In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Luthuli Museum, Professor Larry Shore visited UKZN to screen a documentary and discuss the media landscape during apartheid and post-1994 with media students
Shore is a professor in the Film and Media Studies Department at Hunter College in New York. He teaches a course on relations between South Africa and the United States of America and co-founded the South African-American Organisation which he served as president for five years.
His visit was in keeping with the goal of expanding UKZN’s Media Studies curriculum to introduce students to the critical study of media and South African society, exploring the relationship between media, history, coloniality, democracy, and contemporary social values within key areas: the South African media landscape (broadcasting, the press and social media); political communication; notions of ideology, hegemony and the public sphere; globalisation; and media ethics.
UKZN and the Department of Arts and Culture jointly inaugurated the Albert Luthuli Memorial Lecture to promote and educate people about Chief Albert Luthuli’s legacy.
Mr Brian Xaba of the Luthuli Museum said that working with UKZN has benefitted not only the museum, but also the learners and community it serves as a public entity. ‘The relationship with UKZN enables the Luthuli Museum to fulfill its mandate of upholding the legacy of Africa’s first Nobel Peace Laureate.’
Shore spoke of the significance of student knowledge exchange: ‘American universities are seeking to be global, with huge interest in South African history.’ However, internship and study opportunities abroad come with the challenge of expensive fees in America, unless South African students enroll in public universities.
Turning to the challenges involved in producing the documentary, he commented: ‘Twenty years ago, studio time was more expensive, but technological developments have made it cheaper.’
The documentary that features archival footage and interviews in both South Africa and the US, tells the story of Mr Robert Kennedy’s 1966 visit to South Africa during the worst years of apartheid. The filmmaker explores the visit through the lens of contemporary South Africa, providing a unique portrait of Kennedy during a significant moment in American and South African history.
According to Shore, Kennedy’s visit offered hope and courage to Black and White opponents of apartheid during a time of isolation and limited global awareness of South Africa’s situation.
Media and Cultural Studies Lecturer, Ms Luthando Ngema thanked Shore for his time and presentation: ‘He shared intricate information on the production process, including his directorial choices on what to include and exclude from the narrative about Kennedy’s visit in the 1960s.’
Ngema added that the film was valuable to media students who are currently studying how the media in South Africa is influenced by the political discourse.
Watch the full documentary here: RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope – Tami Gold (tamigoldfilms.com)