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Cover Photograph: Mr. Sparks: A Quest for Truth & Reconciliation, Copyright Nnebundo Obi 2022.

Nnebundo Obi's presentation is available here. To learn more about Nagel Institute's Engaging African Realities project, please visit the following link.

Show Notes:
0:00 South African revolutionary Robert Sobukwe

3:20 Nagel Institute Research Associate - Engaging African Realities Project 

Presentation from annual conference in Capetown 

4:05 Slide 2 - former S. African President Nelson Mandela’s cell at Robben Island

4:20 history of Robben Island, see slide 2

5:30 escapee from Robben Island David Stuurman

6:10 First female political prisoner on Robben Island, Krotoa or Eva 

7:10 1961, Robben Island used as prison for non-white political activists exclusively 

8:30 one letter and one visit per year for inmates at Robben Island

9:25 Hard labour in the limestone quarry

10:00 tour of Robben Island per Mr. Sparks, former inmate and current tour guide at Robben Island -  slide 4

12:40 Puzamandla: The “energy giving drink”, a hidden poison

14:00 Mr. Sparks gives testimony about his suffering at Robben Island to free himself

14:50 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden - see slide 5

15:00 Lion’s Head, Tabletop Mountain Range - see slide 6

15:30 1800s creation of Van Riebeeck’s Hedge to mark Dutch property, shown at slide 6

16:10 Boulder’s Penguin Colony

16:25 history of apartheid - see slide 8

17:20 - 1979 “total strategy” 12 point plan to crush opposition to apartheid

18:20 1996 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) established by Nelson Mandela

18:45 hearings for restorative justice

19:20 1977 founding of MEDU Art Ensemble 

20:30 female anti-pass protestors - see slide 10

22:30 1956 women’s march - see slide 11

23:00 Judy Sideman, member of MEDU Art Ensemble from 1980—1985  - see slide 11

24:20 MEDU Art Ensemble history - see slide 12

27:00 MEDU Art Ensemble posters - see slides 9, 12, 13

29:00 MEDU Art Ensemble targeted by the South African defense force

30:15 the power of testimony and collaboration and importance of mobilizing and gathering strength from community

30:45 University of Capetown

31:00 - 2015 ‘RHODES MUST FALL’ movement to remove the statue of British Imperialist Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town - see slide 14

34:20 impact of removing statues like those of Cecil Rhodes 

38:00 impact of MEDU Art Ensemble on end of apartheid

39:00 Terrorism Act 

39:45 MEDU's community outreach 

41:45 Cohesion and single-minded vision of MEDU 

42:30 Nnebundo’s way of engaging with social justice issues

44:20 definition of justice

49:00 Netflix docu-series How To Become a Tyrant 

51:00 Jan Felman’s comments

51:40 Stefania Salles-Bruins’ comments 

53:25 Jarnick Vitters’ comments 

Please share your comments and/or questions at [email protected]

Music by Toulme.

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Thanks so much for listening!

© Stephanie Drawdy [2025]