Correspondence, 1990-1980

The administrative records of COBSLA encompass campaign activities, fundraising initiatives, and communications between committee members and staff. The files also document the day-to-day operations of the campaign, including agenda, outlines, schedules, and summaries of the national office activities. The records also contain correspondence, hand script notes, financial information, mailing lists, meeting minutes, news clippings, reports, newsletters that the campaign produced, and other administrative records.

The strength of the administrative records centers on the correspondence between the staff and primarily that of Carole Collins, the National Coordinator of COBSLA. The files also occasionally contain letters requesting funding for the campaign from certain organizations and businesses to service the increasing number of groups and activities across the nation working on intensifying efforts to end monetary lending to South Africa. Also included are files of correspondence of Traver J. Bell, Jr., Jennifer Davis, John Harrington, and Maxine Waters.

Of interest are the lists of organizational participants, sponsors, bank lenders, and corporations doing business in South Africa. These lists include the names of banks that have been directly or indirectly involved in lending to South Africa, including lending though its stock holdings and private investments.

Other administrative files of note are meeting minutes that detail the efforts of various local groups and affiliates of COBLSA, as well as records COBLSA campaign activities, such as legislative actions against tax monies being placed by U.S. cities or states in banks that lend to South Africa. These groups also sought to convince anti-nuclear groups to divest and oppose bank loans to South Africa; taught local groups how to research and present alternative investments and banking options; and provided better opportunities to increase outreach within their communities, including media work. Also, other reports within the series contain notes on discussions for developing plans for political action.

Main topics include: business, education, fundraising, bank campaigns, investments

Correspondence and files dating 1977-1980 are in poor, brittle condition, and show evidence of water damage. There are extensive correspondence files for Prexy Nesbitt and Dumisani Kumalo, the first and second coordinators of COBLSA, found within the deteriorating materials.