As we mark the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's historic presidency of South Africa, we reflect on his timeless words. Mandela and his legacy challenge us to confront the urgent issues of our time with courage and conviction.  

 GET UP! STAND UP! serves as a testament to Chicago's legacy of activism and its profound impact on the global struggle against apartheid. The exhibition celebrates the grassroots organizations and individuals whose efforts in Chicago and around the world contributed to dismantling the oppressive apartheid regime in South and Southern Africa. 

The exhibition features archival materials from the Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement Collections at Columbia College Chicago. It immerses us in key moments of Chicago's anti-apartheid movement through original protest posters and photographs, sample ballots from Mandela’s election, a Soweto Day Walkathon banner, t-shirts, and anti-apartheid booklets. The collection challenges us to continue the fight against current global issues like genocide, gender-based violence, the climate crisis, and more. 

New video interviews of three veteran Chicago-based activists, Dr. Lisa Brock, Otis Cunningham, and Dr. Cheryl Johnson-Odim, record the testimony of their fight against apartheid in South Africa. Their courage serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for justice in our current geopolitical climate and inspires a new generation of Chicago activists.  

GET UP! STAND UP! is a call to action. Chicago’s engagement in the global anti-apartheid movement demonstrates the impact we can make when we reach across communities and borders. These successes motivate us to join global activists fighting for social change.  

 Special thanks to Heidi Marshall and Dominic Rossetti at the Columbia College Chicago Archives and Special Collections, and Peter Fitzpatrick, Community Engagement Special Advisor, and to La Toia Brown and Chris Martin at Nerdy Media. GET UP! STAND UP!  is supported through The Council of Independent Colleges – Humanities Research for the Public Good grant.  

GET UP! STAND UP! was curated, designed, and produced by students in the Gallery Management Practicum at Columbia College Chicago, a student-run collaboration between the Business and Entrepreneurship Department and the Student Center.