Lionel Bernstein
By Andrew Kling
Life of Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein
Bernstein's Influence on the Anti-Apartheid Movement
Being a member of the South African Communist Party made Bernstein a member of the only multi-racial party . With this organization, Bernstein was in charge of writing propaganda for the anti-apartheid movement. During the Mineworkers’ Strike in 1946, Bernstein participated in the protests. But as the Communist party was pushed underground due to the National Party’s growing influence, Bernstein followed suit. Most of his influence comes from his help in drafting the Freedom Charter with the African National Congress (ANC). During his time with the ANC, Bernstein was put on trial in the treason trial, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Another time, both Bernstein and his wife were arrested in during the Sharpeville massacre. After finally leaving South Africa, Bernstein’s influence on the ANC began to shrink, only giving seminars to ANC members in Moscow.
Work Cited
Work Cited
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Sampson, Anthony. "Lionel Bernstein." The Guardian. 25 June 2002. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
""Man's Struggle against Power Is the Struggle of Memory against Forgetting"" Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
"The Rivonia Trial: The Accused (biographical Sketches, Trial Notes)." The Rivonia Trial: The Accused (biographical Sketches, Trial Notes). Web. 15 Nov. 2015.