174'1 R Stree t. \W Board of Directors F.arl Graves Ernest Loft on Washin gto n. DC 20009 Donna Brown Guillaum e William Lucv The Honorable Richard Hatcher Dr. Dorothv Height Dr. LesLie-Burl Mclemore Cbainnan TR~N~~FRI~~ 202':"9- 250 I Dr. Svlvia Hill Dr. Pearl Robinson Bishop John Adarns Karimu Johnson Th e Honorable Edolph us Townes 2 0 2 -
l\1EMORANDUM
DATE: March 20, 1995
TO: Members of the TransAfrica Board
FROM: Randall Robinson
RE: Update on Current and Upcoming Events
This notice is to inform you of current and upcoming events and to solicit your support and participation in certain of these activities .
1. TransAfrica Forum Dinner -- Thursday, June 1, 1995: This year we have engaged the services of Yolanda Caraway, an events planner, to help us to improve the dinner both with regard to revenues and program. She is assembling a dinner committee that will be chaired by David Dinkins and consist of Vice Chairs (offering contributions of $15,000), Benefactors ($10,000) and Sponsors ($5 ,000). Regular ticket prices this year are $250 per individual ticket and $2500 per table . Our goal is to net $400,000 by building a pyramid of contributors at various levels. As always, we would like each board member to take responsibility for assembling at least one dinner table at $2500 and to participate at higher levels if at all possible.
The Conference activities will take place on Wednesday, May 31. Detailed schedule of activities to follow.
***** Please note that the dinner will be held on a week night -- Thursday -- this year in order to increase corporate participation.
2. Board Meeting -- Friday, June 2, 1995: The Boards of Directors will meet this year on Friday, June 2 rather than Sunday due to the change in day of the Dinner event. Each board will meet separately ; however, there will be an overlapping of the meetings so that issues of concern to both boards can be addressed and discussed. Detailed information about the board meetings will follow shortly.
3. Board Elections: We have reviewed the board election process with Sylvia Hill and will be sending out letters in the next few days informing board members of their term dates , soliciting nominations for the board and electing board members.
· ·~· 4. Strategic Planning Study: We have recently received the completed study by Renee Yates of World Trade Associates that was made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation. As we consider how to transform TransAfrica Forum into a premier think tank institution, we have had to reexamine issues such as organizational structure, strict separation of the Forum from TransAfrica, Inc., and institutional policies and procedures. The report lists recommendations that TransAfrica Forum (and possibly TransAfrica, Inc.) should consider in order to establish a credible and respected think tank institution. The report will be shared with you along with our preliminary response submitted to the Ford Foundation. We will need to review the study's recommendations at the June Board meetings. The report will be sent to you in the next few weeks.
5. Nigeria Campaign -- Beginning March 1995: We are launching a campaign calling for ti.e i·estorai:ion of democracy in Higeria that started off with a newspaper article in the Washington Post (see attached) and a press conference today, March 16. The campaign will continue with newspaper advertisements (also attached) similar to the one placed in the New York Times last year on Haiti, demonstrations and possibly civil disobedience.
mmills\memo\memo.nig TIJESDA Y, MAROI 14, 1995 Ait I U.S. policy and the U.S. military inter American blacks and their Africans. Blacli Americans vention in September that restored But generally, those efforts have been President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. overshadowed by the all-consuming TransAfrica's new campaign does focus of black organizations on domes To Press Nigeria not appear designed to confront Clin tic policy issues. ton administration policy toward Nige Lowery, who has a long history in ria. The administration strongly disap the civil rights movement, said that in For Democracy proves of Nigeria's government but recent years there has been "a broad pursues a policy of "engagement" in ening . and extension of this involve By Kevin Merida hope of effecting change there. ment" in foreign affairs, especially as Washmgton Post SWf Writer In a letter dated yesterday to Nige more black Americans travel abroad. An assemblage of prominent Afri ria' s head of state, Geo. Sani Abar.ha, Over th•; p:i.st decade, Tn.11sAfrica can Americans is launching a nation the TransAfrica group accuses the has cultivated a diverse group of high al campaign to pressure Nigeria's government of becoming "an absol~te profile African Americans who can military rulers to restore democracy military dictatorship" under which now be tapped to lend political clout to there-the first time such an influ hundreds of the regime's critics have its efforts. The Nigerian government, ential group of American blacks has been detained or killed, labor unions organizers say, is a logical target for aggressively targeted a black Afri have been dissolved, elected political opposition. can government, organizers said. leaders removed from office and polit- ''Nigeria should be the bellwether The effort will include newspaper ical activity banned. . nation of sub-Saharan Africa;" said ads condemning the military regime The group calls on Abacha to "ex Robinson. "It should be a viable de and possibly protests at the Nigerian pedite the restoration of democracy" mocracy with a healthy econo Embassy in Washington. It is being in Africa's most populous nation or my . . . .So it is sad to see a ·country led by TransAfrica, a Washington risk "the eventual global economic and moving fu a diametrically opposite di based lobbying organization for Afri political isolation of your regime." rection." can and Caribbean issues. An official at the Nigerian Embassy Abacha grabbed power in a blood "We will oppose the Nigerian gov . · ·said he had not seen the letter and less coup in November 1993 after the ernment with as much tenacity as would not comment. previous military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim we opposed the [former white) In 1984, TransAfrica led an all-out Babangida, annulled that year's presi South African government, with as push to build public sentiment for dential elections. The Abacha regime much tenacity as we opposed the sanctions against the white minority then arrested the apparent winner of military regime in Haiti," said Ran government in South Africa. That ef the elections, publishing tycoon Mosh dall Robinson, TransAfrica's execu fort featured public figures routinely ood Abiola. He is still being detained. tive director. "It is not easy to pub getting arrested for protesting in The country has been in varying licly criticize black leadership. It is front of the South African Embassy. states of chaos .and instability since, · uncomfortable and disquieting. But Though there has been selective marked by strikes and riots. Yester we are left with· no alternative." criticism of repression at the hands of day, one of Nigeria's former military The effort is being backed by a leaders in black African nations such rulers was arrested in connection with cross section of African Anlf~rican as Stltinpi., :i.nd A'1gol<>, Robinson said, ;m alleged r.ovp attempt. politicians, sdrnlars, entertainers, there has never been such an effort by A State Department official said· civil rights leaders and other notable American blacks against a black-run there is "no new news" about U.S. pol figures. They include poet Maya An African government. "I think it's a icy toward Nigeria. The official de gelou, NBC .. Today" show host Bry high-water mark in maturity in the clined to comment on whether the ant Gumbel, former presidential can black community," he said, "the cour Clinton administration would view the didate Jesse L. Jackson, freshman age to call a thing like it is." TransAfrica initiative favorably. Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.), Spelman "I think it would be inconsistent for "We. have remained engaged in dip College President Johnetta B. Cole, us to express · contery? ·about· repres lomatic efforts with Nigeria, and we former welterweight boxing champi sion and tyranny by the white dicta have made them aware of our con on Sugar Ray Leonard, author Alice tors in South Africa and ignore the cerns," the U.S. official said, noting Walker and Baltimore Mayor Kurt same thing in black Africa," said the that Washington has restricted visas L. Schmoke. The Nigerian campaign, to be an Rev. Joseph Lowery, president of the for Nigerian citizens and has cited Ni geria as a country that fails to cooper nounced at a news conference Thurs Southern··Christian · Leadership'. Con ate with efforts to control internation day, follows other lobbying efforts ference. "Either way, black Afrieans al narcotics trafficking. that have elevated the influence of suffer." Nigeria is Africa's largest oil pro TransAfrica and broadened the scope Lowery said he was instrumental in getting a forthcoming summit be ducer, and the United States is its big- of black participation in foreign affairs. gest customer. · ·· · · Most recently, the organization was tween black African and American Robinson said that while . the · cam credited with heightening public leaders moved from Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, to another location. paign is calling for the release o~ all awareness of conditions in Haiti, par political prisoners, it is not taking a ticularly through a fast by Robinson. As far back as the 1930s, black position on Abiola's claim t? ?ffk~~: The effort contributed to changes m leaders have had a concern about U.S. policy toward Africa and have tried to Staff writer Thomas W. Lippman .. establish closer relations between contributed to this repqrj ...... ~. f. _T_H_E,N_E_W_Y_O_R_K_T_IM_E_S_IN_T_E_R_N_A_T_l_O_N_A_l_F_R:..:..:I=D:..:..:A:..::.Y.-'--,.::....:M:..:..:A:..:..R.:....:C:..:..:H:..__:_:_17-'--, .:..:.19..:...:95:______AlO Black Group Begins Protest Against Nigeria
By KAREN DE WITT elected political leaders from office. Nigeria, and visas have been denied WASHINGTON, March 16 - A The general ousted Moohood Abiola, to those who have supported the mil group of prominent blacks began a the alleged winner of a national elec itary Government. In addition Ni national campaign today to press tion, in a bloodless coup in November geria has been barred from re~eiv Nigeria's military dictatorship to re 1993. ing aid from the International Mone " Nigeria is not only harming their store democracy, the first time Afri tary Fund and the World Bank be can-Americans have embarked on a own people, but military leaders con cause of drug trafficking. protest of such magnitude against a tinue to line their pockets with drug Mr. Robinson said that on Monday black African government. payoffs to transport . narcotics he spoke to George Moose, an Assist "We must isolate Nigeria, politi through Nigeria to our youth on the ant Secretary of State, about the cally, socially and economically in · streets of every city in the United group's proposed action and in States," said Representative Donald th:;: same V\'ay ''; c Wcr8 abie tO isulate formed other m:>mbers of the Clin South Africa and Haiti," said Ran M. Payne, a New Jersey Democrat ton Administration. A copy of the dall Robinson, executive director of letter also went to Tony Lake, the TransAfrica, the black lobby for Af national security adviser. rica and the Caribbean that is lead "Given the disrepair of the Nigeri ing· the campaign. The effort will The first big blow an economy, this may not . require include newspaper ads and protests global heavy lifting on the part of the outside the Nigerian embassy. aimed at a black U.S.," Mr. Robinson said. " Measures He added, "You change the color properly coordinated and imposed and there is not much distinction government. expeditiously could move the pro between the South African situation cess in the right direction." of the past and Nigeria today, except m tne past, the group has con you don't have people discriminated who heads the Congressional Black demned conditions in Ethiopia, Zaire against as a group simply on the Caucus. and Angola, but Mr. Robinson said basis of their skin color." Mr. Robinson said TransAfrica, that today's effort was the first time Among the broad group of black best known for its successful anti it had undertaken a major effort Americans supporting the effort are apartheid campaign against South against a black African government. the poet Maya Angelou ; the broad Africa, also plans to lobby the Clin "Nigeria should be the bellwether caster of the NBC "Today Show," ton Administration to increase its state of sub-Saharan Africa," said Bryant Gumbel; a retired Federal pressure on the Nigerian Govern Mr. Robinson. "It is Africa's largest appeals court judge, A. Leon Higgin ment by refusing to buy Nigerian oil, and should be its wealthiest country botham Jr.; Jesse Jackson, Danny which makes up 4 percent of all oil given its great oil wealth. Instead, it Glover, Quincey Jones, Alice Walker imported by the United States. Ni is verging on economic collapse." and the former welterweight boxing geria is Africa's largest oil producer, The Nigerian campaign is the lat champion, Sugar Ray Leonard. and the United States is its biggest est political effort by TransAfrica, The organization sent a letter dat client. which was founded in 1977 and cred ed March 13 to Nigeria's head of "It would do major damage to ited with elevating the influence of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, protesting Nigeria, and we think more than African-Americans in foreign policy what it called the " absolute military diplomacy is needed." 1. through 1960's-style civil rights pro dictatorship" that has !~d to the de Althou?h the Administrati.on op tests. Its anti-apartheid campaign, tention or kiliing of hundreds of its poses the Lagos Government, it begun in 1984, featured several dem critics. maintains a policy of "engagement" onstrations outside the South Afri General Abacha's Government to effect change. can Embassy here that resulted in has banned political opposition ; dis In the past the Clinton Administra the arrests of prominent partici solved labor unions and removed tion has imposed some sanctions on pants like Senator Edward M. Ken nedy. Last spring, Mr. Robinson en gaged in a 27-day hunger strike that heightened public awareness of con ditions in Haiti. Observers say this and the group's other efforts contrib uted to a change in American policy toward Haiti and ultimately helped lead to the military intervention in September that restored Haiti's democratically elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.