Josie Mpama/Palmer

While African National Congress narratives dominate much of the scholarship on South Africas freedom struggle, Josie Mpama/Palmers political life offers a different perspective. Highly critical of the patriarchal attitudes that hindered black women from actively participating in politics, Mpama/Palmer was an outspoken advocate for womens social equality. and encouraged black women to become more involved in national conversations. Mpama/Palmer was the first black woman to join the Communist Party of South Africa, and spent a year in Moscow at the Lenin School. She was an integral figure in establishing the Federation of South African Women, an organization, and served as its Potchefstroom Branch Secretary. Mpama/Palmers activism and political legacy is an inspiring example for women in South Africa and around the world.