A heartfelt though sometimes ungainly memoir of politics and
passion in South Africa. Even if she hadn't been a prominent
anti-apartheid activist, Ramphele would still have lived a
remarkable life. Born in the rural Northern Transvaal, frustrated
by poverty, poor schools, restrictive cultural mores, sexism, and
racism, she overcame all these obstacles to become one of the first
black women admitted to medical school. South African universities
in the 1960s were hotbeds of anti-apartheid activism, and Ramphele
soon gravitated toward the black-consciousness-inflected SASO
(South African Student Organization). Here she worked with many
emerging leaders, including Steve Biko, with whom she fell deeply
in love. Though they were both married to others, their affair
continued as they graduated to full-time activism. When Biko was
banned, restricted to King Williams Town, Ramphele moved nearby and
opened a medical clinic for the poor. Her account of the conflicts
between the personal and the political, between love and activism,
is unusually honest and deeply moving. After she became pregnant
with Biko's child, everything seemed to fall apart. She too was
banned, sent far away, to a small, dusty village. Then Biko was
arrested and murdered by the security police. The shock of his
death almost cost Ramphele the baby, and she was incapacitated with
grief for months. Eventually, she realized that the best way to
heal herself was to continue to fight. She began another clinic and
ran it for many years until she was unbanned. Free at last, she
moved to Cape Town, earned a Ph.D. in anthropology, and was
appointed deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Cape Town.
While Ramphele does tend to slip into anthropology-speak and her
post-Biko years are described with a certain flatness, her
strength, courage, and decency always shine dearly through. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Across Boundaries The Journey of a South African Woman Leader Mamphela Ramphele Growing up in a remote area of South Africa, Mamphela Ramphele fought to become a doctor, then joined the struggle against apartheid with activists such as Steven Biko, who eventually became her lover. Her crusade for community health centers, for national freedom, and for further education are all chronicled, along with her roles in South Africa's post-apartheid government.
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