In this episode William discusses the neglected narrative of Dr Abdullah Abdurahman with Stephen Langtry. Dr Abdullah was South Africa's first elected black politician.
Here are some of the questions we look at:
· The life and times of Dr Abdullah
· We discuss Martin Plaut's biography of Dr Abdullah
· Are there many lost figures in South African history?
· Why are some stories remembered at the expense of others?
· What is the balancing point in writing history?
· A short biography of Dr Abdullah
· The friendship between Dr Abdullah and Mahatma Gandhi
· The schools set up by Dr Abdullah
· Some background on District 6 (Was it similar to Sophiatown?)
· Why did Dr Abdullah call it the African Political Organization?
· Was there ever something like a Coloured nationalism?
· Who were some of Dr Abdullah’s contemporaries?
· Does Dr Abdullah deserve more recognition?
· Do we neglect the historical context when we write biographies?
· Being mindful of person, context and contemporaries
· How did 1910 lie the foundation for the politics of the 20th century?
· Why did Dr Abdullah fall out of favor?
· Why is the Western Cape considered an island in South Africa?
· What is the main lesson we can learn from Dr Abdullah’s legacy?
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William H Palk
Stephen Langtry