African Activist Archive

Cover letter by George M. Houser and memorandum "ACOA - SOME OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE?" by Janet Hooper. Contents of ACOA - SOME OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE?: Introduction • I. HISTORY • A. Education/Propaganda • B. Research • C. Campaigns • D. Washington • E. Field Work • F. Legal Actions • G. United Nations • H. Defense and Aid/Humanitarian Aid • I. Liberation Movements • J. Special • K. Administration • III. SOME ANALYSIS • IV. SOME OPTIONS • The memorandum is an analysis of the past, present and future of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), including its constituency, funding, and program emphasis; some personal reflections on ACOA's history and the need for change; and some options for the future. ACOA campaigns since 1967 have had two primary foci (excluding U.S. policy work): corporate links and sports. In the mid-1960's, ACOA was a prime mover in initiating and sustaining the New York-based bank campaign. It also began attending companies' stockholders' meetings (or encouraging others to go and ask questions). In addition, ACOA established the argument that disengagement or withdrawal was the only proper policy given an analysis of Southern Africa and U.S. business. The memorandum mentions Joshua Nkomo, Tom Mboya, Sharpeville, Angolan coffee, the Portuguese Territories, the Terrorism Act, the World Court decision on Namibia, churches, universities, conferences, media, neo-colonialism, imperialist policies of the U.S., Protestant churches, trade unions, Africa Today, U.S./Western military involvement, The Africa Fund, speeches, testimony, Congress, the National Council of Churches Corporate Information Center, Gulf Oil, South African Airways, sports, Gary Player, Arthur Ashe, sanctions, Dennis Brutus, Richard Thomas, Gary Gappert, Congressman Charles Diggs, the Congressional Black Caucus, the sugar quota, U.S. Consulate in Rhodesia, Washington Office on Africa, the Byrd Amendment, Henry Lieberg, dockworkers, boycott of Rhodesian chrome, Blyden Jackson, local groups in Brooklyn, a Chicago office, Prexy Nesbitt, Eileen Hanson, literature distribution and New World Resource Center, case against the New York Times, Pan American Airways, Hope Stevens, Kitwe, Betsy Landis, the Oslo Conference, refugee defense and aid work, the Special Committee on Apartheid, Decolonization Committee, Makonde Art, the FRELIMO office, attempts to fly in to Namibia, visits to liberated Guinea-Bissau, AIS (Africa Information Service), SAC (Southern Africa Committee), and ALSC (African Liberation Support Committee).

African Activist Archive

To: Members of the Executive Board

ACOA - SOME OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE?

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