Three-and-a-half decades after the death of local anti-apartheid activist, Steve Biko, modern technology has enabled his legacy to live on, online.
Today sees Internet giant Google launching 42 online "historical exhibitions" that tell the stories behind some of the past century's most significant events. Among the stories told are a number of exhibitions featuring archive material about apartheid, including never-before-seen items about some of the most iconic South African heroes of the struggle.
The exhibitions have been put together by 17 of Google's partners, which have drawn on their archives of letters, manuscripts and firsthand video testimonials, among other resources. "Some of the material is very moving and some exhibitions feature items that have never been released into the public domain before," says Google.
Local legacy
Three of Google's South African partners, in particular, have been instrumental in the assembly of the apartheid stories.
Among the exhibitions featuring local content launched this morning is Steve Biko: Final Days - a series of exhibitions that tell the story of a 15-year-old's political awakening in the midst of the apartheid movement. The site features nine online documents never before released in the public domain, including Biko's 1973 banning order and Black People's Convention membership card.
Another South African hero the Internet has enshrined for posterity is Nelson Mandela. While the digital archive of the former president went live in March, Google has today updated the current archives to include new videos and images covering his early life, his prison years and democracy negotiations.
Sello Hatang, head of programming at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, says the organisation is excited to launch the second phase of the roughly seven-month-old archive. "We believe both local and international audiences will have greater access to the life and times of Nelson Mandela."
Thirdly, a digital archive of Apartheid events by Africa Media Online has been launched. This library features indelible South African events, as well as apartheid figures and material - such as the Sharpeville massacre, Soweto riots, 1913 Land Act, heads of government, women's anti-pass march, 1994 elections, the Treason Trial and a collection of apartheid signs.
Ongoing archiving
David Larsen, MD of Africa Media Online, says the organisation's partnership with Google has produced "rich collections" that the general public, both within Africa and around the world, now has access to.
"Over the years, we have worked hard to digitise significant holdings of many South African museums, archives and private collections. We are impressed by the way in which the collections are showcased on the Google Cultural Institute online system, and we are excited by the potential increase in Web traffic to the collections we represent, which at the end of the day, contributes toward the sustaining of those collections."
Google's latest exhibitions are the latest chapter in the work of the Google Cultural Institute, following the Art Project and World Wonders. "We are working closely with museums, foundations and other archives across SA and the world to make more cultural and historical material accessible online, and by doing so, preserve it for future generations," says Google.
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