- Written by
- Committee to Free the SASO 9, American
- Subject of
- South African Student Organization, South African, 1968 - 1977
- Signed by
- Akpan, John
- Subject of
- South African Student Organisation, South African, 1968 - 1977
- Date
- June 4, 1976
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 11 × 8 1/2 in. (27.9 × 21.6 cm)
- Description
- This letter from the Committee to Free the SASO 9 invites people to an emergency meeting about the SASO 9. The letter is white with black text that reads: [June 4, 1976 / Dear Sister/Brother: / INVITATION TO AN EMERGENCY MEETING / The Committee to Free The SASO 9 (South African Students Organ-/ ization) is a group in the United States working to publicize / the plight of our sisters and brothers in South Africa who face / death by hanging if convicted. / Although the original number was nine who have been unjustly / jailed, it is now sixteen, and one member has been tortured to / death. Along with this, two members of SWAPO (South West African / Peoples Organization) in Namibia have been convicted and sentenced / to death by a South African Court. There are many thousands of / prisoners languishing in the jails of South Africa, Namibia and Rhodesia. / The Committee to Free The SAO 9 is calling an urgent meeting / on Wednesday June 9 at 7:00 P.M. The meeting will take place in / Manhattan at 605 West 115th Street, Room 418. / Some of our activities to publicize the trial of SAO, as well as / aid in the release from prison have been: picket lines at the / South African Airways, demonstrations, forums, poetry readings / and speaking engagements. / We in the Committee are urging you to attend as well as send / representatives of your organizations. Our task is to save the SWAPO 2 from hanging, aid in the freeing of the SASO members as / well as all prisoners of apartheid. / Volunteers and funds are urgently needed. / Yours In Struggle, John Akpan / Coordinator / Committee to Free the SASO Nine]. The back of the letter is blank.
- Place used
- New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- South Africa, Africa
- Zimbabwe, Africa
- Namibia, Africa
- Classification
- Memorabilia and Ephemera - Political and Activist Ephemera
- Documents and Manuscripts
- Movement
- Pan Africanism
- Anti-apartheid movements
- Type
- letters (correspondence)
- Topic
- Activism
- Africa
- Black power
- Correspondence
- Decolonization
- International affairs
- U.S. History, 1969-2001
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2015.97.27.11
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




