Ruth

Photo Album: Charles V. Hamilton: Study Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Southern Africa 1979-1981

1981 · 615494 — Southern Africa 1981. Hardcover. Near Fine. Photo album consisting of 38 color photos belonging to Charles V. Hamilton. In 1967 with cowriter Stokely Carmichael Hamilton published the groundbreaking book Black Power: The Politics of Liberation. Part of the book's and Hamilton's legacy is solidifying the term "institutional racism in public discourse. From 1969 until his retirement in 1998 Hamilton was the Wallace S. Sayre professor of government and political science at Columbia University. This photo album documents the three years Hamilton spent working for the Study Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Southern Africa spanning the years 1979 to 1981. The findings of this study were compiled into a book by Allison Drew titled South Africa: Time is Running Out 1981. A review of the book published in the peer reviewed journal Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies states that the goal of the report was "to create a policy framework based on United States interests in the South African context." However the review's conclusion is rather critical of the commission's results stating:<br /> <br /> "Although taking a firm stance against petty apartheid and effectively challenging South Africa's view of its own strategic importance the commission's economic policy recommendations amount to a carte blanche for continued United States investments. In essence therefore the commission's suggestions support the status quo. Its recommendation of continued United States investment is in fact a vote of confidence for apartheid . Moderation and maximization of interests within a nonviolent framework are the main themes of this book and moderation is what it seeks from the reader.â€<br /> <br /> This apparently unsuccessful attempt to bridge the gap between public interests and business interests is partially illustrated in the mix of individuals who were involved. Hamilton was appointed as one of 11 commissioners on the study along with other academics and activists such as Ruth Simms Hamilton no relation Aileen C Hernandez and Constance Hilliard. Other members included businessmen such as Alan Pifer the acting president of the Carnegie Corporation at the time; C. Peter McColough the CEO of Xerox; businessman and philanthropist Frank A. Thomas; and J. Irwin Miller a businessman known for his civic activism. We have confirmed photographs featuring both Charles V. Hamilton and Frank A. Thomas and we believe that there are also photos of Ruth Simms Hamilton Aileen C. Hernandez J. Irwin Miller C. Peter McColough and Howard D. Samuel. The photos show them having talks and meeting locals. One shows Hamilton and we believe McColough at a talk on DWEP The Domestic Workers and Employers Project; one shows Thomas with four locals one of them holding an umbrella over Thomas' head; one shows Thomas outside of what appears to be a church speaking to a man with a crowd of children surrounding them; and one shows a large gathering of people Hamilton included in hardhats and jumpsuits. There are also six photos taken at what we believe to be a mansion known as "Graceland" located in Muizenberg Cape Town South Africa. One is a view of what looks to be the back of the house taken from afar then we see exterior shots of commissioners and others drinking coffee and chatting and interior shots of them working. Later in the album perhaps at Graceland a curious photo shows three people looking from a second story railing and displaying a large cartoon. It’s very hard to make out the caption in full but it mentions “the press.â€<br /> <br /> Also included is a bag of personal mementos: four home photographs of a child two including a man and one including a woman a copy of Pages of Time: 1929 the year Hamilton was born given to him for his 74th birthday a card with a newspaper clipping announcing him being appointed professor of government at Columbia University his daughter's Carol ID card from when she worked in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Commerce as well as her business card from when she was the president of Cooper Hamilton Associates; and three other business cards perhaps of associates.<br /> <br /> Based on the presentation we suspect that this album was a gift given to each of the eleven commissioners though we cannot find another example of it. The album consists of 38 color photographs affixed to thick cardstock pages bound within an album of blue leather boards stamped in silver print on the front board with two lines of silver tooling on the spine. Boards worn but overall a near fine album with the photos clean and bright.<br /> <br /> A behind the scenes look at the Study Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Southern Africa in the time of Apartheid. hardcover