Dr. Frances Jowell
Helen Suzman: Her Fight Against Apartheid and her Friendship with Nelson Mandela
Summary
Dr Frances Suzman Jowell discusses her late mother, Helen Suzman (1917-2009) who served as an opposition member of the South African Parliament for 36 years, during 13 (1961-74) of which she was the sole member of her party. She relentlessly challenged the apartheid policies of the Nationalist government and distinguished herself both in and out of Parliament by opposing and exposing the tragic consequences of apartheid legislation and its draconian enforcement, and by standing up for human rights and the rule of law. Her contribution to the struggle led to a close friendship with Nelson Mandela that endured until the end of her life.
Dr. Frances Jowell
Educated at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (BA, 1959), the Courtauld Institute, University of London (BA Hons, 1963), and Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. (PhD, 1971), Frances Suzman Jowell’s main areas of research have been on the life and writings of the political journalist, art critic, and art historian, Théophile Thoré, and on the work of Théodore Géricault. Her publications encompass the history of collecting and the art market, historiography, and the posthumous critical fortunes (and misfortunes) of artists. She has a particular interest in 19th-century revivals of earlier artists (eg. Hals and Vermeer) and has lectured and published in the UK and abroad on these subjects.