St. Paul recorder., 1962-12-07
Focus On
Africa
US. Negro Wants
Voice In Shaping
African Policy
BY EDDIE l.. MADISON, JR.

help shape U. S. policy on Afri-
ca and indicated they will press
President John F. Kennedy to i'm
pose economic sanctions against
the Republic of South Africa.
The American Negro Leadership
Conference on Africa, announced
that its first major action will be
made December 10, Human Rights
Day, when it will urge the Presi-
dent to act against South Africa
because of its treatment of Afri-
cans. This will mark the first time
in history that American Negroes
as a group have sought to include
Africa as a part of their battle
ground in their struggle for human
rights.
Until the action by the Negro
leaders at their historic meeting,
the primary - perhaps only -
concern of Negroes has been the
fight against social injustices they
and other minorities suffer in the
United States. The conference has
been viewed as a significant awak-
ening of the American Negro, to
his kinship to his African brother.
The three-day summit meeting,
held at Columbia University's Ar
den House campus in Hartman,
New York, was attended by a
cross-section of the nations top
Negro leaders, including represent
atives of the clergy, civil rights
groups, labor and education.
The conference call committee
included the Rev Dr. Martin Luth-
er King, Jr., Atlanta, Ca, integra-
ton leader and president of the
S uth ern Christian Leadership
Conference; Roy Wilkins, execu-
tive secretary of the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People; Whitney Young,
executive director of the National
Urban League; A. Philip Randolph,
president of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters and vice pres
ident of the AFL-CIO; Dorothy
Height, president of the National
Council of Negro Women, and
James Farmer, executive director
of the Congress of Racial Equality.
The delegates voted to continue
the call committee as the execu-
tive body.
The leaders decided that a close
link between the American COM
munity and the sub-Saharan Afri-
can people would help sub-Sahar-
ans in attaining international
status or freedom, and give the
American Negroes a new impetus
in their fight for civil rights.
In addition to the resolution on
South Africa, the meeting reflect
ed the intense concern and impati-
ence of the American Negro over
conditions in Southwest Africa,
Angola Mozambique, Kenya, the
Central African Federation, the
Congo and the High Commission
Territories (Swaziland, Bechuana-
land and Basutoland). The Con-
ference urged unification of Kat
anga Province with the Central
Congolese government and us.
support for the liberation of Afri-
cans in yet-unfree territories on
the continent. 1t also urged finan-
cial aid and assistance in consulta-
ton with the Kenya nationalists to
develop their political community,
and urged the British government
to adopt a hands-off policy on in
ternal affairs of this colony pend
ing constitutional negotiations.
The conference, which sought to
determine if U. s. policy on Africa
accurately reflects the thinking of
Americans 10 million Negroes.
South Africa's harsh treatment
of Africans came under bitter at
tack at the conference. Aside from
calling for economic sanctions, the
leaders condemned apartheid (seg-
regation), urged an arms embargo,
called on American firms to cease
lending money to the Republic and
to withdraw investments, asked
that no public or private economic
aid be given, and urged the US
to support sanctions by the United
Nations. They also called for ar
international boycott, and an enc
to military cooperation, and q
White House conference on apar.
theid.
While the conference theme
centered on Africa, 1t marked q
formal link Of the Africans strug.
gle for complete independence with
the Negroes fight for equality ir
the us. Also, it paved the way
for the destruction Of the BELIEF
in some circles that a serious
breach exists between Africans
and American Negroes. The dele,
gates said they felt that the Afri.
cans too frequently did not under.
stand the social and economic pro.
gress achieved by us. Negroes
and also failed to understand that
the political power of a minority
Of 19-milHon, although important
was necessarily limited in what II
could achieve.
raiding party, was executed in
Washington, DC.