Molly Blackburn
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Molly Blackburn (née Bellhouse) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, political activist, civil rights campaigner and politician, widely respected by both blacks and whites.
[edit] Biography
Blackburn was born on 12 November 1930 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the daughter of Elgar Bellhouse, a one-time chairperson of the Progressive Party (PP) of Port Elizabeth who instilled liberal and progressive ideals in his daughter. (Verwey, E.J. (ed)(1995). New Dictionary of South African Biography, v.1, Pretoria: HSRC.)
She joined the Black Sash, an activist group founded in 1955 by six women (Jean Sinclair, Elizabeth McLaren, Ruth Foley, Tertia Pybus, Jean Bosazza and Helen Newton-Thompson), but eventually left due to what she perceived as the Sash's "inactivity".
In 1981 she started her political career by winning the Provincial Council seat of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, for the Progressive Federal Party (PFP). Di Bishop, who would become a life-long friend and fellow activist also won a council seat that year. Di Bishop had joined the Black Sash in 1978 and Molly returned to the order in 1982 with a lot of ideas of her own (see [1]).
She and Di began investigating rent restructuring and controversial police shootings. They began to be seen as "troublemakers" by the authorities. She received death threats and was arrested a few times (see [2]).
On 28 December 1985, Molly and Brian Bishop (Di's husband) were killed in a car accident between Oudshoorn and Port Elizabeth. Di Bishop and Molly's sister, a passenger, were injured. Molly was only 55 years old.
Molly Blackburn was survived by many, especially her husband and their seven children.
The Molly Blackburn High School was named in her honour in Kwanobuhle.
