The Emergence of the Anti-Apartheid Movement

Abstract

The anti-apartheid movement and the development of the Sullivan Principles must be interpreted in the historical context both of South Africa and of the confluence of events in and between the United States and South Africa from the early 1960s through the 1980s. In this chapter, we first discuss the pivotal role of the Dutch Reformed Church and its rationale for supporting apartheid. We then turn to an analysis of the evolving anti-apartheid position of the mainline Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church. In this context, we will be highlighting the connection between the churches in South Africa and those in the United States. The remaining sections of the chapter examine the relevant political dynamics of South Africa, the United States, and the United Nations. Although some of these themes are discussed in greater detail in later chapters, the overview presented here provides a context for the unfolding story.¹