TESTIMONY
Ohio House Bill 122
[Presented to the Financial Institutions Committee, February 11, 1987]

Good morning. I am Gordon Welty, Professor of Sociology at Wright State University in Dayton, and Co-chair with Deborah Archie of the Ohio Coalition Against Apartheid. Constituency groups most central to our Coalition's efforts are trade unions, churches, Black organizations, community organizations, and the students, faculty and staff of colleges and universities throughout Ohio. We have affiliated local coalitions in the major cities of Ohio, including Cleveland, Youngstown, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.

The Ohio Coalition Against Apartheid fully endorses House Bill 122, as introduced by Representative C. J. McLin, and strongly urges you to pass this legislation.

This morning, I would like to address two points: first, the growing tide of disinvestment of transnational corporations from South Africa, and second, the groundswell of divestment by states and municipalities within the United States.

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Many large companies have decided that the business and political climate within South Africa, and the moral climate in the United States dictate that they disinvest themselves from business operations in the apartheid regime. Some of the more than seventy (70) U. S. companies which have already withdrawn during the past two years, or announced plans to withdraw include:

Thus we see that divestiture campaigns such as the one before us are currently going on, or have been successful all across the United States. In addition to the state efforts, nine of the largest ten U.S. cities have also divested. There can be little question that the aggregate effect of these campaigns upon the South African economy will be significant. Again it is more to the point that Ohio can and will find its rightful place among these states when H.B. 122 is passed.

In closing, let us all remember that no less a body than the United Nations General Assembly has condemned apartheid as "a crime against humanity," and has declared that it "constitutes a serious impediment to economic and social development" and that it is an "obstacle to international cooperation and peace." Now we, the people of Ohio, have an opportunity to show our deeds are equal to our words.