In this podcast Natasha Robinson explores the history of apartheid in South Africa, and how this history is taught in England. Although apartheid is included in some exam board specifications, it is not a topic that many schools teach. However the Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter movements have sparked a renewed interest in histories of race and protest. In doing so they have raised uncomfortable questions about the legacy of Nelson Mandela, the role of violence in achieving democracy, and Britain’s complicity in supporting racial segregation.

To help think through some of these uncomfortable questions, Natasha speaks to Professor William Beinart, a historian of South Africa and founder of the African Studies Centre at St. Antony’s College Oxford. And to Ciara McCombe, a history and politics teacher in Northwest London. She has recently returned from a sabbatical at Arizona State University where she was researching the importance of anti-racism in curriculum and pedagogy after being awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Education. Together they explore what makes this history controversial, and how to navigate some of the sensitivities that teachers might experience. 

* Please note that each of the introductions are specific to the individual podcast while the acknowledgements are generic in all of the introductions. 

1. Introduction
2. How did you become a historian of South Africa? (William)
3. How did you become interested in teaching this history? (Ciara)
4. How do you teach Apartheid history?
5. What was your sense of the specifications for this course?
6. Why is studying south African history important for English students?
7. How do your students respond to this history and Apartheid?
8. What do your students make of these big concepts like: Black Consciousness?
9. What are the sensitivities that teachers need to be aware of?
10. Have these sensitivities changed since you started teaching this history?
11. How has the historiography changed and been perhaps shaped recent movements?
12. How do you complicate that historic narrative in the classroom?
13. How do you address the issue of violence within the topic?
14. How do your students make sense of this history in light of current debates?
15. How do historians think about this idea of neutrality?
16. What sources are available and useful to use with students?
17. Is it easy for teachers to access video footage of this history?
18. Are there any sensitivities teachers should be aware of when using these sources?
19. What are your top picks for reading?