who had performed in South Africa. To me, this blacklisting constituted reverse McCarthyism

4.2.12 WC: 191694 who had performed in South Africa. To me, this blacklisting constituted reverse McCarthyism, even if it is in the interest of a just cause. I wrote an article in 1985 exposing and condemning this new liberal McCarthyism. It included the following: This time, blacklisting is being practiced in the name of a progressive cause—the antiapartheid movement. It turns out that the Register of Entertainers to be shunned is officially published by the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid “as a means to promote the cultural boycott of South Africa.” It included the names of entertainers and actors who have performed in South Africa since 1981. Anyone whose name appears on the list is prohibited from performing at any function sponsored by the United Nations. Other organizations also use the U.N. blacklist to screen politically unacceptable artists. The introduction to the U.N. blacklist boasts that “a number of city counsels and other local authorities have decided to deny use of their facilities for entertainers” whose names appear on the blacklist. No advance notice is given to persons who are to be blacklisted, and the list includes some performers who “were not aware of the cultural boycott.” Among those currently on the blacklist are Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Cher, Goldie Hawn, Sha Na Na, Ermest Borgnine, and the British rock group Queen. The recent flap that publicized the existence of the U.N. blacklist involved a proposed concert to raise money for African famine relief. Among those volunteering to perform was the rock group Chicago. But Chicago was on the blacklist. And because of the absolute prohibition against using blacklisted artists at U.N.-sponsored events, plans for the concert had to be postponed. It is ironic that some black African children may die of hunger because of the U.N. blacklist. The American Civil Liberties Union recently complained loudly when the Boston Symphony Orchestra canceled a concert with Vanessa Redgrave because of her support for and complicity with...terrorists. Though no blacklist was published, the ACLU decried the “blacklisting” of Ms. Redgrave because of her politics as a violation of her civil liberties. I am waiting to hear from the ACLU on the U.N. blacklist. I never heard from the ACLU, but I did hear from Woody Allen, to whom I sent my article because his film The Front had exposed the evils of blacklisting and he was also a strong opponent of apartheid. He wrote me that: a27 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017414