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

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: "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." 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. Its very hard to make out the caption in full but it mentions "the press." 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 busines.…