The mailing consists of a cover letter from Father Robert C.S. Powell of the Africa Committee and two enclosures: FACT SHEET - Kennecott's Investment Plans in South Africa and Open letter to Texaco, Standard Oil of California, and Kennecott. The letter is addressed to Black elected officials and representatives of Black organizations requesting endorsement of an open letter, to be released in late April, to Texaco, Standard Oil of California, and Kennecott Copper. Powell is Director of the Africa Committee of the National Council of Churches which co-ordinates work of 22 Protestant denominations, many of which, along with 80 Roman Catholic orders, are stockholders in U.S. corporations investing...
The mailing consists of a cover letter from Father Robert C.S. Powell of the Africa Committee and two enclosures: FACT SHEET - Kennecott's Investment Plans in South Africa and Open letter to Texaco, Standard Oil of California, and Kennecott. The letter is addressed to Black elected officials and representatives of Black organizations requesting endorsement of an open letter, to be released in late April, to Texaco, Standard Oil of California, and Kennecott Copper. Powell is Director of the Africa Committee of the National Council of Churches which co-ordinates work of 22 Protestant denominations, many of which, along with 80 Roman Catholic orders, are stockholders in U.S. corporations investing in Southern Africa. These organizations challenge various aspects of these investment through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). (Powell also chairs the ICCR Task Force on Southern Africa.) The letter explains that Kennecott Copper and Caltex (owned by Texaco and Standard Oil of California) plan to make massive new investments in South Africa, and church bodies and others have tried to persuade them to drop these plans. Powell believes these investments will support continuation of the oppression of South Africa's Black majority. Powell has sent a similar appeal to the Congressional Black Caucus, which is expected to give an endorsement soon. The open letter says Caltex plans a $134 million expansion of its Milnerton refinery outside Cape Town that will increase production of refined petroleum products, making it easier for South Africa to continue to supply such products to Rhodesia in contravention of United Nations economic sanctions. Additional refined petroleum products will also enhance the strength of the South African military as it invades Angola, illegally occupies Namibia, and represses the black population in South Africa. The open letter says the interests of U.S. foreign policy in Africa are best served by supporting the right of the African peoples to self-determination. These investments - a 20% increase in U.S. investments in South Africa - will increase the identification of American interests with apartheid and increase the strain on U.S. relations with independent Africa. The open letter notes that South Africa has doubled its military budget with the recent independence of Mozambique and Angola, and the imminent liberation of Zimbabwe (Rhodesia). Signatories to the open letter are Honorable Herman D. Farrell, Jr., Assemblyman, District 74, NYC; Robert J. Van Lierop, (filmmaker), Black Economic Research Center; Honorable Julius W. Hobson, Councilman at Large (Statehood), Washington, DC; Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr., Assemblyman, 17th A.D., San Francisco; Honorable Sidney Barthelemy, Senator, State of Louisiana; James Dyer, Program Officer, Carnegie Corp. of New York; Harold Rogers, African Agenda /Afro-American Solidarity Committee; Honorable Bob Holmes, State Representative, District 39, Georgia; Melvin A. McCraw, African-American Institute; Chester Davis, W.E.B . DuBois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Harry B. Gibson, Jr., United Methodist Church, Board of Global Ministries; Rev. M. William Howard , Jr., Chairperson, Commission on Justice, Liberation and Human Fulfilment of the National Council of Churches; Honorable Charles B. Rangel, U.S. House of Representatives, Former Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus; David H. Eaton, All Souls Church, Unitarian, Washington, DC; Dr. Frederik Boyd Williams, Trinity Parish, NYC; Rev. Msgr. John J. Egan, Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry; R. Harcourt Dodds, Association of Black Foundation Executives; Ida Wood, Phelps-Stokes Fund; William D. Froes, National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Tilden J. LeMelle, Hunter College, CUNY; Joy Zollner, African-American Institute; Kenneth Vaughn, Urban Dynamics /Inner City Found; Judge William Booth, American Committee on Africa; Stanley V. Wright , Sacramento , California; Dr. Fryant George, President, National Presbyterian Interracial Council; Kwame Kwasi Afoh (Edell Lydia, Jr.), Founder and Past Chairman, National IBM Black Workers Alliance; Honorable Leon Ralph, Assemblyman, 46th District, Los Angeles; Rev. Muhammad Kenyatta, Black Economic Development Conference, Inc. (BEDC); Robert S. Browne, Black Economic Research Center; Honorable Norman Justice, Representative, 34th District, Kansas; Elombe Brath, Federation of Pan-Afrikan Nationalist Organization; John Levy, John Levy Enterprises, Inc.; Robert L. Perry, Ethnic Studies Program, Bowling Green State University; Hugh H. Smythe, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Marion Barry, Jr., City Councilmember, Washington, D.C.; Honorable Clarence C. Love, Representative, 31st District, Kansas; Preston Wilcox, AFRAM Associates, Inc.; Honorable Parren J. Mitchell, U.S. House of Representatives; Clarence B. Jones, Attorney; T. Oscar Chappelle, Sr., President, Oklahoma Baptist State Convention; Honorable H. Carl McCall, State Senator of New York; Jovelino Ramos, Commission on Justice, Liberation and Human Fulfillment, National Council of Churches, U.S.A.; Honorable Joy J. Johnson, State Legislator, North Carolina, President of the General Baptist State Convention of N.C., Inc.; and Thelma Moss , Experimental School System, Dorchester, MA. The mailing discusses Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation (Q.I.T.), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), a stockholder resolution, the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky, the Capuchins of Detroit; the Disciples of Christ, Richards Bay, the KwaZulu Bantustan, apartheid laws, black trade unions, employment, wages, Chief Buthelezi, overcrowding on overpopulated African reserve, Union Corporation, titanium-rich beaches at Richards Bay, theft of African land for white use, and economic exploitation.
