United States of America (USA)
The earliest anti-activities in the USA date back to 1946 with a rally and picket by Indian students (protesting against Smuts’ speech at the UN) at the South African Embassy organised by the Council on African Affairs (CCA). Actions followed in 1952 to support the Defiance Campaign of the ANC in South Africa. Hundreds of organisations became involved over the years; many independent and local but working with national organisations. African-American entities played an important role in the national movement and linked the Civil Rights Movement in the USA with anti-apartheid activities.
Anti-Apartheid Organisations/People
A. Philip Randolph
Mr A. Philip Randolph, an African American labour and civil rights activist (1889-1979) was a member of the Committee of Americans for South African Resistance (AFSAR), founded in 1952 to support the Defiance Campaign. He was also a member of ACOA and headed the Committee on Conscience against Apartheid, formed by ACOA. He was very active in the End Loans campaigns
The Library of Congress has a collection of his Africa related materials covering the period 1949-1969.
Africa Fund
The Africa Fund was founded in 1966 by the American Committee on Africa. They shared offices and staff but had separate boards and budgets. It supported health and educational projects of the liberations movements. It also supported the South African Council of Churches to aid political prisoners and their families. It researched American corporations and their ties with South Africa. It merged in 2001 with APIC and ACO to form Africa Action.
The Amistad Research Centre at Tulane University holds the archive of the organisation covering the period 1949-2001.
http://www.amistadresearchcenter.org/
The Yale University Library holds the collection of Globalvision, South Africa Now. The TV programme South Africa Now was produced in cooperation with The Africa Fund and the archive contains video tapes, around 150 newscasts, some transcripts and footage and tapes of interviews. It also documents the activities of the international AAMs. It covers the period 1978-1991 but the bulk of the collections are from 1988 onwards.
The Law Faculty at Florida State University holds a collection covering the period 1980-1998 and contains publications, pamphlets and press releases.
Alexander Defence Committee: Madison Chapter
This local branch of the international Alexander Defence Committee was established to protest against and assist political prisoners, particularly Dr. Neville Alexander. It was in existence from 1964 – 1968.
The Wisconsin State Historical Society holds a small collection of the organisation and it consists of press releases, correspondence, newspaper clippings and background materials.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org
The Robben Island Museum - Mayibuye Archives holds a collection of papers.
http://www.robben-island.org.za
American Committee on Africa (ACOA)
The African Committee on Africa (ACOA) was formed in 1953 to support the liberation struggle in Africa. It grew out of the ad-hoc organisation Americans for South African Resistance (AFSAR), setup to support the Defiance Campaign of the ANC in 1952. It started with an office in New York City and opened an office in Washington DC in 1967. The NY office had a national focus and organised sanctions and disinvestment campaigns on universities, churches, states and cities. It merged in 2001 with AF and APIC to form Africa Action.
The Amistad Research Centre, Tulane University, holds the entire archive covering the period 1949-2001 and it includes the records of AFSAR. ACOA material can also be found in the collection of Mary-Louise Hooper (see below).
http://www.amistadresearchcenter.org/
The Penrose Library, University of Denver holds the magazines of the organisation, Africa Today, covering the period 1954-1998.
The African Activist Archive at Michigan State University Library holds the archive of Ms Mary-Louise Hooper who worked for Chief Albert Luthuli and, when forced to go back to the USA, worked with the ACOA and IDAF-USA.
Swarthmore College holds a small collection of the papers of AJ Muste, one of the founders of ACOA.
http://www.swarthmore.edu/library.xml
The Law Faculty at Florida State University holds a small collection covering the period 1980-1998 and contains publications, pamphlets and press releases.
The University of Cape Town Library holds the archive of the Amistad Research Centre on microfilm, covering the period 1952-1985.
American Coordinating Committee for Equality in Sport and Society (ACCESS)
ACCCESS was founded in 1976 by Richard Lapchick (see below) and focussed on the sports boycott. It led the boycott actions against the Davis Cup tennis match between the USA and South Africa and was also involved in the campaign against the Springbok Rugby Tour to the USA. The organisation dissolved around 1991.
Michigan State University Library holds a small collection covering the period ca 1969-ca1991.
The Law faculty has materials covering 1980-1981.
The Northeastern University Libraries holds the records of the Centre for Study of Sport in Society (CSSS). CSSS was established by Richard Lapchick and was the first organisation of its kind connecting sports with society. It contains materials from ACCESS and other AAMs, also internationally. The bulk of the collection covers the period 1985-1998.
Anti-Apartheid Support Group (AASG)
AASG was based at the University of North Carolina and consisted mainly of students. It operated from about 1980-1987. Its main focus was to pressurise the University to disinvest from South Africa. The group dissolved when the university voted to divest in 1987.
University of North Carolina holds the entire archive of the organisation.
Boston Coalition for the Liberation of Southern Africa (BCLSA)
BCLSA was established after the 1976 Soweto uprising and started with a campaign against the ties between the FNB (First National Bank) of Boston and South Africa. It remained a specialist organisation but broadened its activities to disinvestment and boycott. It helped to form MassDivest in 1980, an organisation which led the campaign to disinvest the state pension from companies doing business with South Africa. It ceased to be a separate organisation in the mid 1980s and joined other organisations such as Free South Africa and TransAfrica.
Michigan State University Library has the records of the organisation covering the period 1970s-1990s. The collection holds materials from other organisations as well, for example the Polaroid Campaign and the Gulf Oil Boycott.
Capital District Coalition against Apartheid and Racism (CD-CAAR)
CD-CAAR was started by Washington residents to prevent the Springbok Rugby Tour in 1981. It was a member of the Social Justice Center, an umbrella organisation dealing with peace and justice. It organised pickets and boycott campaigns, especially supporting the cultural boycott and was also active against racism in the USA. It campaigned for the divestment of New York state pension funds from companies dealing with South Africa. It re-organised itself in 1995 and changed its name to Capital District Coalition for Southern Africa and Against Racism.
The University Libraries at Albany State University, New York holds the archive of the organisation on microfilm.
Carla Weitzel
Carla Weitzel was a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia and one of the leaders in the disinvestment campaign at the university which began in 1978. The group organised rallies, wrote articles, etc.
The University of Missouri, Columbia holds her papers covering the period 1953-2000. It contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, campaign materials and printed materials.
Champaign-Urbana Coalition against Apartheid
This was a campus based group at the University of Illinois. It operated from 1964-1991 and worked especially for disinvestment by the university, boycott and human rights campaigns
The University of Illinois holds the collection of the group covering the period 1964-1991 and contains correspondence, newspaper articles, newsletters, posters and publications of other AAMs in the USA.
The library also holds the collection of Dean E. McHenry containing documents regarding the Champaign-Urbana Coalition against Apartheid and the investment policies of the university regarding South Africa. It covers the period 1977-1979.
http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu
Charlotteans for a Free Southern Africa
This local anti-apartheid organisation organised protests against loans by local business to the South African government. It organised speakers, pickets, etc.
The J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina holds the collection of the organisation covering the period 1988-1993
Cleveland Robinson
Cleveland Robinson was an African American trade union leader and civil rights activist and active in anti-apartheid campaigns.
The Tamiment Library holds his papers covering the period 1960-1992 and the collection contains correspondence, campaign materials, documents and news clippings. Included in the collection are records of several anti-apartheid campaigns and organisations in the USA and South Africa.
Committee for Health in Southern Africa (CHISA)
CHISA was a specialist organisation, founded in 1984 and operating till 1995. This specialist organisation worked on health and related human rights issues in South Africa as well as the role of health professionals and organisations. It maintained contacts with NAMDA (National Medical and Dental Association), a progressive health organisation in South Africa). CHISA was also active in other countries in North America.
The African Studies Library at Colombia University holds the archive of the organisation covering the period 1981-1998, with the bulk being from 1985 to 1991.
Committee to End Apartheid, Springfield, Massachusetts
This was a local anti-apartheid organisation.
Smith College holds the substantial collection of Francis Crowe papers (part of the Sophia Smith collection) covering the period of 1960-2003. It contains of the committee documents, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs and campaign materials
Committee to Oppose Bank Loans to South Africa – New York Chapter
This was the New York chapter of the national organisation.
The Wisconsin State Historical Society holds the collection of Beate Klein Becker, who was active in the local committee, covering the period 1977-1980. It contains papers and research files.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org
Cornell University Disinvestment Movement
A group at Cornell University, consisting of academics, staff and students organised disinvestment campaigns at the university from 1976-1987. The group organised sit-ins and civil disobedience activities.
Cornell University has the collection of the organisation covering the period 1976-1987 under the name David Lyons & Matthew Lyons Cornell Disinvestment Movement.
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Council on African Affairs (CAA)
The CAA started around 1943 and continued to operate till 1955. It worked on educating people on the history and struggle against colonialism and imperialism in Africa. It organised famine relief campaigns, legal defence funds and sit-ins and demonstrations. It organised public campaigns and fundraising for, amongst others, the ANC’s 1952 Defiance Campaign. The organisation was crippled by the emergence of the Cold War and the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee. It was repeatedly investigated.
The Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library, holds the archive of William Alphaeus Hunton, Educational Director and later Executive Secretary of the organisation.
The Centre also holds the collection of (singer and actor) Paul Robeson, one of the founders and chairman of the CAA. It covers the period 1944-1955 and contains correspondence, reports, press releases and news clippings.
Dennis Brutus
Mr Dennis Brutus was a South Africa activist against apartheid in the 1960s. He worked to get South Africa suspended from the Olympics; this eventually led to the country’s expulsion from the games in 1970. He had to leave South Africa in 1983 and went to work and live in the USA. He was president of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC).
Borthwick Institute of Historical Research at the University of York holds a substantial archive covering the period 1958-1972. It contains poems, correspondence, minutes, IDAF documents, AAM papers and SAN-ROC documents.
Educators against Racism and Apartheid
Educators against Racism and Apartheid began in 1985 as Educators against Apartheid but it extended its activities to include racism in the USA and changed its name. Besides developing educational materials for schools and publishing a newsletter distributed to educators all over the country; it also organised a boycott of Kellogg’s cereals, appealing to young people. It was active in a campaign to withdraw US teachers’ retirement funds from companies dealing with South Africa.
The African Activist Archive, Michigan State University holds the archive of the organisation covering the period 1985-1994.
Enuga Sreenivasulu Reddy
Mr ES Reddy was born in India and moved to the USA to study at New York University. He held several positions at the United Nations and a driving force behind the Special Committee against Apartheid (of which he was Secretary from 1963 -1965) and its Centre against Apartheid (of which he was Director from 1976-1983). He also served as Director of the UN Trust Fund for South Africa and the Educational and Training Programme for Southern Africa.
The Historical Papers at the William Cullen Library, University of the Witwatersrand has a substantial collection covering the period 1961-1990. It contains press clippings, memoranda, activities in various countries, boycott campaigns, correspondence.
Yale University Library-Manuscripts and Archives have a substantial collection covering the period 1939-2001. The collection contains correspondence, printed materials relating to his work with anti-apartheid organisations around the world.
The National Archives of India has a collection of his papers covering the period 1905 – 1947.
http://www.nationalarchives.nic.in
Frances E. Williams papers
Frances E. Williams was active in several anti-apartheid organisations such as the National Anti-Imperialist Movement in Solidarity with African Liberations (NAIMSAL) -Los Angeles Chapter and Art against Apartheid.
The Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research holds her archive and covers the period 1965-1995. It contains personal and organisational correspondence, conference reports, photographs and campaign materials.
Hampshire College Committee for the Liberation of Southern Africa (HCCLSA)
Established in 1975, the HCCLSA led the student campaign for disinvestments at the college. It raised community support and occupied the administrative offices to support their demands. The College started to disinvest in 1976 and established a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Policy in 1982.
The Hampshire College holds documents of the organisation and contains correspondence, statements, etc.
http://www.hampshire.edu/library/
International Council for Equality of Opportunity Principles (ICEOP)
The ICEOP was founded in 1977 to promote social justice in South Africa. Reverend LH Sullivan propounded a set of principles for companies conducting business in South Africa. This voluntary business code became known as the ‘Sullivan Principles’. The code required an annual independent evaluation of individual business activities in South Africa. The results were published in the public domain. ACOA and other anti-apartheid organisations disapproved of the ‘Sullivan Principles’ since it provided companies with a way out of the boycott.
The Urban Archives at Temple University Libraries holds the collection covering the period 1974-1987 and includes detailed files on signatory and non-signatory companies, minutes and reports from task forces and committees, accounting materials and financial monitoring documents as well as correspondence with universities and churches.
International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa – US Committee
The IDAF-US Committee was formed in 1972 and worked for the legal defence and humanitarian aid to victims of injustice, including political prisoners, banned persons and their families. It was an affiliate of IDAF.
Yale University Library holds the archives covering the period 1956-1989 and includes some materials of IDAF and the ad-hoc committee preceding it.
International Oil Working Group (IOWG)
The IOWG worked towards the implementation of the oil embargo as initiated by the UN General Assembly. It grew out of the Sanctions Working Group, established in 1979. It researched topics relating to the oil embargo, monitored tanker movements, gave testimonies at UN meetings and distributed information. The organisation closed down in 1987.
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, holds a substantial collection of the organisation and it contains administrative papers, correspondence, printed materials, UN documents and newsletters.
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law - Southern Africa Project
The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law – Southern Africa Project was established in 1967. It provided legal representation in political and quasi-political trials in South Africa. It sent out alerts to organisations in the US and to State Department officials concerning human rights violations. It operated until about 1993.
The Law Faculty at the State University of Florida holds materials covering the period 1980-1993 and it contains annual reports, committee reports, press releases, letters and memoranda.
Madison Anti-Apartheid Coalition (MAAC)
The Madison Anti-Apartheid Coalition started at the Madison Area Committee on Southern Africa and was active from 1968-1992. It was a student organisation at the University of Wisconsin to lobby, to educate the community about South Africa and to support the liberation movements
The Wisconsin Historical Society holds the small archive of the organisation.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org
Oberlin College
Several committees were at Oberlin College addressing apartheid and the divestment question.
Oberlin College holds a collection of materials, covering the period 1977-early 1990s. It contains articles and petitions in support of shareholder resolutions seeking the withdrawal of General Motors and Gulf Oil from South Africa. The Oberlin Committee for the liberation of Southern Africa (OLCSA) and the Oberlin Committee on Southern Africa (OCSA) are covered in the collection.
Office on World Community, Lutheran World Ministries
The Office on World Community was established in 1973 and its main focus was on Namibia but it also campaigned for South Africa. It worked on human rights violations, disinvestments and campaigns of the United Nations. It dissolved when the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America was established.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Archives holds the collection of the organisation and mainly covers the period 1971-1988.
Howard University holds a substantial collection covering the period 1977-1987.
Peter Davis / Villon Films
Peter Davis is a producer, director, scriptwriter and editor of documentary films on social and political issues. He has interviewed many South African activists and produced numerous anti-apartheid documentary films on South Africa.
The Black Film Centre at Indiana University holds his collection containing stills, photographs, documents and film footage connected with the production of his films.
Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement (PRWM)
The PRWM was started by a group of employees of Polaroid Corporations to oppose the company’s involvement in the implementation of the pass laws in South Africa.
The New York Public Library holds a small collection of PRWM documents as part of the Southern Africa Collective Collection. It covers the period 1965-1983 and contains correspondence, campaign materials, newspaper clippings and other printed materials.
Prexy Nesbitt
Mr Prexy Nesbitt is an activist from Chicago who has been involved with South Africa since he was a student. He founded the Antioch Committee for a Free South Africa, which succeeded after a ten-year campaign to achieve the disinvestment of Antioch College’s holdings from companies involved with apartheid. Nesbitt worked for ACOA, coordinating the National Committee to Oppose Bank Loans to South Africa from 1976-1979. He has also worked for the Institute for Policy Studies, the American Friends Service Committee and Africa Action.
The Wisconsin State Historical Society holds his substantial archive covering the period 1962-1993. It contains photographs, correspondence, tours, and conference and seminar papers.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/
The Melville J Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University also holds a substantial collection of his materials.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu
Southern Africa Liberation Committee (SALC)
The SALC was a community organisation in the Michigan area, based at Michigan State University (MSU). It operated from 1973-1997 and was active at MSU and East Lansing. It organised educational and social action campaigns and was active on disinvestment, consumer boycotts and no-loans to South Africa.
The Michigan State University Library holds a substantial collection of Patricia L. Beeman concerning SALC. It covers the period 1973-1997 and contains newspaper clippings, campaign materials, State of Michigan sanctions legislation, posters, correspondence and information on other AAMs in the country.
Southern Africa Support Project (SASP)
The SASP started in 1978 as a community based organisation in Washington DC in support of the liberation struggles in Southern Africa. It gave political and material support to the liberation movements and was involved in fundraising and educational campaigns.
Howard University holds the small collection covering the period 1978-1985. It contains correspondence, minutes, photographs, printed and campaign materials.
TransAfrica
Transafrica was founded in 1977 as the African American Lobby on Africa and the Caribbean. It worked closely with the Congressional Black Caucus and was active in disinvestments, boycott and other campaigns. It organised and participated in sit-ins in the office of the South African ambassador in Washington, followed by demonstrations outside South African embassies and consulates, organised by what became the Free South Africa Movement (FSAM).
The Law Faculty at Florida State University holds archival materials covering the period 1980-1988 and contains news reports, issue briefs, The archives include speeches, correspondence, fundraising information, printer materials, petitions and intelligence reports.
Washington office on Africa (WOA)
The WOA was established in 1967 by the ACOA and became independent in 1972, changing its name to Washington Office on Africa. It supported the liberation movements in Southern Africa, monitored congressional legislation and executive policies and actions and pressurised for progressive legislation. Churches and labour unions supported the organisation to work with Congress on Southern Africa legislation. The Washington Office on Africa Educational Fund (WOAEF) was established as the educational division and mainly served people in the country.
The Yale University Library holds the archive of the organisation covering the period 1971-1997. The collection also has materials on other AAMs in the country.
The Law library at Yale University holds materials of the organisation covering the period 1980-1997. It contains printed materials, press releases, action alerts, publications, etc.
Other Organisations/People
Amnesty International USA (AI-USA)
The AI-USA started in the early 1960s and has several offices in the country. It is an affiliate of AI- International Secretariat and bases its activities on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The campaigns concentrate on the rights of political prisoners and unfair trials, working towards the release of prisoners of conscience.
The Centre for Human Rights Documentation at Columbia University holds the entire archive of the organisation covering the period from early 1960s to the present. The collection contains printed materials, DVD’s, posters and other campaign materials. It also contains materials concerning local activities.
Association of Concerned Africa Scholars (ACAS)
ACAS was founded in 1977 at Michigan State University to provide an alternative analysis of Africa and US policy towards Africa. It developed communication and action networks between scholars in Africa and the USA. It mobilised support in the USA for anti-apartheid solidarity. It continues to work on current African issues.
The Michigan State University holds the archives of the organisation covering the period 1977-2001.
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
The CBC played an important role in anti-apartheid activities. The first bill concerning apartheid was introduced by the CBC in 1972 and urged the US government to withdraw financial support to the South African government. It encouraged universities and corporations to disinvest from South Africa. In 1985 Representative William Gray introduced the HR1460 bill prohibiting loans to and new investments in South Africa. Congress approved the bill one year later and it became known as the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. Members of the CBC were active in rallies, not only in Washington DC but in their home districts as well.
The online library relating to the history of black political participation in the USA has been setup by the Black Caucus Foundation and includes their involvement in the anti-apartheid movement.
Resources
Africa News Service (ANS)
ANS started in 1973 as a not-for-profit US news agency. For two decades it gathered news about Africa related issues and the US foreign policy towards Africa. It continues to operate as AllAfrica Global Media.
The Duke University Libraries has the entire archive with scarce, difficult to locate materials, e.g. from grass root organisations. The bulk of the collection covers the period 1978-1994.
African Activists Archive Project
The African Activists Archive Project at Michigan State University works to preserve the history of US organisations and people in struggle against apartheid.
The African Activists Archive Project at Michigan State University works to preserve the history of US organisations and people in struggle against apartheid. The very substantial website contains a directory of archives with descriptions. The Project also has a substantial section on organisations outside the USA.
http://africanactivist.msu.edu/
Clarity Films
Clarity Films is a not for profit organisation formed in 1979 to produce and distribute films of historical and social value. It produced several documentaries on South Africa and the solidarity movement. It holds over 250 hours of oral histories with137 interviewees, 800 hours of archival footage from many sources and a substantial photo and graphics collection.
The organisation holds its own archive.
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Human Rights Watch began in 1978 as Helsinki Watch (HW) - a monitoring group of compliance by the former Soviet Union and communist bloc countries with the human rights provision of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act. It later extended its activities to other regions of the world, including Africa. It produces research reports on violations of human rights and pressurises governments and international organisations.
The Centre for Human Rights Documentation, Columbia University holds the archive of the organisation covering the period 1978-present.
Impact Visuals
Impact Visuals was a cooperative photo agency dedicated to social documentary photography. It started in 1964 and operated till 2001. Most of the archive comes from Afrapix, a now-dissolved South African collective of freelance photographers. Although most of the collection containing photographs, slides and negatives come from South Africa, it also covers other countries.
The Thomas J. Rodd Research Centre, University of Connecticut holds the archive of the organisation.
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)
IPS was a Washington based progressive think-tank concerned with the promotion of democracy, justice, human rights and diversity. It became active on anti-apartheid in the 1980s.
Rutgers Grass Roots – Progressive Activists Files
Rutgers University, New Jersey, holds a collection with materials related to anti-apartheid and divestment activities covering the period 1969-1989. It includes the Coalition in Solidarity with South African Liberations and the Rutgers Coalition for Total Divestment. It covers the period 1921-1993, the bulk being from 1979 onwards. It contains press releases, reports and correspondence.
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu
South Africa: the Making of US Policy 1962-1989 – Digital National Security Archive
This is a document collection of US government responses to historical events in South Africa. The primary source documents deal with most aspects of US policy towards South Africa, including sanctions, embargoes and nuclear collaboration.
The Herskovits Library of African Studies, Northwestern University
Has a substantial African Poster Collection with over 4000 posters. Part of the collection is digitised. One of the themes is anti-apartheid organisations in the 70s and 80s.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu
The South African Apartheid Collection
The South African Apartheid Collection at Yale University contains many documents of American and international pressure groups as well as documents of the American government. It covers the period 1961-1991 but the bulk of the materials are from 1985-1988.
The South African subject collection, 1941-1997
The Hoover Institution Archives at Stanford University holds a substantial collection of materials. It contains documents, campaign materials, press clippings, photographs and other audio-visual materials covering several countries and international organisation. The Collection can also be accessed via the Online Archive of California (OAC).
