Terry was an active member of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), which was born in 1960 after theSharpeville Massacre and succeeded the Boycott Movement of 1959. The AAM was established in response to an appeal by Chief Albert Luthuli, President of the African National Congress (ANC) and other leaders for a boycott of all South African goods in support of a call for total sanctions against the apartheid regime. After Sharpeville it was recognised that the AAM was needed as a permanent organisation to work towards the eradication of the apartheid system, which was a major threat to international peace and security.
From his days as a student leader in the late 1960s and for more than 25 years thereafter, Terry organised meetings , spoke at gatherings, organised rallies of over 250,000 people and he organized the huge Wembley Stadium concerts for Nelson Mandela in 1988 and 1990. He was the Executive Secretary of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement from 1975-1994.
Terry died on 2 December 2008* after a heart attack in London.
*Note: Some sources say he died on 2 December 2008 while others say he died on 3 December 2008.