Weissman asked Bok, "What's your logic oftelling them [Black South Africans] that theydon't know what's good for them?" Theshirt-sleeved president responded, "I am not awareof any evidence that Black South Africans havetaken the position that you suggest."
When Weissman interjected, "Tutu?" Bok said,"Let me finish my answer to your question." Hecited a poll conducted last December in which 24percent of the Black South Africans surveyed werein favor of total divestment and 48 to 49 percentin favor of selective divestment.
"If we got a large majority of Blacks in somereasonably reliable poll, I think it is animportant factor to be taken into consideration indeciding if it would be wise" for companies todisinvest from South Africa, said Bok.
But he said that even if Blacks in South Africawere shown to oppose a U.S. corporate presence inthat country, such opposition would notnecessarily cause Harvard to divest, only topressure companies to withdraw their operations.
Philosophy
Harvard's current policy is to divestselectively of stock in South Africa-relatedcompanies that do not take steps to improve thecondition of Blacks, but to work to encourage mostcompanies to improve their policies rather thandivest. In its history, Harvard has divested offive South Africa-related companies.
Responding to a question asking if it is not acontradiction that Bok is reluctant to useeconomic leverage on companies by total divestmentbut continues to support a policy of selectivedivestment, the president said there is a largedifference between total and selective divestment.
Bok drew a distinction between trying to push acompany to action by applying the economicleverage of total divestment and not associatingwith some delinquent companies which have policieswhich offend the University.