Voting Station

Lionel Bernstein

Please vote to return to collections.

Advocate

The Resume

    (March 20, 1920-June 23, 2002)
    Born in Durban, South Africa
    Architect and anti-apartheid activist
    Married to fellow activist Hilda Bernstein
    Founding member of the Congress of the People (1954) and one of the drafters of its Freedom Charter
    One of ten anti-apartheid activists (including Nelson Mandela) tried for sabotage in the Rivonia Trial (1963-64)
    Only defendant found not guilty
    Went into exile in Botswana (1964) followed by Great Britain
    Returned to South Africa for its first multiracial elections (1994)

Why he might be annoying:

    He joined the South African Communist Party (1937).
    He felt he lacked the rhetorical skills to be an inspirational leader.
    His declaration in the Freedom Charter 'South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white' proved unexpectedly controversial, eventually prompting the pan-African wing of the ANC (African National Congress) to form a separate group.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was orphaned at age eight and raised by relatives.
    He served as a gunner in North Africa and Italy during World War II.
    He designed the first drive-in movie theater in South Africa.
    He and Hilda Bernstein were married for 61 years.
    He was detained without charges for five months during a state of emergency (1960).
    He was placed under house arrest and not allowed to leave his home after 6 PM (1962).
    In exile, he declined an offer of a salary from the ANC, preferring to earn his living independently as an architect.
    After the election of Nelson Mandela, he wrote, 'We are, perhaps, the luckiest generation on Earth, for we have seen the peaceful triumph of the cause to which we have dedicated our lives.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 32 Votes: 46.88% Annoying