19 November 1985

Dear Jan [Breitenbach],

I regret to have to tell you that I can no longer serve on the Council of the 1820 Foundation as of now.

I have given a lot of thought to this matter and can see no other way out of my dilemma. Briefly, the reasons are as follows:

If the Foundation had at least three provincial offices likely to reach large communities of Blacks (African, Indian and ‘Coloured’) something might begin to happen that would lend 1820 a dimension of cultural relevance among these population groups. Even so, they would have to be given the freedom to plan their own socially relevant programmes, according to their perceived needs. As it is, one gets the impression, right or wrong, that the Foundation is an annual gala, a celebration of achievement without much care about the creative process (between Julys) that, among us Blacks, drains the animateurs who are in charge of it. Draining because of lack of facilities and material resources.

It may be argued that this was never one of the Foundation's objectives when it was first conceived: I wouldn't know. I can only imagine it is going to be uphill for the Foundation if it does not change its image, its founding code, so that Blacks associated with it see themselves as creators of a culture rather than merely as a subject of it or facilitator of it.

I must conserve energy for those educational programmes and projects that have their roots in Black life, and through which I directly address this life.