By Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga

More than two decades ago hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and around the world protested the brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. From the South African embassy in Washington DC to college campuses, people cried out to their governments to stop the bigoted system that reduced Black South Africans to slave laborers and denied them their rightful place in governance, the economy and education.

TransAfrica was one of the lead organizations in the United States that organized the mass protests and lobbying efforts in a Republican controlled Congress and against a Ronald Reagan White House. In the late 1970's and the early 1980's TransAfrica's same was synomous with the Free South Africa Movement. The organization's President, Randall Robinson, was a familiar face on network newscasts. The fall of apartheid and the election of political prisoner Nelson Mandela as president a just a few years later is testimony to the power of protest and the dedication of the average citizen to make political change.

This year TransAfrica celebrates its 30th anniversary and marked the occasion with a star-studded gala in the nation's Capitol. Danny Glover serves as Chairman of the Board and he led the evening's program with a statement of the importance of African focus organizations in helping Africa's children on the continent and throughout the global Diaspora. In his remarks he said, "We gather in triumph of the collective African and Diaspora spirit to be free. We speak in praise of sacrifice of life by millions to live in human dignity. We acknowledge the commitment of men, women and children who still stand forth for self-determination."

Then the program turned to Nicole Lee. Lee was appointed Executive Director of TransAfrica earlier this year. She is the first woman and youngest Executive Director in the organization's 30year history. The mantle of lead the nation's oldest African American African policy organization is a big one to carry but that evening she stood comfortably on the shoulders of the men and women who came before her. Her self-confidence and command of the issues that face Black people betrayed her years.

This is the time to look forward as the organization defines the issues that need attention today. Globalization and privatization are having a profound impact on Africa's ability to grow and compete in the new economic paradigm. Increased US military presence on the continent of Africa and around the world threatens sovereignty and the ability to create and sustain peaceful societies" Lee said.

The evening was filled with elders such as Pan-African Lifetime Achievement Award winners, Ruby Dee, Graca Machel-Mandela, and Dorothy Height. TransAfrica recognized the importance of an independent media by honoring Amy Goodman for her outspoken leadership on Democracy Now and in the books she authors. Graca Machel accepted her award via videotape thanking the organization for its world leadership. Dorothy Height, still eloquent in her 90's, gave an inspiring acceptance urging a new generation of leaders to take her place on the civil rights battle lines.

Famed writer Walter Mosley, who is a member of TransAfrica's Board of Directors, presented Ruby Dee's award. He stood before the audience with an original writing on the glory of her work and her continued leadership in the arts, politics and human development. Ms. Dee took the stage with poem she wrote for the occasion. She was stunning in her depiction of the state of the Black world and her cry for common decency and human dignity. Amy Goodman called upon all us of to speak truth to power and to support independent media as means to tell a story seldom told on corporate newscasts.

TransAfrica has stood for 30 years on the front lines of the struggle against empire, globalization and greed. On the heals of the successful in the fight against Apartheid, TransAfrica fought to restore democracy in Haiti and to prevent US oil companies from influencing elections in Nigeria. Today TransAfrica continues the struggle in a fight to stop the spread of US military might in Africa and to stop private financial corporations from destroying Africa's economic future.

Nicole Lee takes the helm of the legendary TransAfrica at a critical point in history. Today the issues facing Africa may not be as black and white as apartheid but in less than a year she has taken the organization in very powerful new direction in an effort to address the economic and political future of the continent.

Testifying before the House Subcommittee on Africa in May, Board Chair Danny Glover called on Congress to stop the spread of Vulture Funds. Vulture Funds are large financial companies that buy defaulted African loans from European countries. Many of these Vulture Funds seek repayment through the courts and are awarded the full value of the loan to be paid immediately, which cripples many countries. The value of western nation's granting debt relief is wiped out by Vulture Fund court victories.

Also, TransAfrica is also leading the cry to stop the spread of US military might to Africa. AFRICOM was proposed by the Bush Administration as means to "help" Africa. TransAfrica calls the move arrogant and points to the history lessons that prove outside forces only cause chaos and Africa is will equipped to solve its own problems without US intervention. In a recent op-ed Lee and Glover wrote, "in 1990 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) set up an armed Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in response to the civil war in Liberia. At their height, ECOMOG forces in Liberia numbered 12,000. In a separate mission, ECOMOG forces were instrumental in repealing rebels from the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown. Often analysts emphasize the flaws in ECOMOG deployment without properly giving credit to the fact that it was these forces—not U.S. or U.N. troops—who helped keep Liberia from totally disintegrating."

TransAfrica, now 30 years old, will continue to lead in the fight for justice for the Africa world. If past success is any indication, then the future is assured.