African Activist Archive

Attendees: CRV Southern Africa Committee members Tina Bristol (Indianapolis), Margaret Davis, Bruce Detwiler (Washington), Sam Barnes (Boston, Southern Africa staff) Gerry Schwinn (National Chairman), Nancy Freehafer (New York), and guests Paddy Colligan and Joyce Leader from Washington CRV. The group met in Pittsburgh, where Gulf Oil is headquartered. There was a very positive response to our planned action at the Gulf Oil annual corporate meeting on April 28 from people from various movement organizations that shared our general anti-imperialistic perspective. Several groups are already examining corporate power and its implications and viewed the CRV focus on Gulf (as an imperialist, multinational corporation) with our emphasis on Southern Africa as a vehicle for developing projects and actions in Pittsburgh which will help people look at corporations in a different way. The Southern Africa Committee in Pittsburgh, though small, is interested in relating to what we are doing. Other university and community groups were also very responsive, though they feel that their particular focus will not be Southern Africa since Gulf and Mellon family interests control virtually every aspect of life in Pittsburgh. They want us to bring the issue of Southern Africa to their organizations and to raise the issue of Gulf in an international context. Both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University have their largest stock holdings in Gulf, and naturally they are represented at stockholders meetings by the Mellon Bank. The Chancellor of Pitt. just returned from a trip to South Africa. At the November board meeting, we discussed raising the issue of Southern Africa at conferences focused either on Africa, corporations, or the Third World. A conference, "Campus, Corporations, and the Quality of Life," will be held March 3-8 in Des Moines (Iowa), Portland (Oregon), Austin (Texas), and Princeton (New Jersey), simultaneously. It also is important to raise the issue of Southern Africa in the context of support for liberation movements that are struggling against these corporate interests to free the people from colonial and racist exploitation. Also, neither Gulf nor Southern Africa are exceptions regarding imperialism; they are examples we choose to dramatize the issues. The mailing also mentions the anniversary of Sharpeville (March 21), Pan African Solidarity Week at the end of May, Brad Lee Skinner, Mary Ann Ottinger, Frank W. Sheppard, Drake University, ASPSU, Edward P. Nickinson, Princeton University, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

African Activist Archive

[Dear Friend, The CRV National Southern Africa Committee met this past weekend in Pittsburgh (Jan 24, 25) to discuss chapter and national activities in regard to the project …]

Creator

Place Created

Date

Type of Item

Length/duration

Description

Publisher

Organization

Coverage Africa

Language

Digital Format

Rights Management

Collection