Mary Burton reflects on activism, education and the unfinished work of justice

As South Africa marks fifty years since the June 16 Soweto Uprising, long-time activist Mary Burton reflects on the experiences that shaped her political consciousness and commitment to justice. Having grown up in Argentina and Brazil before settling in South Africa, Burton describes finding both community and purpose through the Black Sash, an organisation that introduced her to the realities of apartheid and connected her to others committed to social change.

She recalls UCT as a place of learning that opened new ways of understanding South African history, politics and inequality. Reflecting on student activism, educational inequality and the enduring effects of apartheid, Burton argues that universities still have an important role to play in confronting poverty, unequal schooling and social injustice.

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