Dr Allan Boesak: The only South African featured in the 2026 African American History Calendar.
Image: File picture
For nearly four decades, a slim wall calendar has quietly found its way into classrooms, churches and homes across the United States, marking more than just dates.
The Collector's Edition African American History Calendar 2026, published by KD Yarber Publishing, celebrates a curated roster of black figures who shaped history.
This year, Dr Allan Boesak is featured as the only South African, standing alongside iconic African American pioneers.
Speaking to IOL about his inclusion, Boesak admitted, "When I was approached last year, I was absolutely stunned. I mean, it's not something that I had expected at all."
Boesak's life has long been intertwined with the global struggle for justice.
A theologian, anti-apartheid activist and political leader, he helped mobilise international opposition to the country's apartheid regime and built bridges with African American civil rights leaders.
He reflected on that shared history. "Now, my history with the African American struggle and my efforts to see the connections and coordinate between our anti-apartheid struggle and their struggle for civil rights.
"It is one thing to sort of write about it, and it's another thing to be so colossally honoured by being included as one of the people that they place alongside really, really great names, iconic names, in the struggle of Black Americans for their human rights in the US."
South African Dr Allan Boesak recognised in prestigious African American History Calendar.
Image: SUPPLIED
The calendar itself is steeped in symbolism, featuring Frederick Douglass on the cover, a figure Boesak has long admired.
"It's amazing. I have been a follower and an admirer of Douglass for a long time, and he is featured in the month of July."
Other luminaries such as Ella Baker, a pioneering woman of the civil rights movement, are included, and Boesak sees this recognition as deeply meaningful.
"But the other thing, of course, that just threw me was that I am the only non-American… and that they see me as somebody not just as a brother connected to the struggle, but as somebody that they have claimed as their own to be put in the company of others like this."
Boesak spoke of the personal significance of the honour, coming at a milestone birthday.
"I was saying to my family yesterday, I struggle to find words for it. And so, it comes in this time of celebration of my 80th birthday, and it is a privilege that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
Boesak's story is not only one of triumph over apartheid and advocacy for human rights, but also of enduring moral engagement.
By placing him alongside icons such as Douglass and Baker, the calendar draws a line between continents and generations, from the pulpits of Cape Town to the streets of Washington.
IOL News