Catalogue Number
NMLH.2022.171.2
Object Name
Badge
Date
1984
Description
Small black and white circular badge with the yin and yang symbol. The badge is printed with the logo of the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM): the letters A and A printed black on white and white on black on the symbol of the yin and yang, which in Chinese philosophy represents the dual distribution of complementary powers. Badges bearing this design were first worn by people protesting in London against the massacre of black protesters by police in the South African township of Sharpeville in 1960.
In the 1980s, membership of the AAM reached 25,000 as the campaign for an end to apartheid grew into Britainâs largest mass movement on an international issue. An important aspect of the campaign was the isolation of South Africa both economically and through the breaking of sporting and cultural links. As the British government refused to impose economic sanctions, the AAM led âpeopleâs sanctionsâ - boycotts of South African imports and of businesses with South African subsidiaries. The AAM also led the international campaign for the release of Nelson Mandela. They communicated campaign messages through mass marches, pickets and high profile concerts, as well as by distributing printed materials and badges such as this one. Apartheid was a system in South Africa which meant that racial segregation was enforced by law. South Africa also extended these laws over to Namibia (then South West Africa), one of the last countries in Africa to gain independence. The badge is in good condition, and has a metal backing and pin.
