History Matters

The Albert Luthuli Young Historians competition is an annual oral history competition that invites grade 10 and 11 learners from around the country to submit their oral research projects into competition for the prestigious Albert Luthuli Young Historian’s Prize.

This year learners could submit projects in one of the following categories:

Learners will be required to research and prepare a presentation or a documentary film or video on one of the following topics:

• Our unsung heroes
• Investigate an example of local community struggle in your community against apartheid, in which the community came together to demonstrate their opposition to some apartheid government action that directly affected the local community.
• Investigate how the formation of the community-based organizations that were affiliated to the United Democratic Front affected members of your community by interviewing people who participated in its formation or various youth, women, student and other civic organization affiliates;
• Investigate the re emergence of the labour movement that commenced with the Durban strikes of 1973 and the impact of working class mobilization on the community; or
• Investigate the role played by members of your family and community in the South African war against Angola and other neighbouring states in the 1980s, whether in the South African National Defence Force or the liberation armies as South Africa commemorates the 20th anniversary of the defeat of the SADF at the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in 2008.

• Investigate the history of your school through interviews with former learners, parents and other members of the community, focusing on what changes have taken place around education, particularly in terms of attitudes and organization.

History Matters interviewed the winner of the Teachers competition – teachers compete in a separate oral history project – Mrs Strydom, and the winner of the learner’s competition, Yumna Jackson.

Download and listen to the interviews here:

Mrs-Strydom-winner-of-teachers-award

Yumna-Jackson-winner-of-young-historians-competition