Student and Youth Spring 1988 .ACTION Ai 'A'M% The Africa Fund (associated with the American Committee on Africa) 198 Broadway • New York, NY 10038 * (212) 962-1210 Making the Links Resources THE STATE OF U.S. STUDENT AND YOUTH ANTI-APARTHEID ORGANIZING Across the country student and youth organizers have successfully challenge. Campuses such as the Universityof Chicago, University of begun to add new dimensions to their anti-apartheid activism. More North Carolina -Chapel Hill, Bowling Green State University and the and more young activists are "making the links" between a number of University of Colorado intensified their demands for divestment as social justice issues such as southern Africa, Central America and well as their support of those people in southern Africa struggling in domestic racism. opposition to apartheid. Additionally, as a response to the onslaught waged against people of color throughout the U.S. and elsewhere, During the 1985-6 period the level of struggle in the U.S. anti many student and youth activists developed strategies that allowed apartheid movement reached an unprecedented level of intensity. them both to educate their constituents about relevant social justice From Vermont to Hawaii, young people participated in actions to issues (e.g. anti-apartheid, anti-interventionism and anti-racism) and show their solidarity with those struggling against apartheid in South to begin real and effective struggle around these issues. Many of these and southern Africa. These actions along with nightly news coverage youth and students made very practical links between the interna from South Africa on the major television networks helped to focus tional and domestic situations as southern Africa maintained a promi national and international attention on the atrocities of apartheid. nent place in protests and demonstrations on campuses across the country. A number of these organizations worked to heighten the With the adoption of a number of landmark divestment measures awareness of students and youth and to expand the focus of formerly and the passage of limited U.S. sanctions against South Africa, many one-issue coalitions. student and youth groups began to shift their focus to domestic issues of concern. This shift occurred at a time when there was a marked According to Kenny Bartholomew, chairperson of the BlackStudent upsurge in reported incidents of racially motivated violence and Communications Organizing Network (BSCON), "making the links is harassment on campuses and in communities in the U.S. Concern important because people need to understand those conditions which aboutSoweto and Alexandra was replaced by demands connected to surround their daily lives, be they political, economic or social. In incidents in Howard Beach and Forsyth County. Faced with the increasing this understanding, people can then begin to worktowards immediacy of domestic racism and related violence, many activists real izi ng justice wherever injustices may exist. The arena for this work who understood the connections between the oppression fostered by is not only domestic, but also international." both U.S. domestic and foreign policy began to raise a number of important issues. Questions regarding things such as minority recruit The emerging, redefined, student and youth activism of the 1980's ment and retention and ethnic studies requirements were linked with is characterized by a commitment to the struggle against all forms of issues such as U.S. aid for Central American and southern African repression. This commitment seems to be an indication of the general "contras" and U.S. support for apartheid. Many activists could not spirit of activism in the years to come. Those students who once continue to compartmentalize their activism into neat, little packages occupied buildings and built shanties in solidarity with their brothers and began to view their political and social activism as a challenge to and sisters in South and southern Africa are continuing to do so, but the "big picture" of injustice in both the domestic and the international theiractivism does notstop there. These organizations and individuals arenas. are also effectively rallying around other issues such as campus and community racism in an attempt to broaden their movement into one Anti-apartheid activists played a large role in the articulation of this which addresses injustices both at home and abroad. ................. .. ......... WE NEED T.-I...1_H :FR0 Qu .. ........ $04t4t I ................. w............ j. :::v. ......... .............................. h ' " ...................... .......X........ ............. .......... t Althqu g Wh .:A*. ..^':W09IFTe " .9ft W, Ift "IM e s piaf. aw- i W i i i::":b ".64_W "a .pe............ ........ ... ......................... .......I.-,. ..... ......... ......i' h -Rk*Xf F.M.A.. _X ..................:......... V kvq llfflffl g. r0m ft M '. .................... ..................... ............ U,I .... .1 enT ....... ......... .. .... .................. N ............ ............ 1......... ............. .. ............ *NEW ENGLAND Dartmouth College; Hanover, New Hampshire: The Dartmouth College ACTION ROUND-UP President's Council on South Africa will be hosting an informational and educational exchange on southern Africa on May 13 and 14. The primaryfocus of the symposium will learned that the University of Maine Foun event featured speakers and musicians, and be the present situation in South Africa and dation had divested its holdings in corpora the issues addressed included: South Africa; the intensification of the struggle for libera tions and banks operating in South Africa. Central America; nuclear disarmament; tion. Topics to be addressed include U.S. Although the University's foundation had racism and the national trade off between foreign policy as it relates to South Africa, voted to divest in December 1987, itdid not spending for the military and education. Black and white politics and the movement make public its policy change until two Meanwhile, the Columbia Senate has taken for human rights. months later. moves to intimidate active or potentially CONTACT: Nelson Caspiro (603) 646 activestudents intosubmission. Recentrules 2549 adopted by the Senate designed to squelch •NORTHEAST student activism under the guise of protect Harvard/Radcliffe; Cambridge, Massa Black Student Communications Organiz ing the right to free speech include the chusetts: In recent years the movement ing Network (BSCON); Jamaica, New York: meting out of severe punishment, including around anti-apartheid issues at Harvard and BSCON's New York City United Front has expulsion, for activities such as blocking Radcliffe has been characterized by collec initiated a red ribbon campaign, similar to buildings and other forms of civil disobedi tive alumni and student efforts. Harvard/ the green ribbon campaign launched in ence. A numberofColumbia's studentactiv Radcliffe Alumni AgainstApartheid, together 1979 during the Atlanta child murders. The ists are attempting to form a progressive with the Harvard/Radcliffe Southern Africa red ribbons are being worn to register the student front which would serve as an Solidarity Committee, has launched a multi outrage of Black students at the repeated umbrella organization for the continuation level offensive designed to force the institu racially motivated attacks on people of Afri of student protests and challenges to the tion to divest. More traditional actions such can descent. The red ribbons also symbolize administration. as rallies and demonstrations have been the wearers' solidarity with those people of CONTACT:Nicole Ellison; 201 W, 79th coupled with innovative measures to in South Africa who have been affected by the Street - Apt. 1204; New York, NY 10024 crease the pressure fordivestment from vari recent government crackdown on a number (212) 787-0312 ous angles. The alumni organization has of mass-based national and community concentrated its efforts on campaigning for organizations as well as those individuals D.C. Student Coalition Against Apartheid the election of pro-divestment candidates to restricted by the government's actions. and Racism (SCAR); Washington, D.C.: After the Board of Overseers and has successfully CONTACT: Willy Terry (718) 526-7056 playing an important role in the Rutgers worked to elect three such candidates. Stu national student conference held in Febru dent efforts have included helping to draft Children for Worldwide Peace and Edu ary of this year (see separate entry: Rutgers state legislation which restricts the ability of catorsfor Social Responsibility/Metro; New University: New Brunswick, New Jersey), non-divested institutions to issue tax-exempt York City: On April 15 youth from all five D.C. SCAR held a minority recruitment and bonds. If successful, the legislation, filed by boroughs of NewYorkCity held a march and retention conference in March. The confer state legislator Sandra Graham, will cost rally in memory of Solomon Mahlangu, a ence was attended by student and youth Harvard/Radcliffe an estimated $20 - $30 South African high school student and later activists from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. million per year. Although the majority of a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the mili A notable conference follow-up action was the students favor divestment, the admini tary wing of the African National Congress. avisittothe U.S. Departmentof Education to stration and the Board of Overseers have Mahlangu was executed by hanging in 1979 present