AC JESSTHE AMERICA COORDINATING

COMMITTEE FOR EQUALITY IN SPORT AND SOCIETY

Dr. Richard E. Lapchick, Chairperson

Virginia Wesleyan College

W.esleyan Drive

Norfolk, Virginia 23502 USA

(804) 461-3232 (office) I (804) 428-1250 (home)

COALITION MEMBERS

American Committee on AfricaAmericans for Democratic ActionA·me.r:ican Friends Service CommitteeARENA, the Institute 'for Sport and Social AnalysisClergy and Laity ConcernedCoalition of Concerned Black AmericansGray PanthersMethod ist Federation for Social Actio n

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSIONTO END APARTHEID SPORT

Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity)South African Non-R acial Olympic CommitteeSouth African Students' MovementSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)Sports for the People .United Methodist Church', Women's Division,

Board of Global MinistriesWomen's I nternational League for Peace & Freedom

6 August 1977

LESLIE 0 HARRIMANAmbassador to the UN (Nigeria); Chairman ofthe UN Special Committee Against Apartheid(Honorary Chairperson of the IACEAS)

DENNIS BRUTUSPresident of SAN-ROC (Chairperson of theIACEAS)

DAVID ACQUAHChairman, Ghana National Committee AgainstApartheid

KADAR ASMAL'Chairman, Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement

A' AZ1Z .Member of Parliament; Secretary-General of theAfro·Asian Solidarity Association of Sri Lanka

JULIAN BONDSe ator, Georgia State Senate

NEVILLE CURTISChairman, Campaign Against Racial Exploita­tion (CA R E) -- Austral ia

OYSTEIN GUDIMSecretary, Norwegian Council for SouthernAfrica

PETER HAINBritish Anti-Apartheid Movement

A. KUSUHARAChairman, Japanese Anti Apartheid Movement

MICHAEL G. LAWChairman, Halt All Racial Tours (HART)­New Zealand

MlKKO LOHIKOSKIFinnish Africa,Committee

JERZY MARKIEWICZPolish Solidarity Comm. with Peoples ofAsia & Africa

E LIZABETH MATH lOTFrench Committee Against Apartheid

ABDUL MINTYChairman, British Anti-A partheid Movement

IAN MITCHELLPresident, Citizens' Association for RacialEquality (CARE) -- New Zealand

MANUELA MOUNIRChairperson, Swiss Anti-Apartheid Movement

ABRAHAM ORDIAPresident, Supreme Council for Sport in Africa

LABAN OYAKAOrganization of African Unity, LiberationCommittee

PE RCY SUTTONPresident, Borough of Manhattan

RICHARD E, LAPCHICKARE N A, the I nstitute for Sport and SocialAnalysis (Cpordinator of the IACEAS)

President Jimmy CarterThe \tlhi te House1600 Pennsylvania AvenueWashington, D.C.

Dear President Carter:

I want to thank you for your reply to myletter about the participation of South Africain -the Davis Cup that came via Hodding Carter.

I. appreciate that it must seem very difficultfor a head of state to make political decisionsabout sport. The coalition members o£ ACCESShave come together solely for -the purpose ofnttemptin6 to end all United States'sportscontacts with the racist South African teams.You can see from the groups listed that weare a diverse Group of political, civil rights,religious and sports groups. There is noideological bent to the group other than arevulsion for racism aIlcl apartlleid and a s'crongcommitment to majority rule.

In thi.s light, VJe applal1d your camilli tent tohuman rights and your support for majorityrule in South Africa. As you no doubt areaware, sport has been one of the most effectivemeans of making the public aware of \Jhat aparthei(}does· to the non white population of South AfricaMajor mass movements have existed in mostnations that have had sports contacts with SouthAfrica, especially in the Commonwealth nations.

The OAD 11as taken s·trone; posi tions OIl apar-theidsport, as has the UN. The UN is now drawing upa convention on aI)ar-theid sport, whicl1 shalllater become a treaty. I have been testifyingbefore the UI~ as this warle is done. This clearlydemonstrates that major international politicalor~anizations take this subject very s~riously.

It has lonG been obvious that sports federationsdo so as most have excluded South Africa.

President Carter, 6 AUGus"t; 19,?r?, page 2

Up to this year, there have been a handful of nations thathave llad spor-ts relat~ions vIi t11 South AfT'ica, thus flauntingthe nUlnerous UI\J resolutiQns opposing this. In J"une, one ofthe most significant events in the history of the antiapartheid sports movement took place at the CommonwealthPrime Ministers Conference.

The Prime Hinisters accepted what is known as the Gleneagles-Agreement which clearly states 'the opposition of their goverfrrnents to sports contacts with South Africa. This has leftthe United States as the only major nation with teams competingwi t11 South Africa \vhere the head of 'state has not expressed hisopposition.

Therefore, the Board of ACCESS, in a decision made this week,has called on you to endorse the Gleneagles AGreement. It isour' feeling that your doing so will demonstrate that you arewilling to take action to uphold human rights.

ACCESS has also put together the International AdvisoryCommission to End Aparthied Sport (IACEAS). It is composed ofthe leaders of the maj or an-ti apar-theid moven1e11ts from aroundthe world. Its Honorary'Chairperson is Ambassador Leslie 0.IIarriman (l'Tigeria), Chairman, of tIle Special Comrni ttee Ac;ains"tApartheid at the UN We (the IACEAS) will be meetinc in Lagosprior to the World Conference for Action AGainst Apartheid(AuGust 22 to 26). \ve \vill propose, and feel certain that i·twill be accepted, a resolution that the World Conference endorsethe Gleneagles Agreement.

Frorn tllis. point of vie\\T, i·t \~lOllld clearly ShO\~1 ~YOl1r leadershipif you announced you endorsement prior to this meeting. Timeis also important as ACCESS has called for a mass demonstrationat tJJ.e US 01)811 ill. Fore s t; EIj_lJ_s on Septernbcr 10-tll and 11 th. VJefulJ.y expect 1,000 or InOl~e clernons·tra-{:;ors \vh,o will be protes·tingthe USTA's support for South Africa in the International TennisFederation. The Davis Cup is now a mockery of a championshipas Mexico, Canada and Venezuela have withdrawn from the NorthAmerican Zone, leaving only the United States and South Africato compete. The demonstrations can be avoided if the USTAannounces they will drop their support for South Africa. Yourleadership \\louJ_d definitely influollce -tlleir decision. (l~nclosed

is a background ~amphlet on the issue).

It is our hope that we will hear from you very soon on thiscrucial ~nd timely matter concerning human justice. Thankyou so much for your anticipated consideration.

Richard E. LapchickNational Chairperso

enclosul~e