Black Sash: Beginning of a Bridge in South Africa

Kathryn Spink, Black Sash: The Beginning of a Bridge in South Africa. London: Methuen, 1991.

Hard cover, dustwrapper, 336 pages, plates. 

Slight edge wear to the dustwrapper, very short tear without loss in one margin. Text clean. Very good condition.

Since its formation in 1955, the Black Sash has been a constant source of irritation to upholders of apartheid in South Africa. Founded on a sense of injusticethe outrage felt by a group of middle-aged, middle-class, liberal-minded, white, English-speaking women at the Senate bill devised to prohibit black votesits membership rapidly grew from six women at a tea party to a league of 10,000 who held marches, convoys, demonstrations and all-night vigil's.

In their struggle against violence, harassment and injustice, members have lost relatives, being imprisoned or being the subjects of restriction orders (in some cases breaking these to talk to the author).

The author has interviewed many members of the Black Sash as well as the Nationalist Government and the security forces and such public figures as Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She has spent time in their advice offices, visited black townships and families of prisoners on Robben Island, and talked to black South Africans both sympathetic and unsympathetic to Black Sash activities.

This is the story of compassion, courage, strength and determination in an effort to build bridges between the black and white communities to bring hope for the future of South Africa.