A museum, named the Anti-Apartheid Legacy: Centre of Memory and Learning, is set to open in Angel, Islington by 2025. It will be located at 28 Penton Street, a historically significant building that served as the London headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC) during the fight against apartheid in South Africa. From 1978 to 1994, this site was a hub for international efforts, hosting notable figures like Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki.The museum will explore the history of the anti-apartheid movement, showcasing exhibitions, events, and workshops. Its aim is to educate visitors about this pivotal Black-led social movement and its influence on both South African liberation and the fight against racism and inequality globally. The project is managed by The Liliesleaf Trust UK and has received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, although further support is still needed.This will be the first UK museum dedicated to apartheid and is designed to inspire new generations by preserving stories of freedom and resilience
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00:00Well, this building behind us was the headquarters of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela's
00:07African National Congress, whilst he was in prison for 27 years. And of course, in 1982,
00:14it was firebombed by the apartheid security police. They were never caught. Nobody ever
00:19really looked for them. But it was a terrible attack that could have killed people. Fortunately,
00:26only injured people, but that was bad enough. This building is now being restored and it
00:30will become a cultural centre, which will be useful for anyone of any background to
00:39come to learn about the anti-apartheid movement, to learn about the history of South Africa,
00:46and also to probably, you know, take its place amongst the broader fight against social injustice.
00:54I hope that this new centre of memory and learning, an anti-apartheid centre of memory
01:00and learning, will not only allow people to learn about the past and the most institutionalised
01:06system of racism the world has ever seen, but also to apply some of the lessons of that
01:13to today. We still face terrible problems of racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and
01:21all sorts of other forms of discrimination. And it's really important that the values
01:25of the anti-apartheid struggle are remembered through this centre, whether by children or
01:30other visitors, and then applied to modern day.