- Sophia Williams-De Bruyn
Sophia Williams-De Bruyn (
1938 - ) was aSouth African anti-apartheid activist.Born in
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape , Williams-De Bruyn rose from working in the Van Lane Textile factory to become an executive member of the Textile Workers Union inPort Elizabeth . She was a founding member of the South African Congress of Trade Union (SACTU), the predecessor of the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU ). In 1955, she was appointed as a full-time organiser of the ‘Coloured People’s Congress’ inJohannesburg .On
August 9 ,1956 , she led the march of 20 000 women on theUnion Buildings ofPretoria along withLilian Ngoyi ,Albertina Sisulu , andHelen Joseph to protest the requirement that women carry pass books as part of thepass laws . She is the last living leader of the march.The recipient of numerous awards, she is currently a provincial legislator in
Gauteng Province.External links
* [http://www.interlog.com/~saww/2005Sophia.html Profile for the Woman of Distinction award by South African Women for Women (SAWW)]
* [http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/williamsdebruyn-s.htm South African History Online Profile]
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