Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area

When the legendary political figure Nelson Mandela took his victory tour of the United States in 1990 after being released from prison, he spent more time in California than any other state. Mandela recognized during his visits in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area the role California had played in the defeat of apartheid in South Africa, through the divestment movement at the University of California, the leadership of Congressman Ron Dellums, and the boycotts of dockworkers in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union up and down the Pacific Coast. Professor Cole's book, Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area, explores the role of California, and especially the Bay Area, in the successful movement for racial equality in South Africa. The program will conclude with an audience Q&A and a book signing. The California Historical Society Store will have books available before and after the talk.