GBH Openvault

Say Brother; Polaroid in South Africa; Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa

Part of Say Brother.

03/03/1978

In this clip Robert Lenzner, reporter for the Boston Globe, talks about his involvement in uncovering the story about Polaroid's South African distributor violating the terms of Polaroid's policy not to sell to the South African Government that ultimately led to Polaroid's decision on November 21, 1977 to cut off all business ties with South Africa, making it the first major American firm to withdraw from the country for political reasons. Overall this program focuses on Polaroid's decision on November 21, 1977 to cut off all business ties with South Africa, making it the first major American firm to withdraw from the country for political reasons. Host Stephen Curwood speaks with Boston Globe reporter Robert Lenzner, People Against National Identity Cards representative Caroline Hunter (who lost her job with Polaroid in 1970 for protesting the company's policy in South Africa), and African National Congress member Themba Vilakazi about Polaroid's history in South Africa, Lenzner's news article that spurred the withdrawal, the denial of Polaroid management that they knew their agreement with their distributor in South Africa was in violation; and the impact of the withdrawal on Black South Africans. Additional segments include an excerpt of a press conference with Dr. Edwin Land (Polaroid's founder), the "Say Brother News" with reporters Margaret Tarter, Leah Fletcher, and Karen Holmes, and the "Community Calendar." Produced by Barbara Barrow-Murray. Directed by David Atwood.


License Clip
Series
Say Brother
Program
Polaroid in South Africa
Program Number

820

Title

Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa

Series Description

Say Brother is WGBH's longest running public affairs television program by, for and about African Americans, and is now known as Basic Black. Since its inception in 1968, Say Brother has featured the voices of both locally and nationally known African American artists, athletes, performers, politicians, professionals, and writers including: Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Thomas Atkins, Amiri Baraka, Doris Bunte, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farrakhan, Nikki Giovanni, Odetta Gordon, Henry Hampton, Benjamin Hooks, Jesse Jackson, Hubie Jones, Mel King, Eartha Kitt, Elma Lewis, Haki Madhubuti, Wallace D. Muhammad, Charles Ogletree, Babatunde Olatunji, Byron Rushing, Owusu Sadaukai, and Sonia Sanchez. Series release date: 7/15/1968

Program Description

Program focuses on Polaroid's decision on November 21, 1977 to cut off all business ties with South Africa, making it the first major American firm to withdraw from the country for political reasons. Host Stephen Curwood speaks with Boston Globe reporter Robert Lenzner, People Against National Identity Cards representative Caroline Hunter (who lost her job with Polaroid in 1970 for protesting the company's policy in South Africa), and African National Congress member Themba Vilakazi about Polaroid's history in South Africa, Lenzner's news article that spurred the withdrawal, the denial of Polaroid management that they knew their agreement with their distributor in South Africa was in violation; and the impact of the withdrawal on Black South Africans. Additional segments include an excerpt of a press conference with Dr. Edwin Land (Polaroid's founder), the "Say Brother News" with reporters Margaret Tarter, Leah Fletcher, and Karen Holmes, and the "Community Calendar."

Asset Type

Clip

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Land, Dr. Edwin
Lenzner, Robert
United States--Relations--South Africa
Ballard, Loraine
Polaroid Corporation
Vilakazi, Themba
Civil rights
Social responsibility of business
Hunter, Caroline
Apartheid--South Africa
Segregation
Chunn, Kelly
Genres
Magazine
Topics
Race and Ethnicity
Creators
Barrow-Murray, Barbara (Producer)
Atwood, David (Director)
Contributors
Curwood, Stephen (Host)
Tarter, Margaret (Reporter)
Fletcher, Leah (Reporter)
Holmes, Karen (Reporter)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Say Brother; Polaroid in South Africa; Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa,” 03/03/1978, GBH Archives, accessed March 28, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_E301478609D741AC8F3D13E9814912B8.
MLA: “Say Brother; Polaroid in South Africa; Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa.” 03/03/1978. GBH Archives. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_E301478609D741AC8F3D13E9814912B8>.
APA: Say Brother; Polaroid in South Africa; Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_E301478609D741AC8F3D13E9814912B8
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