SASC Meeting Disintegrates Following Attacks on Integrity

A meeting between members of the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (SASC) and Black student leaders broke down last night after a member of the Seymour Society--a Black student group--accused "white leftists" of being less productive then Blacks because they were preoccupied with "glamour."

The student, who refused to be identified, referred to a 1972 incident in which Black leftists occupied Massachusetts Hall while whites, he said, stood idly by.

The informal meeting, held on the fifth floor landing of Claverly Hall, had been called by SASC to discuss a wide range of issues concerning the Corporation's investments in South Africa and whether SASC should merge into the Harvard African Students Association.

Six students began a hunger strike at 6 p.m. yesterday to protest Harvard's investments in the apartheid state.

One of the original fasters withdrew from the group at the last moment, but another student replaced her, spokesman Barry S. Zellen '84 said yesterday.

But the replacement, Paula S. Gabriel '86, later denied that she is participating.

The fasters plan to meet on the steps of Memorial Church today at 5 p.m., when they will pass out black armbands to students sympathizing with their protest, Zellen said.

He added that the group will distribute a copy of their demands at an open meeting of the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (ACSR) this evening.

The group has also invited representatives of local television and radio stations to attend a press conference tomorrow, Zellen said.

Phone calls expressing support for the hunger strikers have been coming in at a rate of 10 per hour, according to Zellen.

Divestiture Letter

In another action, the Harvard Council of Student Leaders--a recently formed umbrella organization comprised of the leaders of student governments from throughout the University--released a letter they will present at the ACSR forum.

The letter, which was signed by eight of the nine schools represented at last night's coalition meeting, calls on the ACSR to "encourage" the Corporation to abide by the Sullivan Principles--a code that evaluates labor practices of companies operating in South Africa--and to divest from companies which do not comply.

The stance is not as harsh as that taken Sunday by the Undergraduate Council, which called on the Corporation to totally divest. The council's representative, chairman Sesha Pratap '83, was not present at last night's meeting and did not sign the HCSL letter.