On this day in 1955, six feisty, middle-class white women mobilised the support of thousands to march in protest against laws aimed at removing so-called ‘coloured’ people from the voters roll.
That was the birth of Black Sash, which at the time was called the ‘Women’s Defence of the Constitution League’.
They organised marches, petitions, overnight vigils, protest meetings and a convoy of cars from Johannesburg to Cape Town. They became known for the symbol of a black sash, worn by members, and draped over a symbolic replica of the constitution when the Senate Bill and the Separate Representation of Voters Bill were eventually passed. Despite their failed challenge, the women of the League refused to pack away their black sashes, worn in mourning over the loss of constitutional rights. Instead, they formally took on the name of the Black Sash and embarked on new campaigns against the erosion of civil liberties, racial segregation and the damage inflicted by the policy of migrant labour.
While the Black Sash’s initial focus was on constitutional issues, it expanded to include the moral, legal and socio-economic issues around racial discrimination.
Currently, the Black Sash works in three areas in the social protection arena, with an emphasis on women and children: rights-based information, education and training; community monitoring; and advocacy in partnership.
Source: www.blacksash.org.za