Thomas Kochtanek, associate professor of information science at the University of Missouri, will speak at William Woods University on Feb. 9 about South Africa and the access to information about the country's struggle from apartheid to democracy.
Kochtanek will talk about Project Mayibuye at 6 p.m. in the WWU library auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.
According to a press release, the University of Missouri is partnering with the University of the Western Cape and the Robben Island Museum in South Africa to improve access to the Mayibuye Archives - a collection of photos, posters, videos, letters and other documents. The collection documents the campaign in South Africa and around the world to bring down the apartheid regime, and is currently only accessible to visitors to the University of the Western Cape.
During his presentation at William Woods, Kochtanek will share his experience chronicling the history of apartheid and the struggle for democracy and the importance of making the archives - including documents from Nelson Mandela - available to the public.
Kochtanek's presentation is part of a series intended to educate William Woods students, in particular a group planning to travel to South Africa over spring break as part of the Woods Around the World trip.