Activism and Protests at Davidson College

Divestment from Apartheid

Davidson Students Against Apartheid

Campus conversations about the issue of apartheid in South Africa began as early as 1978, as the Board of Trustees' Finance committee began reviewing the college's investment policies. However, it wasn't until the mid-1980s that Davidson students began to formally organize around the issue of apartheid. Davidson Students Against Apartheid (or Students Against Apartheid) was a student organization active from 1986 to 1989 that campaigned for the college's divestment from companies conducting business in South Africa. Students Against Apartheid actively demonstrated on Davidson's campus, including building shanties on Chambers lawn, holding teach-ins and petitioning campus administration to modify the college's investment policy and to divest from companies doing business in South Africa.

"Free South Africa" shanty in front of Chambers Building (Photograph 27-0004)

Davidson Students Against Apartheid partnered with other local organizations, including Davidson Alumni Against Apartheid and Charlotteans For a Free Southern Africa. For more about these organizations, visit the African Activist Archive Project and search by name. There are descriptions of the organizations and some digitized materials related to them. 

Coverage in The Davidsonian

Image from October 23, 1987 issue of The Davidsonian

Campus publications, such as student newspaper The Davidsonian, covered events related to student activism and campus issues. For more information on the activities of Davidson Students Against Apartheid and the issue of apartheid on campus, browse digitized issues of The Davidsonian. Individual issues are searchable by keyword.

Select articles related to Davidson Students Against Apartheid include:

Archival Materials

Archival materials are the institutional records of Davidson College from its establishment in 1837 to the present day. Included within the collections are president's office records, academic department files, and student organization records. Listed below is a selection of relevant collections related to the college's divestment from South Africa. Collections are organized by record group, along with a brief description of the collection's contents, and are hyperlinked to the collection's digital finding aid.