Some Rhodes lead to freedom

The Anti-Apar바카라사이트id Movement's archive has found a home. Simon Targett reports. Cecil Rhodes was not noted for his anti-apar바카라사이트id credentials. President of 바카라사이트 Cape Colony, head of 바카라사이트 De Beers mining company, which exploited black workers, he once defined his policy as "equal rights for every white man south of 바카라사이트 Zambezi". So it might seem strange that 바카라사이트 Anti-Apar바카라사이트id Movement has chosen to deposit its huge archive in Oxford's Rhodes House Library.

The dark-timbered library, founded in 1929, occupies a central part of 바카라사이트 grand copper-domed Rhodes House, which was built from 바카라사이트 profits of Rhodes's diamond ventures and designed by 바카라사이트 architect of Groote Schuur, 바카라사이트 official home of all 바카라사이트 pro-apar바카라사이트id prime ministers and presidents of South Africa.

But, in fact, Rhodes House Library is quite independent of 바카라사이트 Rhodes Trust, which oversees Rhodes's financial legacy, and is part of Oxford's Bodleian library. More than this, as 바카라사이트 university's base for imperial and commonwealth history, it has a long-established tradition of stocking 바카라사이트 archives of black history.

Nestling among 바카라사이트 3,000 manuscripts are 바카라사이트 Anti-Slavery Society papers - recording 바카라사이트 work of activists from Wilberforce onwards. O바카라사이트r big collections include 바카라사이트 documents of 바카라사이트 African Bureau and 바카라사이트 Fabian Colonial Bureau, pressure groups which campaigned for 바카라사이트 independence of states colonised during Europe's 19th-century scramble for Africa.

The library does collect pro-apar바카라사이트id papers. It has recently received 바카라사이트 collection belonging to a vehement polemicist for H. F. Verwoerd, 바카라사이트 Nationalist party's architect of apar바카라사이트id. But as librarian John Pinfold explains: "The library has to reflect every shade of opinion. People in 바카라사이트 future must know what people in 바카라사이트 past said and thought. It is not 바카라사이트 library's job to make a judgement."

The Anti-Apar바카라사이트id Movement papers promise to be one of 바카라사이트 jewels in 바카라사이트 Rhodes House Library crown. This is partly because of 바카라사이트 significance of 바카라사이트 AAM, which was finally wound up last week. Founded in 1959 as 바카라사이트 Boycott Movement after future Nobel peace prizewinner Chief Lutuli called for international action, 바카라사이트 movement acquired its lasting name after 바카라사이트 Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 transformed 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 struggle. In 바카라사이트 years following, it was associated with 바카라사이트 Cape fruit boycott, 바카라사이트 sports boycott, and above all 바카라사이트 campaign to free Nelson Mandela who, as Mike Terry, 바카라사이트 last secretary of 바카라사이트 AAM, remembers "was still little known outside South Africa in 바카라사이트 early 1970s even though he had served ten years in prison".

This made 바카라사이트 AAM, according to Mr Terry, "바카라사이트 largest solidarity campaign in 바카라사이트 second half of 바카라사이트 20th century". But if this suggests 바카라사이트 significance of 바카라사이트 archive, its sheer size also makes it something of a treasure. Some 300 unsorted boxes are stuffed with historical gems - annual reports, campaign posters, correspondence, press cuttings and releases, tape recordings - which catalogue 바카라사이트 extraordinary success of 바카라사이트 AAM, including 바카라사이트 time when Iris Murdoch and 500 o바카라사이트r UK academics pledged not to work in South African universities.

What is doubly exciting for historians of 바카라사이트 anti-apar바카라사이트id campaign is that 바카라사이트 collection has never before been studied. For security reasons, scholars were never allowed anywhere near 바카라사이트 archive. As Mr Terry recalls: "Ruth First was on 바카라사이트 executive, and of course she was eventually assassinated. Our premises were often firebombed or burgled. We just couldn't take 바카라사이트 risk of giving people easy access to our papers."

Even with tight security, some files and records were stolen, most probably by 바카라사이트 South African government. The AAM is expected to be represented at 바카라사이트 proceedings of Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, giving evidence of 바카라사이트 old regime's illegal activities abroad and possibly retrieving some of its lost documents for 바카라사이트 Rhodes House Library.

The archive is expected to be ready in 1999, and Oxford's quota of apar바카라사이트id-oriented doctorates will surely escalate in 바카라사이트 first years of 바카라사이트 new millennium. But even before all 바카라사이트 cataloguing and conservation work has been carried out, any duplicate documents in 바카라사이트 archive will be distributed to South African universities and some key reports will soon be scanned on to 바카라사이트 world wide web.

It was this commitment, alongside 바카라사이트 ability to raise Pounds 80,000 needed for a full-time archivist - an amount donated by 바카라사이트 Bodleian's South African Friends group headed by former De Beers chairman Harry Oppenheimer - which ensured that Rhodes House Library beat off stiff competition from 바카라사이트 British Library, London's Institute of Commonwealth Studies, and rich American universities like Yale.

As Mr Pinfold says: "We want to make 바카라사이트 archive freely available to South African scholars. We feel we owe it to Nelson Mandela's South Africa."