One of the most remarkable things about South African history is the incredibly rich heritage of leadership we can lay claim to (regardless of current debates about the state of leadership in South Africa at the moment or my posts elsewhere on this blog). Political leadership is an obvious and easy example. But we too quickly overlook leaders in other fields – community and religious leaders, South Africa’s great literary and philosophical minds, scientists and doctors whose contributions to human knowledge and development are beyond dispute. We draw inspiration from all of them. But we draw inspiration from ordinary South Africans too, people who have found themselves in the headlights of history and rose to the occasion.
South African History Online has the largest archive of South African biography online – well over a thousand profiles, all completely referenced and usually with accompanying photographs. Prominent South Africans have their own online features, mini-websites within the SAHO site, from artist JH Pierneef to pop icon Brenda Fassie, artist Dumile Feni to photographer David Goldblatt, pioneering surgeon Christiaan Barnard to South Africa’s greatest son Nelson Mandela.
This week is the anniversary of the death of Pixley ka Isaka Seme who died on 7 June 1951. You can look up a profile of this journalist and founding member of the ANC in SAHO’s database.
April 16, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I am an independent reasearcher on the realation between public history and the function of media to promot public history. currently I serve as a book reviewer of aweekly newspaper. therefore I would like to thank you in advance for any copperationyou might offer me.