Outsmarting Apartheid: An Oral History of South Africa's Cultural and Educational Exchange with the United States, 1960–1999

For almost forty years, under the watchful eye of the apartheid regime, some three thousand South Africans participated in cultural and educational exchange with the United States. Exposure to American democracy brought hope during a time when social and political change seemed unlikely. In the end the process silently triumphed over the resistance of authorities, and many of the individuals who participated in the program later participated in South Africa's first democratic elections, in 1994, and now occupy key positions in academia, the media, parliament, and the judiciary. In Outsmarting Apartheid, Daniel Whitman, former Program Development Officer at the US Embassy in Pretoria, interviews the South Africans and Americans who administered, advanced, and benefited from government-funded exchange. The result is a detailed account of the workings and effectiveness of the US Information Agency and a demonstration of the value of "soft power" in easing democratic transition in a troubled area.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Dan Whitman Definitions Chronology of South African History Part 1. Arts Brahms, from Malmesbury to Carnegie Hall Franklin Larey “Education Was My Weapon” Sindive Magona Market Theatre Co-Founder Discovers the American Stage Malcolm Purkey Dance, Too, Can Change a Society Adrienne Sichel “Do You Sell Stamps or Don’t You?” (Breaking the Cultural Boycott) Brooks Spector Part 2. Education Persona Non Grata Becomes a Professor David Coplan Scrambled Eggs and Science Teaching in Pretoria Mary Beth Gosende “A Gill of All Trades” Gill Jacot Guillarmod Fullbrights, the TRC, and an MA in Washington Monica Joyi A Breach of Racial Divides in Training Military Leaders Edna van Harte An Educational Advisor Wouldn’t Take No for an Answer Carol Wilson Part 3. Law and Parliament A South African Magistrate and the American Correctional System Siraj Desai “The People’s Judge” Willem Heath Fulbright Scholar, Yale Professor, Member of Parliament Wilmot James “Steve, I Can’t Tell You How Meaningful That Day Was for Me” Steve McDonald A Journey to Parliament via the United States Sejamothopo Motau Bridging Political Divides Dan Adriaan Neser and Jenny Neser Operation Crossroads Africa and Lifelong Learning Eshaam Palmer Part 4. Public Service Abuse No More Sheila Goodgall Our Man in Pretoria: Three Tours in South Africa Robert Gosende ACAO under Apartheid, PAO under Democracy Thomas N. Hull The Boss Said He Could Stand Up to Anybody Frank Sassman Walking in Another’s Shoes Klaas Skosana Breaching the Walls on a Park Bench Jerome Vogel Part 5. Science and Research Anyone’s Medical Doctor of Choice Gilbert A. Lawrence A Life of Firsts: The Science of Joints and Cartilage Shirley Motaung Two Degrees of the Universe Karel Nel Part 6. Social Engagement and Community Empowerment A Spouse Brings South Africans Together Bonnie Brown We All Invited All Timothy Carney Social Work and the Cleveland International Program Desmond Victor Daniels “This Is the Kind of Dialogue We Need” Robert C. Heath Discovering American Freedom with Operation Crossroads Africa Wallace Mgoqi Bringing Head Start to South Africa Virginia Petersen “Just Give Him a Chance,” and She Did Ruth Spector Part 7. Editor’s Final Note Dan Whitman Acknowledgments Index

About the Author :
Daniel Whitman is Assistant Professor of Foreign Policy at the Washington Semester Program at American University. He is the author of A Haiti Chronicle: The Undoing of a Latent Democracy, 1999–2001. Kari Jaksa is Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State, currently posted in Shanghai, China.

Review :
"Outsmarting Apartheid is a major contribution to the study of 'soft diplomacy.' It is a wonderful picture of how the public diplomacy section of an embassy works and the positive impact it can have on advancing US interests. The detail of daily life under apartheid for South Africans of all races is fascinating and will become more important as memories of that period recede." — John Campbell, author of Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, Updated Edition "This book fills an important void in the literature—it provides great insight, from the point of view of actual participants, in the dismantling of apartheid and the construction of a postapartheid democratic system in South Africa." — John Mukum Mbaku, author of Corruption in Africa: Causes, Consequences, and Cleanups