ABSTRACT
African Americans were successful in changing the Nixon administration policy during the Nigerian civil war and in pressuring President Clinton to intervene in the Haitian conflict on the side of the democracy. Thus, in their quest for universal freedom, African Americans, who were born in foreign affairs through African slavery and the slave trade, have turned to America's foreign policy to support ideals of human rights and humani-tarianism. From the time of slavery, African Americans have consistently engaged in citizen diplomacy; for example, Frederick Douglass and many others traveled to Europe in efforts to universalize the struggle against slavery. To carry out its lobbying, Trans Africa—the "Black American Lobby for Africa and the Caribbean"—sends out "Issue Briefs" and a newsletter to alert its membership and individuals in the Congress to matters on which its leaders want action. However, the veto was overridden when Republicans joined with African Americans and Democrats to impose sanctions on the South African regime.
