The Coalition for Awareness and Action, representing nine student groups, Thursday night released a statement explaining why they linked divestiture and support of the Afro-American Studies Department in calling for next Monday's boycott of classes.

Dean Rosovsky refused comment last night.

Unsure

Members of the coalition said yesterday they felt students may be unsure of a connection between the two issues, and might be unwilling to support a boycott over seemingly unconnected topics.

"The link is between the fight against racism at Harvard University and racism in South Africa, "the statement said, adding. "It makes little sense to fight against racism three thousand miles away and be blind to it here."

President Bok and Dean Epps were unavailable for comment last night.

The statement charged that as Harvard "denies the rights of blacks on campus to determine their curriculum, similarly the Corporation rejects the self-determination of black South Africans by opposing the liberation movement in South Africa."

The coalition has called Monday's boycott to demand divestiture of Harvard's holdings in South Africa and additional tenured faculty and funding for the Afro-American Studies Department.

The statement also says that the coalition believes "the issues of racial, class and sexual oppression are interrelated," and calls for faculty and student support of Monday's boycott.