“Suppose God Is Black”: Remembering The Late Senator Robert F. Kennedy

On Wednesday, the 17th of June, the death occurred of Jean Kennedy Smith, who passed away at her home in Manhattan, New York at the age of 92.

Born Jean Ann Kennedy, she would be known to most people as one of the Kennedy siblings which included the late US President John F. Kennedy; Robert (affectionately referred to as RFK) and Edward, were two of her brothers who also served in politics.

As US Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998, Jean Kennedy Smith is remembered for the significant role she played in Ireland's Peace Process.

It might also be significant that her death occurred in the same month as 54 years ago, when a historic visit to South Africa by her brother, the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy took place.

RFK's tremendous work in the area of Civil and Human Rights in the United States, and that visit to South Africa in June, 1966 couldn’t have been more relevant to what is currently happening, as can be seen from the quote from one of his speeches below:

The person responsible for inviting Senator Kennedy to South Africa is Ian Alexander Robertson, the then leader of the National Union of South Africa Students (NUSAS). 

Now living in the United States, Robertson, who himself received a Banning Order signed on the 3rd of May, 1966, by the South African government, recalled RFK’s visit in an article published in The Mercury in June 2016.

US senator Robert F. Kennedy giving Ian Robertson a gift of the book written by his brother, John F Kennedy when they met in South Africa in June, 1966.

During his visit, RFK delivered a series of speeches to students at universities across South Africa. What was described as his most famous speech, dubbed the “Ripple of Hope” address, was delivered at the University of Cape Town to mark the NUSAS’s annual Day of Affirmation.

A Meeting Of Great Minds: During his 1966 visit to South Africa, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy met with anti-apartheid activist Chief Luthuli and later spoke publicly about their meeting. Because of a government ban on media coverage of Luthuli, it was the first news many had of their leader in more than five years.

Today, the Day of Affirmation speech is the resource for one of the programmes in Civil and Human Rights developed to be used by teachers as part of the RFK Legacy Education Project.

As highlighted earlier, the information presented is very relevant to what is currently happening, and which will also widen students’ understanding by placing the events in a historical context.