African Activist Archive

Cover letter to mailing that included an issue of ACOA Action News in which George Houser announces his retirement from the position of Executive Director of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), a position he has held since 1955. In the letter Houser says he became involved with African issues in 1951, working to support the Defiance Campaign, a non-violent civil disobedience effort of the African National Congress of South Africa. In the letter Houser says he is pleased that the ACOA executive board has chosen Jennifer Davis to be the new executive director. Houser says through the work of the Committee he has been associated with the leaders in movements that have changed Africa from an area of the world under almost complete colonial domination to almost total independence. Our work has thrown us into close association with prime movers that brought these changes about - Nkrumah, Nyerere, Kaunda, Mondlane, Cabral, Lumumba, Mugabe, Nkomo, Tambo, Nujoma, Mboya - these have been among those with whom we have worked. I have just returned from my most recent of dozens of trips to Africa, this one taking me to the front-line states of southern Africa- Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola. It was gratifying to be able to talk with men now in high positions in their own government. But it was sobering to hear of their deep concern about the direction of U.S. policy towards southern Africa under the Reagan administration. They are fearful that the Clark Amendment will be withdrawn. On January 30th, the South African army raided three houses in the Maputo suburb of Matola, killing twelve black South African refugees. With the new administration the American Committee on Africa has a tremendous task to carry out.

African Activist Archive

[Dear Friend: The enclosed issue of ACOA Action News announces my "retirement" from the position of Executive Director of ACOA]

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