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Voices on Antisemitism: Albie Sachs (Justice, Constitutional Court of South Africa)

From: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Series: Voices on Antisemitism
Length: 07:36

As a lawyer defending victims of South Africa's apartheid government, Albie Sachs was harassed, jailed without trial and eventually driven into exile. After the fall of apartheid, President Nelson Mandela appointed Sachs to South Africa's Constitutional Court. Read the full description.

Voa_small Albie Sachs has been instrumental to the struggle for human rights in South Africa. As a lawyer defending victims of the apartheid government, Sachs was harassed, jailed without trial and eventually driven into exile. In 1988, he survived a car bombing that robbed him of his arm and sight in one eye. After the fall of apartheid, President Nelson Mandela appointed Sachs to South Africa's Constitutional Court.

"
For me, the anti-apartheid struggle was a form of combating racism, which had manifested itself in antisemitism, reaching ghastly proportions through the genocide. But it was all part and parcel of a similar form of inhumanity of human beings to other human beings."

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Piece Description

Albie Sachs has been instrumental to the struggle for human rights in South Africa. As a lawyer defending victims of the apartheid government, Sachs was harassed, jailed without trial and eventually driven into exile. In 1988, he survived a car bombing that robbed him of his arm and sight in one eye. After the fall of apartheid, President Nelson Mandela appointed Sachs to South Africa's Constitutional Court.

"
For me, the anti-apartheid struggle was a form of combating racism, which had manifested itself in antisemitism, reaching ghastly proportions through the genocide. But it was all part and parcel of a similar form of inhumanity of human beings to other human beings."

Broadcast History

Broadcast on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Web site.

Transcript

ALBIE SACHS:
For me, the anti-apartheid struggle was a form of combating racism, which had manifested itself in antisemitism, reaching ghastly proportions through the genocide. But it was all part and parcel of a similar form of inhumanity of human beings to other human beings.

DANIEL GREENE:
Albie Sachs has been instrumental to the struggle for human rights in South Africa. As a lawyer defending victims of the apartheid government, Sachs was harassed, jailed without trial and eventually driven into exile. In 1988, he survived a car bombing that robbed him of his arm and sight in one eye. After the fall of apartheid, President Nelson Mandela appointed Sachs to South Africa's Constitutional Court.

Welcome to Voices on Antisemitism, a free podcast series of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum made possible by generous support from the Oliver and Elizabeth Stanton Foundation. I'm...
Read the full transcript

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
Sevani Tsorgnorsner 35th Parallel Crossing Painted Islands. 2006 00:00

Related Website

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20081009