The Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College hosted a screening of the documentary “Behind the Rainbow” on March 16 as part of the Year of South Africa. Jihan El-Tahri directed the documentary, which was released in 2009. El-Tahri, who is Lebanese, is a producer and news correspondent for Reuters. “Behind the Rainbow” shows the reality of life in South Africa after apartheid. The film chronicles the political history of the African National Congress party that rose to power after apartheid. In 1994, after South Africa’s first democratic elections, ANC came to power. The first challenge for the party arose when they debated how to properly purge the governmental ranks of the…
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“Year of South Africa” panel sheds light on the fight against apartheid
A group of students and community members gathered on Feb. 23 at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum to talk about apartheid from a variety of perspectives. The gathering was part of the “Year of South Africa” at Queens College. It is part of a series of events surrounding the current exhibition at the museum, “The Collection of Violet and Les Payne & Next Generation: Emerging Photographers From South Africa.” “The Payne collection is focused on works on paper and paintings by artists from the black township of Soweto, Johannesburg,” the Godwin-Ternbach Museum said on their website. This exhibition seeks to highlight works of art created by members of the disenfranchised African community during apartheid in South Africa.…
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Witnessing the end of apartheid through a former diplomat’s eyes
Former Greek ambassador Loucas Tsilas spoke at Godwin-Ternbach Museum in Klapper Hall on Nov. 12 to reflect on his time in South Africa during the end of apartheid. The lecture was a part of the Short Course on South Africa series, which coincides with the Year of South Africa at Queens College. Tsilas’ talk highlighted the historical lessons from the dark period in the country’s history. “It is so refreshing and thought-provoking to discuss these issues,” Tsilas said. In South Africa, apartheid, which divided society by race, was implemented in 1948 and dismantled in the beginning of the 1990s after pressure from international countries and resistance from inside the country.…
