LATIN AMERICAN LEADERS DEFY U.S. MIGRANT POLICY

Many Latin American leaders at the ninth meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) denounced US foreign policy that has forced many of their people to migrate to the United States, only to be turned away at the Mexico-US border or hounded and detained in the US. The country has deported at least 29 million people over the past 32 years, according to figures from the US Department of Homeland Security and news reports. 

Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent & Grenadines, delivered a fiery condemnation, blasting the hypocrisy of the wealthiest country posing as the world’s victim while the US economy flounders, partly due to trade imbalances and exploitative systems it spent decades engineering. ‘It is a moral obscenity,’ Gonsalves said.

Continued……. Honduras President Xiomara Castro, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Bolivian President Luis Arce and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also blasted US immigration policies that result in mass deportations as criminalising aspiration and survival. Many Global South people have fled intercommunal violence, poverty, instability and war that can be attributed to Washington's foreign policies.

The leaders' remarks touch on a broader movement worldwide, including in Africa, with governments reclaiming control of resources, resisting neocolonialism, and insisting on more balanced migration, trade, and diplomatic relations. As the momentum builds across the Global South, this may be another turning point in the centuries-long quest for justice and self-determination worldwide.

Video credit: @btnewsroom via IG

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI13rJmW_oE

https://www.intellinews.com/latin-american-leaders-blast-us-tariffs-at-celac-summit-as-china-offers-economic-lifeline-376130

https://www.albatcp.org/en/2025/04/09/countries-call-for-deeper-regional-unity-and-support-for-migrants-at-9th-celac-summit

https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/celac-summit-trump-tariffs-un-secretary-general

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2024-11-19/trump-deported-fewer-people-than-obama-clinton-or-bush-but-more-indiscriminately.html

https://ohss.dhs.gov/topics/immigration/yearbook/2019/table39

WHITE CONVICTS IN U.S. HIRED OVER RECORD-FREE BLACK PEOPLE

In this clip, Devah Pager, a former professor of sociology and public policy at Harvard University who passed away in 2018, shared insightful findings on the stark reality of Black people in the US labour market.

In the experiment, part of Pager’s 2002 graduate dissertation, ‘The Mark of a Criminal Record,’ young Black and white men applied for entry-level jobs while varying their criminal histories. She found that having a criminal record significantly reduces employment opportunities for all applicants. However, Black applicants without a criminal record received callbacks at roughly half the rate of equally qualified white applicants. More profoundly, Black applicants without a criminal record received callbacks at slightly lower rates than white convicts.

Thus, her research suggested being born Black in the US was akin to being born with a criminal record, exposing the entrenched nature of systemic bias in hiring practices.

Continued……These systemic biases continue to create barriers for Black people in the US today. Moreover, the ripple effects of such discrimination have far-reaching consequences that continue the cycles of poverty and deepen the economic inequality between white and Black people.

Video credit: Stanford Centre On Poverty and Inequality (YouTube)

Sources

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/mark-criminal-record

https://thesociologistdc.com/all-issues/the-legacy-of-devah-pager

https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/pager/files/pager_ajs.pdf

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/31/black-workers-views-and-experiences-in-the-us-labor-force-stand-out-in-key-ways

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/african-americans-face-systematic-obstacles-getting-good-jobs

https://theconversation.com/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace-are-under-attack-heres-why-they-matter-more-than-ever-250651

SUBMISSION VS SOVEREIGNTY: WHO STANDS FOR AFRICA?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so lets revisit this one, taken 25 November 2024, when Kenya’s President William Ruto hosted the head of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Michael Langley - the face of US military presence on African soil - at State House in Nairobi. Back then, Ruto touted the ‘excellent’ partnership between Washington and Nairobi. But pan-African observers saw something else: a photo-op masking neocolonial submission.

Continued……While African leaders such as Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré chart new, sovereign paths for their nations and inspire the continent to move away from Western dependency, others, like Ruto, seek to deepen their ties with the West. There is an awakening taking place both at home and abroad. Africans are hungry for freedom after centuries of Western exploitation, but the US is using faces and voices like Langley’s in an attempt to stop this. Unlike Ruto, who is willing to sacrifice the African struggle for genuine independence to be a darling of the West, Traoré seeks just partnerships in the interest of his people. Clearly, it’s the Rutos, not the Traorés, that the West champions.

In June 2024, while Ruto was deploying Kenyan police officers to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as part of the US-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), unrest at home was at an all time high. Dissatisfied young Kenyans were on the streets, protesting the 2024 Finance Bill (which sought to raise taxes), chanting ‘Ruto must go!’ However, their peaceful calls for better living standards were met with state violence: police and army forces opened fire, reportedly killing at least 63 people.

Yet, the US, usually quick to tout ‘democratic values,’ remained silent and did not sever ties with Ruto’s government. Meanwhile, in Burkina Faso, Traoré’s popular support is met with Western campaigns aimed at discrediting his leadership. Perhaps how the West views African leaders is an inappropriate yardstick for who truly serves African interests. Take the poll below and let us know your views in the comments.

Sources

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8782144/africom-commander-langley-key-leaders-visit-eastern-africa

https://ke.usembassy.gov/deputy-chief-of-mission-marc-d-dillard/

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/investigations/2025/01/13/haiti-depth-why-kenya-led-security-mission-floundering

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7772v3j89o

https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-sends-more-troops-to-haiti-to-fight-gang-violence/a-71339807

https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-sends-more-troops-to-haiti-to-fight-gang-violence/a-71339807

https://www.blackagendareport.com/useunatos-regime-change-playbook-burkina-faso-and-captain-ibrahim-traore

https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/general_langley_opening_statements.pdf

https://khrc.or.ke/press-release/2024-a-year-of-blatant-state-repression-through-regime-policing/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jexr9yv0do

AFRICAN DIASPORA DEFENDING ETHIOPIA

On this day, 84 years ago, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie arrived in Addis Ababa from exile, marking the end of a five-year occupation and Benito Mussolini’s dream of colonial expansion. 5 May is now celebrated as Patriots’ Victory Day, an enduring reminder of Ethiopia’s history as the only African nation that successfully resisted colonisation despite fighting an overwhelming enemy with limited resources.

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937) saw thousands of Africans worldwide mobilise to fight the colonialists; this event reminded observers of what we witnessed in recent weeks by the support the global African community has shown Burkina Faso. Driven by indignation at US AFRICOM General Michael Langley’s attack on the country’s revolutionary president Ibrahim Traoré, tens of thousands have mobilised in protest with the clarion call, ‘Hands off Burkina Faso!’

Continued……Having witnessed the West’s destruction of Gaddafi’s Libya after years of demonisation in the West and the murders of Patrice Lumumba and Thomas Sankara before that, Africans are saying ‘enough is enough’ - much like they did against Italy as Rome tried to take Ethiopia.

Sources

https://dayhist.com/holidays-and-occasions/patriots-victory-day-ethiopia

https://ghana.dubawa.org/explainer-u-s-general-langleys-comments-on-burkina-fasos-traore-social-media-uproar/

https://issafrica.org/iss-today/did-nato-intervene-in-libya-just-to-get-rid-of-gaddafi

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/17/patrice-lumumba-congo-washington-00121755

https://www.rt.com/africa/589422-africa-burkina-faso-france/

https://warwingsdaily.com/wars/the-second-italo-ethiopian-war-1935-1936/

https://press.et/herald/?p=34256

KEEP UP THE ENERGY FOR TRAORÉ!

The fight for African sovereignty, with its most recognisable advocate, Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré, has moved up a gear - and we mustn’t let the momentum slow.

That’s the message of US-based content creator @lexlos3r (IG), who was impressed by how diaspora communities the world over rallied in reaction to remarks by the Pentagon’s top commander in Africa, Michael Langley - who had suggested Traoré was corrupt, alleging that he used state gold reserves to shore up his private security.

Langley’s words struck an especially ominous note coming ahead of another thwarted coup in Burkina Faso. Many suspect the Pentagon is preparing an intervention and is trying to tarnish the revolutionary leader’s reputation to make such meddling more palatable.

Continued…….. While the overwhelming global show of support for Traoré is welcome, we must remain vigilant and keep the tempo up to forestall any nefarious plans by former colonisers and modern imperialists. Each of us, in our own way, is a crucial part of this fight, and we should not let our guard down.

Video credit: @lexlos3r (IG)

Sources

https://westafricaweekly.com/support-for-burkinabe-captain-traore-grows-worldwide-amid-anti-imperialist-struggle/

https://issafrica.org/iss-today/in-burkina-faso-traore-s-legacy-could-extend-beyond-popularity-and-promises

https://mimimefoinfos.com/pan-africanist-kemi-seba-rallies-support-for-ibrahim-traore-ahead-of-major-demonstration-in-burkina-faso/amp/

https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/general_langley_opening_statements.pdf

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/04/10/meet-ibrahim-traore-burkina-fasos-retro-revolutionary

https://wacsi.org/a-resounding-ovation-what-ibrahim-traores-reception-reveals-about-the-youths-perception-of-leadership/

https://www.trt.global/afrika-english/article/03eb4ce7df6c

RUTO & BUSH: GOOD FOR THE ‘SOLE’!

William Ruto may rarely put himself in the shoes of his own people (judging by the harsh policies he’s tried to inflict on them during a cost-of-living crisis) but the out-of-touch Kenyan president was given a chance to do just that recently. During one of his public speeches, a member of the crowd flung a shoe at the flashy leader with a penchant for expensive outfits and VIP travel. The message ought to be loud and clear even to someone as tone deaf as Ruto. Like many so many before him, Ruto has become a middleman for empire, smiling for photo ops abroad while imposing suffering at home. And as history shows us, when the people have had enough, they don’t need fancy methods or expensive campaigns. Sometimes, a shoe is all it takes to shake the powerful.

Continued…….. And the incident’s put him in someone else’s shoes too: recall that in 2008 George W. Bush was ambushed by an Iraqi journalist, who flung two shoes at the US president in protest over Washington’s invasion of his country. If only they’d both gotten the boot instead!

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5rxed1wnvo

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-war-journalist-threw-shoes-george-w-bush-muntazer-al-zaidi-on-only-regret/

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/the-high-cost-of-living-in-kenya-persists-despite-its-decline-in-inflation/v833xze?op=1

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/third-of-kenyan-budget-lost-to-corruption-anti-graft-chief-idUSKCN0WC1I4/

Continued……. Haitians are not fleeing their homeland by choice. They are escaping the wreckage created by centuries of white supremacy, capitalist extraction and foreign domination since Haiti’s 1804 revolution that ousted French enslavers. Western interventions have created an unstable society that many Haitians have been trying to escape.

However, instead of solidarity from the Dominican Republic, they are met with raids and forced removals.

Sources

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/23/americas/dominican-republic-haiti-hospital-crackdown-intl-latam/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8egxlxz5po

BLACK FACES IN HIGH PLACES
WON'T SAVE US

For a long time, many Black people were under the illusion that more representation in positions of power would result in a more equitable society. Yet, year in, year out, we see Black people ascending to powerful positions only to become champions of the very values - or lack thereof - that the status quo represents.

Today, we bring back this powerful moment from April 2024 when professor Ruha Benjamin challenged this notion in a speech delivered at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Her message was simple yet poignant: ‘Black faces in high places are not gonna save us.’ That is, we shouldn't expect our rights to be defended by fellow Black people simply because they hold professional, political or economic power.

Her words are highly relevant following the unfounded accusations flung by the head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Michael E. Langley, at Burkina Faso's revolutionary President Ibrahim Traoré.

Continued…….. Langley - just like former US President Barack Obama, who oversaw US military operations across the African continent - is simply an imperial mouthpiece. Faces and voices like theirs are used to advance Western interests and maintain systems of global exploitation, as well as the US military-industrial complex, all under the illusion of inclusion.

Somalia and Libya have already been on the receiving end of US power. Today, Washington appears to be circling round West Africa - poised to pounce on an African leader who has dared to stand up against the West. And laying the groundwork for that, is a Black face in a high place: General Langley.

Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream

RACIST MOM RAKES IN OVER $600K

Hitting the jackpot in the US is all too easy if you are a racist white person under the spotlight for hate speech, or worse.

Such is the case for Shiloh Hendricks, who unleashed a racist tirade, calling a 5-year-old Somali child and a Somali man the N-word on 28 April in Rochester, Minnesota. But instead of consequences, Hendricks is cashing in. Since starting a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding platform reportedly used by white nationalists and far-right extremists, she has rapidly raised more than $600,000, well on its way to her $1 million target. Hendricks claims her life and that of her family have been threatened since Sharmake Omar’s video went viral, sparking outrage from social media users. Omar, the man speaking in the video, is unrelated to the child in question.

Continued…….. Donors have also expressed solidarity with Hendricks, with one identifying himself as an ‘Average White Man,’ praising her for ‘bravery’ and hoping she will now afford to live in a ‘nicer neighbourhood, one free of these savages.’ Let that sink in: Racism against a Black child has become a profitable enterprise.

Another example of a white person using GiveSendGo to raise funds is Kyle Rittenhouse. He shot and k*lled two Black men and injured one person protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in 2020 in Wisconsin.

'N***er' is an offensive term used to describe a Black person, derived from the Latin 'niger,' meaning 'black.' Though it's usage started during US slavery, commercial rap music popularised the N-word in the late 20th century. It should not surprise anyone then that a 2015 YouGov survey for the BBC radio programme 'Newsbeat' found 27 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds in the UK think it's acceptable to use the N-word in some circumstances and 22 per cent said they had used it amongst friends.

While Hendricks’ actions wouldn’t affect the child’s or Omar’s ability to obtain their basic needs in the United States, it reminds us that such utterances are a product of racial capitalism, an economic system whereby the ruling class sows division to keep a group of people oppressed so it can reap profits. Indeed, our people in the US have endured slavery, marginalisation and suppression going back four centuries.

Moreover, politicians' promises to bring about justice have gone unfulfilled as they serve the system, too.

Video credit: Sharmake Omar

Sources

https://www.aol.com/minnesota-mom-rakes-over-500k-171027251.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/video-shows-woman-using-racist-slur-on-playground-238830661724

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https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-32252405

https://naacp.org/resources/naacp-official-position-use-word-nigger-and-n-word

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/nigger