Into the struggle: Confronting apartheid in the United States and South Africa

This dissertation explores anti-apartheid activism in the United States from 1964 to 1990. It concentrates on the internal dynamics of various anti-apartheid movements in the United States, along with their transnational connections with South Africa, and discusses the effectiveness of these movements in altering government policy in both the United States and South Africa. This study explores several essential questions about anti-apartheid activism in the United States, including: who participated in anti-apartheid activism and why did they do so? What did these movements and activists do? How and why did they change their tactics over time? What connections were there with South Africa? How did both the U.S. and South African governments respond to this activism? And how did the changing nature of the Cold War affect anti-apartheid activism?;The American anti-apartheid movement was a significant entry of the American people into foreign relations and international politics. The movement illuminated the reality that many Americans saw the issue of racial equality beyond the borders of the United States as a crucial issue of the modern world, as they placed the struggle into an international context. The American anti-apartheid movement was determined to contribute to a global struggle dedicated to bringing equality to South Africans. It was successful in showing how globalized and connected the world was, making a compelling case that the actions of the U.S. government, corporations, and individuals were intricately linked to South Africa and apartheid. The American anti-apartheid movement was an impressive effort that brought together a diverse group of people in the United States to confront the issue of racial inequality abroad. The movement represented the desire of Americans for their nation and its people to live up to the country's ideals of equality for all people. Through the issue of apartheid in South Africa, Americans saw an injustice worth fighting against, as it was a reminder of the continuing struggle to overcome the burdens of racial inequality throughout an increasingly smaller world.