`` Billions of American dollars, not only from capital investors but also from the pockets of U.S. taxpayers '', this author states, `` are being poured into South Africa to support a system dedicated to the oppression, the persecution, and the almost diabolical exploitation of 12 million people the color of whose skins happens not to be white ''.

Not only should this provision be enforced but other economic and political actions might be taken which, this author believes, `` must surely be supported by every American who values the freedom that has been won for him and whose conscience is not so dominated by the lines in his account books that he can willingly and knowingly contribute to the enslavement of another nation ''.

* The Atlas ( novel ), by American author William T. Vollmann

Mark Twain was a prominent American author of the 19th century.

* 1978 – Kendra Todd, American real estate agent and author

* 1907 – Hardie Gramatky, American author and animator ( d. 1979 )

* 1947 – Tom Clancy, American author

* 1954 – Jon Krakauer, American author

* 1971 – Shannen Doherty, American actress, producer, director, and author

* 1938 – Larry Niven, American author

* 1959 – W. Thomas Smith, Jr, American author and columnist

* 1871 – Theodore Dreiser, American author ( d. 1945 )

* 1929 – Ira Levin, American author ( d. 2007 )

* 1936 – Joel Kovel, American politician, scholar, and author

* 1939 – William Least Heat-Moon, American author

* 1957 – Jeff Grubb, American game designer and author

* 1931 – Chalmers Johnson, American scholar and author ( d. 2010 )

* 1963 – Kevin Mitnick, American computer hacker and author

* 1973 – Karenna Gore Schiff, American journalist, lawyer, and author

* 1927 – Daniel Keyes, American author

* 1944 – Patricia McKissack, American author

* 1945 – Barbara Delinsky, American author

* 1949 – Jonathan Kellerman, American author

* 1947 – Lawrence Wright, American author

* 1948 – Dennis Prager, American radio host and author

* 1951 – Tom Noonan, American actor

* 1965 – Tom O ' Brien, American actor and producer

* 1978 – Tom Fulp, American video game programmer

* 1961 – Tom Ford, American fashion designer and director

* 1959 – Tom Niedenfuer, American baseball player

* 1961 – Tom Perrotta, American novelist

* 1943 – Tom Burgmeier, American baseball player

* 1956 – Tom Leykis, American radio host

* 1977 – Tom Brady, American football player

* 1945 – Tom Allen, American politician

* 1950 – Tom Kelly, American baseball player and manager

* 1962 – Tom Colicchio, American chef

* 1933 – Tom Skerritt, American actor

* 1965 – Tom Dey, American director

* 1961 – Lauren Tom, American actress

* 1946 – Tom Stern, American cinematographer

* 2004 – Tom Wesselmann, American collage artist ( b. 1931 )

* 1953 – Tom Hulce, American actor

* 1939 – Tom Hayden, American politician and activist

* 1947 – Tom Daschle, American politician

* 1949 – Tom Kite, American golfer

* 1953 – Tom Underwood, American baseball player ( d. 2010 )

* 1949 – Tom Verlaine, American singer and guitarist ( Television )

* 1975 – Tom DeLonge, American guitarist ( blink-182, Angels & Airwaves )