Molly Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Molly Bellhouse Blackburn (12 November 1930 - 28 December 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid
activist, political activist, civil rights campaigner and politician, widely respected by both blacks and whites.
(PP) of Port Elizabeth who instilled liberal and progressive ideals in his daughter.
Graduating from Rhodes with a BA Degree after finishing school in 1947 with a first class matriculation, Blackburn spent time teaching in London before settling in Belgium. Seven years later however she returned to Port Elizabeth. She joined the Black Sash
, an activist group founded in 1955 by six women (Jean Sinclair, Elizabeth McLaren, Ruth Foley, Tertia Pybus, Jean Bosazza and Helen Newton-Thompson), but eventually left due to what she perceived as the Sash's "inactivity".
In 1981 she started her political career by winning the Provincial Council seat of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, for the Progressive Federal Party
(PFP). Di Bishop, who would become a life-long friend and fellow activist also won a council seat that year. Di Bishop had joined the Black Sash
in 1978 and Molly returned to the order in 1982 with a lot of ideas of her own
She and Di began investigating rent restructuring and controversial police shootings. They began to be seen as "troublemakers" by the authorities. She received death threats and was arrested a few times .
On 28 December 1985, Molly and Brian Bishop (Di Bishop's husband) were killed in a car accident between Oudshoorn
and Port Elizabeth. Di Bishop and Molly's sister, a passenger, were injured. She was 55 years old and Brian Bishop was 51 years old.
At her funeral which was held at St John's Church in Port Elizabeth on 1 January 1986, a crowd of 20,000 mostly black South Africans gathered to mourn her loss. Blackburn was survived by her husband and their seven children.
as well as the Molly Blackburn Memorial Hall at the University of Cape Town
Internal resistance to South African apartheid
Internal resistance to the apartheid system in South Africa came from several sectors of society and saw the creation of organisations dedicated variously to peaceful protests, passive resistance and armed insurrection. It came from both black activists like Steve Biko and Desmond Tutu as well as...
activist, political activist, civil rights campaigner and politician, widely respected by both blacks and whites.
Biography
Molly Bellhouse was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the daughter of Elgar Bellhouse (Buller) Pagden, a one-time chairperson of the Progressive PartyProgressive Party (South Africa)
The Progressive Party was a liberal party in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman...
(PP) of Port Elizabeth who instilled liberal and progressive ideals in his daughter.
Graduating from Rhodes with a BA Degree after finishing school in 1947 with a first class matriculation, Blackburn spent time teaching in London before settling in Belgium. Seven years later however she returned to Port Elizabeth. She joined the Black Sash
Black Sash
The Black Sash was a non-violent white women's resistance organization founded in 1955 in South Africa by Jean Sinclair. The Black Sash initially campaigned against the removal of Coloured or mixed race voters from the voters' roll in the Cape Province by the National Party government...
, an activist group founded in 1955 by six women (Jean Sinclair, Elizabeth McLaren, Ruth Foley, Tertia Pybus, Jean Bosazza and Helen Newton-Thompson), but eventually left due to what she perceived as the Sash's "inactivity".
In 1981 she started her political career by winning the Provincial Council seat of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, for the Progressive Federal Party
Progressive Federal Party
The Progressive Federal Party was a South African political party formed in 1977. It advocated power-sharing in South Africa through a federal constitution, in place of apartheid...
(PFP). Di Bishop, who would become a life-long friend and fellow activist also won a council seat that year. Di Bishop had joined the Black Sash
Black Sash
The Black Sash was a non-violent white women's resistance organization founded in 1955 in South Africa by Jean Sinclair. The Black Sash initially campaigned against the removal of Coloured or mixed race voters from the voters' roll in the Cape Province by the National Party government...
in 1978 and Molly returned to the order in 1982 with a lot of ideas of her own
She and Di began investigating rent restructuring and controversial police shootings. They began to be seen as "troublemakers" by the authorities. She received death threats and was arrested a few times .
On 28 December 1985, Molly and Brian Bishop (Di Bishop's husband) were killed in a car accident between Oudshoorn
Oudshoorn
Oudshoorn is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It was located on the Oude Rijn, opposite the village of Alphen, with which it merged to form the city of Alphen aan den Rijn....
and Port Elizabeth. Di Bishop and Molly's sister, a passenger, were injured. She was 55 years old and Brian Bishop was 51 years old.
At her funeral which was held at St John's Church in Port Elizabeth on 1 January 1986, a crowd of 20,000 mostly black South Africans gathered to mourn her loss. Blackburn was survived by her husband and their seven children.
Legacy
The Molly Blackburn High School was named in her honour in Kwanobuhle,as well as the Molly Blackburn Memorial Hall at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...