Former anti-apartheid activist and current University of Chicago professor David Bunn gave students some insight Thursday into his experiences in apartheid-era South Africa.
He spoke to an audience at the Fed-Ex Global Center about his time the midst of a struggle for civil rights.
Bunn spoke from personal experience, offering the unique perspective of being white during the struggle for equal rights.
He recalled that one of his earliest memories is riding in a car with his parents, and for a brief moment seeing the sign “Free Mandela” posted to a wall, even though subject completely taboo at the time.
Bunn also related the fight against apartheid to struggles around the world, comparing interrogation techniques used at Abu Ghraib to those utilized by South Africans.
He added that the fight against apartheid paralleled the American civil rights movement.
Bunn was also a member of the National Arts Council of post-apartheid South Africa, and active in the cultural reconstruction of Johannesburg.
He worked with the board to balance demands for a singular focus on indigenous culture versus the inclusion of Afrikaner culture.
“We had to interrogate the idea of what indigenous meant,” Bunn said. “For instance, there is not a moment when you look at indigenous music and it’s not already a hybrid in some way.”
The lecture was hosted by CUAB’s social commentary committee and cosponsored by the Campus Y, the global studies department and the African Studies Center.
“I liked how he connected Jim Crow laws and civil rights to apartheid,” said senior Zena Beary.
“I hadn’t thought of it like that before,” she added.
“Dr. Bunn is capable of making international issues relevant and to the forefront of students’ minds,” said Evan Tasios, chairman of CUAB’s social commentary committee and organizer of the event.
Tasios said that after having Desmond Tutu and Zackie Achmat speak at UNC, the Social Commentary Committee felt it was a way to bring it full circle by bringing Dr. Bunn to speak.
“He was my professor for my study abroad with the Organization of Tropical Studies,” he said. “His anecdotes always hit an emotional chord.”
Bunn shared one particular anecdote about being a professor during apartheid.
He said he once came upon some violent rioting. He spotted a student running past him with a Molotov cocktail. The student paused and told him, “My assignment is going to be late.”
Bunn said he told the student it was okay.
Margaret Michael said she found the talk interesting.
“Just having his perspective was definitely eye opening,” she said.
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