Today In Black History June 11, 1962... Nelson Mandela arrested in struggle against South African apartheid government.
On June 11, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested by South African police while on his way back to Johannesburg from a secret trip. This arrest was a significant event in Mandela's life and in the history of South Africa's struggle against apartheid.
Nelson Mandela was a key figure in the African National Congress (ANC), a political organization fighting against the apartheid regime in South Africa. By 1961, the ANC had adopted more militant tactics in response to the increasing repression and brutality of the apartheid government. Mandela played a crucial role in forming the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation"), which aimed to sabotage government installations and symbols of apartheid without causing loss of life. Mandela's arrest on June 11, 1962, came after he had been underground for 17 months. During this period, he traveled extensively, both within South Africa and abroad, to garner support for the anti-apartheid struggle and to receive military training. His international travels included visits to other African countries, as well as to Europe.
In 1973, journalist Tony Brown hosted a “Black Journal” television special featuring the time’s most prominent Black leaders. Audiences were tuned into a roundtable that included thought leaders such as Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael; Fannie Lou Hamer, and Angela Davis. Other voices included politicians such as Congressman Louis Stokes, then of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton while organizations such as the National Business League, National Urban League, and NAACP were represented by Berkeley G. Burrell and James D. Williams, respectively.