New York Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Council Physical Archives

Description: Cleveland Robinson (1914-1995) was an African American trade union leader and civil rights activist who served as Secretary-Treasurer of the United Auto Workers of America, District 65, from 1952-1992. In addition to his union activity, Cleveland Robinson was a stalwart of the civil rights movement. He was administrative chairman and one of the key organizers of the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A friend and advisor on labor matters to Martin Luther King, Jr., he was an active member of the National Urban League and the NAACP, a director of the Southern Christian leadership Council, and a trustee of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta, GA. He was also a leader in the struggle to mobilize American opposition to apartheid in South Africa and supported movements for labor and human rights in many African nations. As co-chair of the committee that organized Nelson Mandela's visit to New York City in 1990, he spearheaded a massive fund-raising campaign among the city's trade unions to defray the expenses of the event. The collection contains correspondence, miscellaneous documents, ephemera and clippings. General and Political Files, 1960-1992, provides a detailed picture of Robinson’s political interests and affiliations. Included are records of his involvement in anti-apartheid campaigns and organizations including the African National Congress, American Committee on Africa, New York Labor Committee against Apartheid (1983-1992), National Anti-Imperialist Movement in Solidarity with African Liberation, National Mobilization for Justice and Peace in Central America and Southern Africa (1986-1988), New York Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Council, New York Anti-Apartheid Welcome Committee (related to Nelson Mandela’s 1990 visit) and the Mandela Freedom Fund (1990-1993) and TransAfrica.