also held various executive and non-executive directorships, including director of the Standard Bank of South Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the International Marketing Council. She was latterly chair of the board of the National State Theatre. [5]

Writing and literary work

Masekela's poetry is included in such publications at Sterling Plumpp's Somehow We Survive: An Anthology of South African Writing (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1982). [6]

Her autobiography, entitled Poli Poli, and dedicated to her brother Hugh, was published in 2021 (Jonathan Ball Publishers, ISBN   9781776190959), [7] to critical acclaim. [8] [9] [10] [11] As characterised by Nuruddin Farah, "Poli Poli by Barbara Masekela is an adorable book full of childhood thrills and teeming with vignettes of memory retold in brilliant prose. It reminds me of Aké by Wole Soyinka, which in and of itself is high praise indeed." [12] The Johannesburg Review of Books concluded: "As part of the rich legacy of black women’s life writing in South Africa, Masekela's Poli Poli joins the chorus of voices that includes Noni Jabavu, Ellen Kuzwayo, Fatima Meer, Brigalia Bam, and many others. Women who wrote their own stories, and in so doing wrote the histories of their families and communities, narratives that are often undermined in mainstream history." [8] Poli Poli was longlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Literary Awards. [13]

Masekela, supported by Elinor Sisulu, in February 2023 inaugurated the Johannesburg Festival of Women Writers, hosted by the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) at the Johannesburg Business School. [14] [15]

Awards

Masekela is a recipient of the Order of Luthuli in Silver, which national honour she was awarded for her "excellent contribution to the eradication of apartheid and contributing to the development of the new South African values". [5] [16]

In April 2024, Rhodes University awarded her an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Laws (LLD), "for her lifelong commitment to cultural activism, literature, and the fight for human dignity". [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</span> South African activist and politician (1936–2018)

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2003, and from 2009 until her death, and was a deputy minister of arts and culture from 1994 to 1996. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served on the ANC's National Executive Committee and headed its Women's League. Madikizela-Mandela was known to her supporters as the "Mother of the Nation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Masekela</span> South African musical artist (1939–2018)

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for writing well-known anti-apartheid songs such as "Soweto Blues" and "Bring Him Back Home". He also had a number-one US pop hit in 1968 with his version of "Grazing in the Grass".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Sisulu</span> South African anti-apartheid activist (1912–2003)

Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), he was Accused No.2 in the Rivonia Trial and was incarcerated on Robben Island where he served more than 25 years' imprisonment for his anti-Apartheid revolutionary activism. He had a close partnership with Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela, with whom he played a key role in organising the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the establishment of the ANC Youth League and Umkhonto we Sizwe. He was also on the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Luthuli</span> South African politician (c. 1898–1967)

Albert John Luthuli was a South African anti-apartheid activist, traditional leader, and politician who served as the President-General of the African National Congress from 1952 until his death in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Suzman</span> South African anti-apartheid activist and Member of the House of Assembly

Helen Suzman, OMSG, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician. She represented a series of liberal and centre-left opposition parties during her 36-year tenure in the whites-only, National Party-controlled House of Assembly of South Africa at the height of apartheid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defiance Campaign</span> Defiance campaign in 1952

The Defiance Campaign against Unjust Laws was presented by the African National Congress (ANC) at a conference held in Bloemfontein, South Africa in December 1951. The Campaign had roots in events leading up the conference. The demonstrations, taking place in 1952, were the first "large-scale, multi-racial political mobilization against apartheid laws under a common leadership."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Slovo</span> South African politician

Joe Slovo was a South African politician, and an opponent of the apartheid system. A Marxist-Leninist, he was a long-time leader and theorist in the South African Communist Party (SACP), a leading member of the African National Congress (ANC), and a commander of the ANC's military wing uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Mxenge</span> South African activist

Victoria Nonyamezelo Mxenge was a South African anti-apartheid activist; she was trained as a nurse and midwife, and later began practising law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Huddleston</span> British Anglican priest

Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston was an English Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Stepney in London before becoming the second Archbishop of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He was best known for his anti-apartheid activism and his book Naught for Your Comfort.

Brigitte Sylvia Mabandla is a South African politician, lawyer and former anti-apartheid activist who served in the cabinet of South Africa from 2003 to 2009, including as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development from 2004 to 2008. She became the South African Ambassador to Sweden in January 2020. A veteran of the African National Congress (ANC), she was an elected member of party's National Executive Committee between 1997 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilda Bernstein</span>

Hilda Bernstein OLG was a British-born author, artist, and an activist against apartheid and for women's rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Nkobi</span>

Thomas Titus Nkobi was a senior leader of the South African African National Congress (ANC) and a key figure in the Anti-Apartheid movement. Until his death he was the Treasurer General of the ANC and also its Member of Parliament.

Steve Vukhile Tshwete was a South African politician and activist with the African National Congress. Involved in Umkhonto we Sizwe, Tshwete was imprisoned by the apartheid authorities on Robben Island from February 1964 to 1978. Tshwete resumed activities with the ANC and become a regional coordinator for the new United Democratic Front. He later lived in exile in Zambia with the ANC. After the first free elections in South Africa in 1994, he became the new government's first Sports Minister and later was Minister of Safety and Security.

Amina Cachalia, OLB was a South African anti-Apartheid activist, women's rights activist, and politician. She was a longtime friend and ally of former President Nelson Mandela. Her late husband was political activist Yusuf Cachalia.

The Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS), launched in 2015, is a collaborative initiative involving the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in South Africa and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music in the movement against apartheid</span> One of the methods of opposition used against the apartheid regime

The apartheid regime in South Africa began in 1948 and lasted until 1994. It involved a system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy, and placed all political power in the hands of a white minority. Opposition to apartheid manifested in a variety of ways, including boycotts, non-violent protests, and armed resistance. Music played a large role in the movement against apartheid within South Africa, as well as in international opposition to apartheid. The impacts of songs opposing apartheid included raising awareness, generating support for the movement against apartheid, building unity within this movement, and "presenting an alternative vision of culture in a future democratic South Africa."

Refiloe Jackie Phelile Florence Sedibe is a retired South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Major General. Sedibe was part of the African National Congress (ANC) prior to the end of apartheid and also a member of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). She was one of the first women involved in MK and the first black woman to hold the rank of Major General in the SANDF.

Sankie Dolly Mthembi-Mahanyele, formerly known as Sankie Mthembi-Nkondo or Sankie Nkondo, is a South African politician, diplomat, and former anti-apartheid activist. She was the Minister of Housing from 1995 to 2003 and served as Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC) from 2002 to 2007.

Max Coleman was a South African activist and former businessman. He represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 1995 and then served in the South African Human Rights Commission from 1995 to 1996. During apartheid, Coleman was a founding member of the Detainees' Parents' Support Committee, a civil society organisation, after his son was detained for his political activities. Coleman subsequently sold his business in order to organise on the committee's behalf full time.

Flag Marutle Boshielo was a South African anti-apartheid activist, trade unionist, and communist. He went into exile with the African National Congress (ANC) after the party was banned in 1960 and served as political commissar of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) from 1969 until his disappearance in 1970. He went missing in August 1970 during an unsuccessful MK operation after his contingent was ambushed. He is presumed to have died in 1970 or soon afterwards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Masekela, Barbara 1941–". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Tsumele, Edward (25 October 2021). "Poli Poli : A story deeper than profiling Barbara Masekela's life…". The Telegram. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Barbara Mosima Joyce Masekela". SAHO (South African History Online). Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Masekela, Barbara", Women Marching Into the 21st Century: Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo, HSRC Press, 2000, p. 109.
  5. 1 2 "Barbara Masekela (1941 - )", The Presidency, Republic of South Africa.
  6. ↑ Salkey, Andrew (1984). "Ironic Gasps and Head-On Attacks: Poetry From South Africa" (review of Somehow We Survive: An Anthology of South African Writing, edited by Sterling Plumpp, published by Thunder’s Mouth Press, New York), Callaloo , no. 21, 109–113. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Poli Poli" at Jonathan Ball Publishers.
  8. 1 2 Masola, Athambile (8 September 2022). "Every time a black woman writes their story they are resisting marginalisation—Athambile Masola reviews Barbara Masekela's memoir Poli Poli". The Johannesburg Review of Books . Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Rosenthal, Jane (21 September 2021). "REVIEW | Barbara Masekela memoir is destined to become a classic". News24.
  10. ↑ de Groot, Sue (16 December 2021). "2021 EDITOR's PICK: Barbara Masekela looks back on a life of love and loss in her new memoir". Times Live .
  11. ↑ Nkomo, Mokubung (10 January 2022). "Barbara Masekela's 'Poli Poli' resonates deeply for those of us who grew up under apartheid's evil beginnings". Daily Maverick . Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Poli Poli – Barbara Masekela". PolityS. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2024– via YouTube.
  13. ↑ Ibeh, Chukwuebuka (5 July 2022). "56 Books Longlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Awards — One of South Africa's Highest Literary Honors". Brittle Paper . Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Moloi, Tshepo Mvulane (14 February 2023). "Inaugural Johannesburg Festival Of Women Writers A Resounding Success". The Bulrushes. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Moloi, Tshepo Mvulane (26 April 2023). "Johannesburg Festival of Women Writers". Culture Review Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "National orders for prominent people". Sowetan Live. 23 April 2008.
  17. ↑ Mbatha, Mbali (3 April 2024). "Rhodes University honours esteemed poet, activist Barbara Masekela with a doctorate". City Press. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "Rhodes University marks 120 years with memorable graduation". Rhodes University | The Division of Communication and Advancement. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.