Visual Source 22.1
African National Congress
The decades-long march to freedom in South Africa, led by the African National Congress (ANC), finally achieved success in 1994 (see The Case of South Africa: Ending Apartheid). Visual Source 22.1, an undated ANC poster, shows the organization’s flag and various symbols of its long struggle. The colors of the flag depict South Africa’s resources: black for the vast majority of its population, green for its rich land, and yellow for the gold that had long provided a basis for the country’s wealth.
Question
Does the poster reflect the ANC’s earlier, more peaceful and elite-based politics or its later, more aggressive posture? On what do you base your conclusion?
Question
How might you understand the wheel, the fist, the spear, and the shield shown on the poster? Why do you think the poster used these traditional weapons rather than modern rifles?
Question
Notice the mass march that provides the background to the poster’s primary images. What message does this convey?
Question
Pay attention to the several red flags, representing the South African Communist Party, among the crowd. What posture toward communism is suggested by these flags? Keep in mind that the South African Communist Party was a longtime ally of the ANC.
Question
How might white, Indian, and mixed-race (“colored”) supporters of the ANC react to this poster? How might white advocates of apartheid respond to it?