Luke Ekstrom, Brigham Young University
In the early twentieth century, Charlotte Mannya Maxeke was the most eminent female leader in the South African resistance movement. As a prominent female member of the South African Native National Congress, the founder of the Bantu Women’s League in 1918, and the first black female South African to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1901, Maxeke labored unceasingly in the struggle for equal rights for both black Africans and women. Despite her leading role, relatively little scholarly research has focused on Maxeke and her life. The first dedicated biography of Maxeke was not published until 2016 by South African journalist Zubeida Jaffer. Among the great deal of scholarly work dealing with the history of the women’s resistance in South Africa, Maxeke’s contributions have only been lightly explored, leaving a great deal of Maxeke’s activism and legacy unexplored. The aim of the research was to use Maxeke’s own words to analyze her personal beliefs and construct a nuanced narrative of Maxeke’s intentions as an African woman as she struggled for justice and equality. Although Maxeke advocated for women’s rights and equal treatment for black South Africans, her Christian faith played a leading role in shaping her intentions for South Africa. Maxeke served selflessly to promote the ideas of dignity, family values, and faith in society. While Maxeke’s Christian emphasis often led to disconnect between her goals and those of other South African feminists, her position as a champion of women’s rights is undisputed. Ultimately Charlotte Maxeke’s life illustrates the variety of perspectives and goals within both women’s and African’s struggles for liberation in the twentieth century. To construct a narrative of Charlotte Maxeke’s intentions, research was undertaken to find her own words. The time period of the research spanned from the formation of the South African Native National Congress in 1912 to Maxeke’s death in 1939, focusing on sources from within the South African Colony. Using Newspaper articles written by Maxeke herself from Umteteli Wa Bantu and Abantu Batho, transcripts of Maxeke’s speeches, and meeting minutes from the SANNC and Bantu Women’s League, a clear picture of Maxeke’s motivations and contribution to the resistance movement was constructed. The sources were analyzed with the context of concurrent events in mind to understand the effect that oppressive state policies and resistance efforts had on Maxeke’s intentions and emphases as a leader.