7 ACCESS THE AMERICAN COORDINATING \ COMMITTEE FOR EQUALITY IN SPORT AND SOCIETY Dr. Richard E. Lapch ick, Chai rperson P.O. Box 518 New York, New York.10025

COALITION MEMBERS

American Committee on Africa Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) Americans for Democratic Action South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee American Friends Service Committee South African Students' Movement ARENA, the Institute for Sport and Social Analysis Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Clergy and Laity Concerned Sports for the People Coalition of Concerned Black Americans United Methodist Church, Women's Division, Grav Panthers Board of Global Ministries Methodist Federation for Social Action Women's I nternational League for Peace & Freedom

1 August 1979

Dear friends,

We have just completed our first demonstration in the movement to Stop The Fight. As the enclosed press release will explain, much momentum has been generated. We can expect even more with the return of Jesse Jackson tomorrow. He has pledged from that he will take up a major role now.

Enclosed please find the Stop the Fight Campaign brochure. It contains useful information about the STFC and strategies for achieving our goal. We hope that you or your organization will order as many copies as possible for distribution. We are requesting that you contribute $1 for 20; $2 for 50 or $3 .for 100 or multiples of 100. Please let us know soon how many you want. Please make checks payable to "ACCESS".

We are scheduled to meet with NBC-TV executives on Tuesday, August 14th. Therefore it is imperative that you bury them with letters requesting that they do not televise the fight. Send them to Arthur Watson, President, NBC-TV Sports 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York 10020 Thank you for your continued support. STOP THE FIGHT! Today's demonstration at Arum's office was a great start. But it was only a start.

The ACCESS Executive

What Black A South African Boxing Leaders Say show-piece match About the Fight: between their "White : "What Idon't like is the government of Hope" Gerri Coetzee being able to boast that and U.S. Black they have the champion of the world. I think he (Gerrie Coetzee) should be heavy-weight John stopped from getting this opportunity because of the country he represents", Tate is scheduled for JET, 19 July, 1979 , WBC Heavyweight 20 October in Champion: , S.A.! ''I'd quit boxing before I'd fight for him (Arum). ,,If he were the only promoter We Americans must on earth I'd quit boxing. He's leading poor into the middle of racism and stop this phony politics for only one thing: m-o-n-e-y!. ,, I'll never fight for him as long as I'm black apartheid "sport" , •• 1won't be humiliated and fight in South Africa, not the way they discrim­ scheme! inate against black people. Iain't going We must strengthen to denounce my color". New York Times, 13 July, 1979 the United Nations DON KING, the top Black boxing promoter: boycott of racist "Arum's unconscionable actions and his South Africa! Racism insensitivity to the plight of Black people and of all people of good will demands isn't a game! It has your public out-cry and censure. "Apartheid is genocide, and it is deplor­ already cost untold able that Bob Arum is trying to perpetuate it under the guise of bringing thousands of lives! people together, .,this unscrupulous promoter, who is a pawn of the white South African government is handing them the possiblity of a heavy-weight championship, a title that will be used for propaganda to further their cause of white supremacy and apartheid. I implore you not to let this happen". Letter from Don King, 9 July, 1979 Apartheid's Propaganda "Sporting" Image Sport has always been an integral part of South Africa's overseas propaganda. Now isolated in almost all major sports, offers one of the few arenas still available to it. Boxing in South Africa is directly controlled by that scandal-ridden government. The South African National Boxing Board of Control (SANBBC) is a statuto~y body under the Ministry of Sport which pretends that its boxing program is integrated despite the fact that it requires separate categories of "champion" for whites and Blacks~ The financing of all recent fights in South Africa has been provided by the Southern Suns Hotels fronting for the Ministry of Information, says the non­ racial South African Council on Sport (SACOS). SACOS estimates that in the last year alone more than $1 million has NBC-TV Again been spent in the U.S. to promote South Intends to Spotlight African boxing. the Propaganda Bob Arum, America's Spectacle for Major Promoter of Millions of South African Sport Americans! NBC-TV televised Coetzee's massacre of It was Arum who arranged the so-called Spinks in June, 1979, and would televise "title eliminator matches" between the Coetzee-Tate fight in October and Spinks and Tate and the South Africans. thus give credibility to the apartheid (He made special trips to South Africa to regime. arrange the details.) CBS-TV, which televised the first two It was Arum who selected the so-called South African fights, has declined "independent state" of BophuthaTswana showing this fight because of mass as the site for the recent Knoetze-Tate pressure. NBC-TV may do the same if fight and got CBS to call it "the inde­ there is enough pressure from the public. pendent African Nation of... " on TV even though South Africa is the only nation that recognizes it as such. World Boxing Arum has, by manipulation, compelled Association (WBA) Black American boxers to agree to fight the apartheid contenders: is Dominated by Arum had c1ajmed that the Bophutha­ South Africans Tswana fight would have non-segre­ gated seating, yet in a "country" that is Kneotze and Coetzee climbed to 2nd 98% Black, fewer than 1,000of the and 5th places in WBA rankings after 51,000 spectators were Black. Arum Mike Mortimer, a South African, became now again claims that the October bout head of the WBA Rankings Committee. will be integrated. (Like the last one?) The Vice-Presidentof WBA is also a South African.

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~.i ~ . "'\~ 0...../ . " . ~. "'2 o. I . ~":ij.1 t .; .~:::r:::- cc::l.l"""",,,~'· ".. i ~.f This 1Sc postage stamp showing Kallie Knoelze(SA) and John Tate(US) will be issued on June 2 to commemorate the big fight a. Mmabatho Stadium, Bophuthatswana. It will be on sale at all post offices in Bophuthatswana, and also at Philatelic Services and Intersapa In Pretoria for three munths. Stamp collectors and others wishing to obtain commemorative covers must apply to the director of Philatelic Services and Intersapa. GPO. Pretoria. 0001

Fromthe SOUTH AFRICAN DIGEST,an offtclal govemmentpubllcatlon. PROTEST! Write to: Bob Arum protesting his promotion of South Africa and his manipulation of Black American boxers; Top Rank, Inc. 450 Park Ave. New York, N.V. 10022 Art Watson, President NBC-TV Sports, protesting his plan-to televise the South African propaganda scheme; NBC TV-Sports 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, N.Y. 10020 John Tate, U,S, fighter, urging his refusal to participate in this endorsement of apartheid; c/o Col. Jerry Miller Golden Gloves Arena P.o. Box 6230 Knoxville, TN 37914 Editor of your local newspaper, expressing your feelings on the matter; Stay In touch with the "Stop the Fight Campaign" (STFC) Committee for further information. Fill outthe coupon below and mail immediately. (Also, please send us copies of your letters.) ..-----_._-'-,------..... STFCI ACCESS I P.O.Box518 I NewYork,N.Y.l0025 I I Name(Please Print aea~y) I

Address I I City State Zip o Please put me on your mailing list I I o I can do volunteer work for ACCESS I o I enclose a donation of $ I ._------~ STFC is being organized by ACCESS, the American Coordinating Committee for Equality in Sport and Society, and the NAACP. ACCESS coalition members include:

Coalition for Human rights in Southern Africa Episcopal Churchmen for South Africa National Council of Black Churchmen National Conference of Black Lawyers National Council of Negro Women United Methodist Church, Board of Global Ministries, World Division United Methodist Church Conference Task Force on Southern Africa Coalition Members American Committee on Africa Americans for Democratic ActiOn American Friends Service Committee ARENA. the Institute for Sport and Social Analysis Clergy and Laity Concerned Coalition of Concerned Black Americans Gray Panthers Methodist Federation for Social Action Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee South African Students Movement Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Sports for the People United Methodist Church, Women's Division