US media reported on President Carter’s meeting with Bishop Muzorewa, emphasizing the continued US commitment to sanctions on Rhodesia. Editorials noted differing views among Black American leaders, citing Bayard Rustin’s recent article in Commentary, which warned of the cost to African democracy of undermining moderate Black leaders in Rhodesia.
The Carter administration’s engagement with Bishop Muzorewa happened during critical negotiations over Rhodesia’s future governance. Rustin’s commentary articulated concerns within the African American civil rights community about the potential impact of U.S. policies on democratic progress in southern Africa, reflecting internal debates on how best to support liberation movements amid Cold War pressures.
U.S. Department of State, “Telegram: Bayard Rustin’s Commentary on U.S. Sanctions Policy and Carter-Muzorewa Meeting Featured in Media,” July 12, 1979, National Archives, accessed September 26, 2025, https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=136230&dt=2776&dl=2169.
