| ABC | American Broadcasting Company |
| ABFT | Amy Biehl Foundation Trust |
| AIDS | Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
| ANC | African National Congress |
| AP | Associated Press |
| APLA | Azanian Peoples’ Liberation Army |
| AWB | Afrikaner Resistance Movement (Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging) |
| AZAPO | Azanian Peoples’ Organization |
| BFP | Biehl family papers |
| CA | California |
| CBS | Columbia Broadcasting System |
| CDS | Centre for Development Studies |
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer |
| CIA | Central Intelligence Agency |
| CNN | Cable News Network |
| CODESA | Convention for a Democratic South Africa |
| COSAG | Concerned South Africans Group |
| COSAS | Congress of South African Students |
| COSATU | Congress of South African Trade Unions |
| CSU | California State University |
| c.v. | curriculum vitae |
| D.C. | District of Columbia |
| DNC | Democratic National Committee |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product |
| GPA | Grade point average |
| IDASA | Institute for a Democratic Alternative for South Africa |
| KS | Kansas |
| LA Times | Los Angeles Times |
| LAX | Los Angeles International Airport |
| M.A. | Master of Arts |
| MA | Massachusetts |
| MBA | Master of Business Administration |
| MESAB | Medical Education for South African Blacks |
| MP | Member of Parliament |
| NAACP | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People |
| NADEL | National Association of Democratic Lawyers |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NBC | National Broadcasting Company |
| NCAA | National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| NDI | National Democratic Institute for International Affairs |
| NGO | Non-governmental organization |
| NPR | National Public Radio |
| NY | Native Yard |
| NY | New York |
| NYT | New York Times |
| OCR | Orange County Register |
| PAC | Pan Africanist Congress |
| PASO | Pan Africanist Students’ Organization |
| PhD | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Rev. | Reverend |
| SABC | South African Broadcasting Corporation |
| SADF | South African Defence Force |
| SADTU | South African Democratic Teachers’ Union |
| SAIRR | South African Institute of Race Relations |
| SAP | South African Police |
| SWAPO | South West Africa People’s Organization |
| TRC | Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
| UCLA | University of California at Los Angeles |
| UCT | University of Cape Town |
| UDF | United Democratic Front |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| US | United States |
| USAID | United States Agency for International Development |
| USIS | United States Information Service |
| USSR | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| UWC | University of the Western Cape |
| WNC | Women’s National Coalition |
| YMCA | Young Men’s Christian Association |
