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• 1 2019-10-23T18:01:36-04:00 Harvard AFRO and Pan African liberation Committee Protest Harvard's Investment in Gulf 17 plain 2020-03-17T18:47:18-04:00

          In the early 1970s, the campaign against Gulf’s operations in colonial Angola by Harvard-Radcliffe Association of African and Afro-American Students (Harvard AFRO) and the Pan African Liberation Committee (PALC), bridged the gap between Black Power and anti-apartheid movements. The campaign to divest Harvard began in late winter of 1972. Concerned members of the Harvard Community placed 500 black crosses in the white snow, representing the unrecounted number of dead Angolan freedom fighters. These crosses not only reflected the emphatic rejection of Harvard’s refusal to divest in Gulf Oil, they also memorialized in expressive fashion the ideal of emancipation of the fallen Angolan heroes who spared no effort to regain their people’s dignity. 

          The oil company had been the corporate enemy of the Portuguese African nationalist movement after it gained exploration rights in Angola and Mozambique in 1964. Gulf business which amounted to nearly $61 million accounted for 60 percent of Portugal’s military expenditures.  Essentially, Portuguese imperialism funded Gulf, which will grow to become a very profitable company. Even more so in the 70s, as Harvard held 650,000 shares of the company worth approximately $15.4 million. By so doing, Harvard, whose intellectual posture is predicated on high moral values, was disingenuously reaping significant profits from the colonization of Africans; and, its students would not settle for such deceitful practices. 

          PALC began attempting to change Harvard's position but made little headway. However, when President Bok announced Harvard would not divest, enough was enough. Within 14 hours Harvard AFRO and PALC among other student organizations led nearly 1000 students, chanting “U.S. out of Southeast Asia, Harvard out of Gulf.” They occupied Massachusetts Hall and demanded Harvard to reconsider its morally bankrupt position. These students, pictured above, were among the first to organize university movements to demand divestment and advocate for social responsibility. 

          Through mobilization and education on anti-imperialist ideology, PALC and Harvard AFRO revealed the links between black Americans’ domestic concerns with African revolutions. The students’ study of Black Power activists and others who framed conversations on the meaning of being Black in this eurocentric world resulted in protest like this one. Their assertive acts compelled Harvard’s administration to consider the moral consequences of investing in companies that devalue and dehumanize life. Similar to the other objects in this exhibit, this image showcases the power of people. When people come together and transcend their differences in pursuit of change, their words are louder and their demands are harder to ignore.