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Maria Suriano, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand

Ma Vesta Smith: why this unsung activist matters 50 years after the Soweto uprising

While many men are remembered as heroes of political struggles, women seldom get enough attention. Vesta Smith is a good example. She fought for South Africa’s liberation from white minority rule, called apartheid.

Historian Maria Suriano has written a biography of this activist. With the 50th anniversary of the momentous 1976 Soweto youth uprising in mind, we asked her to tell us about the woman affectionately known as Ma Vesta.

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