“I wanted to make sure that everything I did, from the moment I arrived, was focused on bringing about political change in South Africa without violence."
- Edward Perkins, UMUC Alumnus
MyUMUC Story:
When duty called, Edward Perkins answered, helping to lay the groundwork for the end of apartheid in South Africa.
By Alita Byrd
In 1986, when President Ronald Reagan named Edward
Perkins U.S. ambassador to South Africa, people sat up and
took notice. At the time, the South African government was
still enforcing a strict system of apartheid, holding African
National Congress leaders like Nelson Mandela behind bars,
and using repressive laws to keep the majority black population from
voting and achieving equality with whites. Perkins—a career diplomat,
soldier, and 1967 UMUC graduate—would be the first black
ambassador to the troubled country.
Read the complete article in the Summer 2007 edition of Achiever, UMUC's alumni magazine.
- Achiever - Summer 2007 Issue (PDF 1.16 MB)
- Achiever - Summer 2007 (Interactive Flash Version)
