Randall Robinson opened his testimony by talking about the origins of TransAfrica. The Black Leadership Conference on Africa was convened by the Congressional Black Caucus on September 25, 1976. It included leaders of virtually every national black civil rights and social organization. The Leadership Conference authored the African-American Manifesto on Southern Africa which expressed grave concerns with the previous Administration's negotiation initiatives for a Zimbabwe settlement. Also, it mandated a task force, chaired by Robinson, to create an institutional vehicle through which black Americans could express their views on U.S. foreign policy vis-a vis Africa and the Caribbean....
Randall Robinson opened his testimony by talking about the origins of TransAfrica. The Black Leadership Conference on Africa was convened by the Congressional Black Caucus on September 25, 1976. It included leaders of virtually every national black civil rights and social organization. The Leadership Conference authored the African-American Manifesto on Southern Africa which expressed grave concerns with the previous Administration's negotiation initiatives for a Zimbabwe settlement. Also, it mandated a task force, chaired by Robinson, to create an institutional vehicle through which black Americans could express their views on U.S. foreign policy vis-a vis Africa and the Caribbean. TransAfrica is the fruit of that process. Its Board of Directors is chaired by Mayor Richard Hatcher of Gary, Indiana. Robinson said his personal involvement in Africa began when he was a law student at Harvard University. In 1967, he helped through the Southern Africa Relief Fund to raise money for refugee assistance to people displaced by the independence wars against Portugal. In 1972, he participated in the challenge to Harvard's Gulf Oil Corporation stockholding and later helped organize a national campaign against Gulf, the largest corporate supporter of Portugal's war-making capacity in Africa. Before joining TransAfrica, Robinson served for two years as Administrative Assistant to Chairman Charles C. Diggs, Jr. Robinson addressed the three bills before the subcommittee. While Americans who value freedom are alike in their abhorrence of white minority rule and apartheid in South Africa, black Americans perhaps are uniquely interested in our government's response to South African tyranny. Despite their past record here and in South Africa, U.S. companies have testified that they will vigorously and voluntarily implement the Sullivan fair employment principles; that the force of law will hinder, not help, their efforts; and that they will monitor themselves in their reports to Rev. Leon Sullivan. While the U.S. accounts for only about 17% of foreign investment in South Africa, these companies are concentrated in strategic sectors: the automotive industry, the petro-chemical industry, electronics, and computer technology. About 75% of total U.S. investment is accounted for by just 12 corporations, who not only dominate their particular industry in South Africa, but are also some of the largest companies in the United States. The testimony mentions the Nationalist Party (National Party), HR 12463, HR 13262, HR 13273, disinvestment of U.S. corporate capital, multi-nationals, petty apartheid, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Dick Clark, the Subcommittee on African Affairs, the Equal Opportunity Commission, the National Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, affirmative action, the Senate Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, Chairman Sam J. Ervin, Jr., the Civil Rights Act, the EEC Code of Conduct, the British Department of Trade and Industry, sanctions, South African law, the Protection of Business Bill, the Factories Act, the Industrial Conciliation Act, the Shop and Offices Act, the Apprentice Act, Burroughs South Africa, Motorola Company, Donald Sole, black unionism, black living standards, the National Supplies Procurement Act, General Motors (GM), civil unrest, restrictions on new investment, and CBS Reports with Bill Moyers.
