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　　Television news images of the violent struggles toend apartheid in South Africa captured the attentionof Americans in the 1980's.

　　They also galvanized support for the US Anti-Apartheid movement. Former US CongressmanRon Dellums was one of the leaders of the movement. He says, "Challenging apartheid inSouth Africa became a logical next place to go.

　　He worked to expose the plight of South Africa's blacks along with the injustices carried out bythe white minority government. Dellums introduced anti-apartheid legislation in Congressbanning trade and investment in South Africa, and also led many demonstrations in whichordinary people and many celebrities were arrested.

　　"They went out there to put themselves on the line to say, 'Look if South Africans could bebeaten and jailed the least we could do is go out there and experience some discomfortourselves and be one with our sisters and brothers in the struggle to liberate them.," he said.

　　Howard Dodson, director of the Howard University Library, remembers protesting with his sonoutside the South African consulate in Atlanta.

　　"The anti-apartheid activities in the United States actually reverberated around the world leadingother people to develop their own demonstration activities and that was probably as critical tothe overthrow of apartheid as anything else that was going on," he said.

　　Students also protested on university campuses - calling on schools and corporations get rid oftheir investments in South Africa.

　　Nelson Mandela's granddaughter Tukwini says the US Anti-Apartheid movement and othershelped turn international opinion decisively against the apartheid regime.

　　"My grandfather and others really appreciated that because they realized that without thesupport from the outside there would not have necessarily been successful in dismantlingapartheid," she said.

　　In 1986, Congress approved a law (The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act) imposing toughU.S. economic sanctions against South Africa. President Ronald Reagan opposed the measureand vetoed it. But days later, lawmakers overrode his veto.

　　Former Republican Senator Richard Lugar supported the sanctions. He said, "This led the SouthAfrican government, I believe, to reconsider its policies not immediately but certainly under thedint of the difficult sanctions that were there. And it led to the freedom of Nelson Mandela.

　　Apartheid ended in 1994, and Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa's President. During astate visit to Washington he thanked Americans for their support.

　　"You have no idea how your involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle in our country actuallyhelped to facilitate the transformation," said Mandela.

　　Ron Dellums says the greatest reward for his anti-apartheid work came during a meeting withMr. Mandela.

　　"He [Mandela] looked at me and said Ronald Dellums we have heard much of you," he said. "Yougave us [South Africans] hope you kept us alive and he hugged me and I broke down and cried.I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.

　　Dellums says there's no doubt the determination and sacrifice by so many in the US anti-apartheid movement helped to change the course of history in South Africa.

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