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New York, New York - A graphic panel exhibit detailing the life of formidable human rights activist, Wits alumna and lecturer Helen Suzman, is currently on show at Barnard College in New York City until March 25, 2010. Helen Suzman who died last year aged 91 was a member of the South African Parliament for 36 years. From 1961 to 1974 she was the sole opposition voice condemning apartheid.
Helen Suzman was a guest speaker at Barnard – a woman’s liberal arts college part of Columbia University in 1974, and also received an honorary doctorate from Columbia in 1977. “Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights”, the exhibit, was developed by the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at the University of Cape Town. The exhibition’s opening was accompanied by a panel on international human rights. The work of South African women activists was discussed by two of South Africa’s foremost grassroots activists: Virginia Magwaza-Setshedi of the Anti-Privatization Forum, and Helen Lieberman of Ikamva Labantu (The Future of Our Nation). At the opening of the exhibit, Helen Suzman’s daughter, Dr. Patricia Suzman pointed to a larger-than-life photograph of her mother, “I’m wearing her jacket,” she said. “My mother would be proud if she knew the ways in which her legacy was reaching people” The exhibit, which consists of letters and photographs interspersed with details of Helen Suzman’s life and information on South Africa, showcases the immense amount of time and energy she devoted to fighting the apartheid government and campaigning for human rights. It also highlights her sharp wit. “Helen was deeply aware that women were the backbone of South African communities,” explained Patricia. “If she had one message for them now, she would tell them: keep fighting, keep fighting, and don’t give up.”
Take a look at photos from the event.
See also Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights.
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