DIASPORA AFRICANS CRUCIAL IN
LIBERATION STRUGGLE

The African Union formally recognises Africa's diaspora as the continent’s “6th region.”

We share a history of oppression, a commitment to Pan-Africanism, and a collective desire for self-determination and dignity. In this clip, Claude Gatebuke, a Rwanda G*nocide survivor and activist, gives the recent solidarity marches for Ibrahim Traoré as an example of this dynamic.

Gatebuke argues that Africans in the diaspora play a crucial role as vital bridges between the continent and global struggles for liberation. Their intellectual contributions, political activism, financial support, and cultural solidarity form a critical bridge between Africans on the continent and a global network of allies. 

The diaspora actively counters dominant Western narratives that often misrepresent or ignore events and leaders in Africa.

Continued…….. In the case of Ibrahim Traoré, mainstream Western media usually paint him as a power-hungry ‘junta’ leader, burying the inconvenient truth that he is spearheading a people-led revolutionary movement. 

Diaspora activists utilise social media, independent news sources, and direct action to ensure that alternative views highlighting African sovereignty and the fight against neo-colonialism are heard worldwide. For example, in late April, Leo Muhammad, who was born in Jamaica, led a pro-Traoré solidarity protest outside the US embassy in London, where he heads the UK’s Nation of Islam movement.

Can you add your voice to Gatebuke’s by liking and sharing this important message?

Video credit: AfriDominion Media

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

HOW GADDAFI CHANGED LIBYA

One of Africa’s finest sons, Pan-African icon and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was born on this day in 1942. He is often mentioned along with the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba and Thomas Sankara who spared no effort realising the liberation of Africa from foreign domination.

In 2024, African Stream had the chance to interview Gaddafi’s last spokesperson and communications minister, Moussa Ibrahim. In this snippet, he sheds light on just how much Libya’s leader achieved in a short period of time after the revolution. He kicked out foreign military, ensured oil profits stayed in Libya, and used the wealth thereby acquired to fund vital infrastructure. It’s all very reminiscent of the events happening in the Sahel at the moment.

Have a watch and please let us know what you think.

Continued…….. Sources
https://allafrica.com/stories/201002080354.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/02/archives/libya-takes-over-all-oil-companies-operating-there-51-of-assets.html

https://www.ft.com/content/c677935b-ab2b-4cc4-914f-6b67f2c24183

https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-policy-monitor/measures/4352/mali-adopts-new-mining-code-increasing-the-state-and-local-participation-in-new-projects-

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjd70mzge2o

IS ‘BLACK EXCELLENCE’ A SCAM?

Rapper and educator Vic Mensa (@vicmensa on instagram) reminds us in this video that a few Black people achieving certain social status, recognition, fame or wealth, is not - and should not be mistaken for - the progression of Black people as a collective. In his words, 'Black exceptionalism' is nothing more than a concept produced by the individualistic capitalist system, which props up individuals to create the illusion of collective advancement.

Mensa points out how despite making up the labor force of most of the entertainment industries, from sports to music, Black people do not have ownership of said industries.

Continued…….. For example, three of the largest record labels, which have a monopoly over music, namely Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, all lack any Black majority owners, yet remain heavily dominated by Black talent. According to the university of Southern Carolina, "systemic inequality in leadership positions extends to all aspects of the music industry."

In contrast, Mensa argues, the Black Panther era of Black Power, which was replaced by 'Black excellence', was a period that focused on better communal outcomes for the collective in the US. The Black Panthers, did not just seek political solutions to the issues of discrimination in the US, but also implemented over 60 social programs that served the immediate needs of their communities. These programs ranged widely from service based, such as ambulances, to skills based, such as consumer education classes and drama classes.

Do you agree with his take? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Video credit: @vicmensa (on instagram)

Sources

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tackling-the-legacy-of-persistent-urban-inequality-and-concentrated-poverty/

https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/sep/13/median-wealth-of-black-americans-will-fall-to-zero-by-2053-warns-new-report

https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/annenberg-inclusion-initiative-extends-agreement-universal-music-research

https://bppaln.org/programs

https://www.google.co.ke/books/edition/The_New_Jim_Crow/reDzBZ3pXqsC?hl=en&gbpv=1

https://www.bet.com/article/d0q8r4/opinion-the-power-of-the-black-dollar-can-we-boycott-like-our-ancestors-did

https://hhsepitaph.com/12802/arts-culture/end-exploitation-of-musicians-by-streaming-services/#

https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-music-industry-has-exploited-black-artists-since-its-inception-and-the-call-for-reparations-is-growing-1.7321235

https://blackprelaw.studentgroups.columbia.edu/news/ubeyond-beat-fight-fair-compensation-black-musicians#:~:text=Historically%2C%20record%20labels%20have%20engaged,from%20his%20recordings%20%5B1%5D.

https://www2.law.temple.edu/10q/denying-black-musicians-their-royalties-has-a-history-emerging-out-of-slavery/

FACT CHECKING: ' AFRICANS SOLD THEIR OWN INTO SLAVERY'

One common lie about the slavery of African people is that our people sold their own to white enslavers. Jared Van, a behavioural scientist and PhD student in special education, tears down the myth that Africans are to blame for their own enslavement. While some African individuals in positions of authority participated in the trade, the narrative that Africans simply "sold their own" fundamentally misrepresents the complex history and the brutal realities of this horrific system.

Continued……. Van reminds us that selling people as chattel property was often alien to African social structures. In some African societies, forms of servitude existed. Still, these were generally different from the dehumanising and permanent chattel slavery practised by Europeans. Captives taken in war or due to debt might be integrated into the community over time. In contrast, European traders often employed tactics of coercion, violence, and manipulation. They instigated conflicts between different African groups, provided weapons in exchange for captives, and raided communities to seize people by force, a power dynamic that was overwhelmingly in their favour.

The Caribbean was where chattel slavery reached its harshest legal form through the Slave Code, first introduced by the British in Barbados. Established in 1661, this extensive law labelled Africans as 'heathens' and 'brutes,' deeming them unworthy of the same legal protections as Christians. The lawmakers went as far as to classify Africans as non-human, treating them as property that could be owned indefinitely by buyers and their descendants. The Slave Code spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean. Eventually, it served as the blueprint for slavery in the North American English colonies that would later form the United States.

Our ancestors did not passively accept their fate. They resisted slavery through rebellions and uprisings. Following their steps, we today call out for reparations to be paid for the crime of slavery.

Video credit: @jaredvaneducation on IG

Sources

https://www.edoworld.net/Islam_Colourism.html

https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/polisci/26/1/annurev-polisci-062321-041446.pdf?expires=1747636383&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=C37BDC615D83F8B8CA82EA48AB0698EB

https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/legacy-slavery-caribbean-and-journey-towards-justice

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ideological-origins-of-chattel-slavery-british-world

https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/apush/racialized-perpetual-hereditary-slavery

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/wages-slavery-and-chattel-slavery/

https://caribbeannewsglobal.com/unfinished-business-from-chattel-slavery-to-reparatory-justice-in-the-bahamas-part-1/#:~:text=Slavery%20in%20The%20Bahamas,-The%20first%20group&text=%E2%80%9CI%20was%20generally%20introduced%20as,commodities%20to%20prospective%20slave%2Dbuyers.


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/08/european-racism-africa-slavery

GOOD NEWS SUNDAY

This week’s ‘Good News Sunday’ is back! We start by looking at wrestling in Uganda, with no fancy ring - just passion, power and pure East African swagger. Then, we feature a Somali student in Denmark whose invention may transform heart valve surgery. 

Two stories. One continent. From the soil to the scalpel, Africa is innovating and entertaining the world. This is the Africa they rarely show you. And that’s exactly why we do.

WHY AFRICA'S WORKERS CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE

Across Africa, essential public workers are facing a deepening crisis, caught between shrinking incomes and rising living costs. African Stream spoke exclusively with Ashina Mtsumi, Coordinator for Tax and Education Alliance at ActionAid, uncovering how IMF-driven austerity policies are pushing millions of Africans into poverty.

ActionAid's recent report reveals the staggering reality: 84% of teachers and 97% of healthcare workers across Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia can no longer meet basic living needs due to massive public spending cuts. Families face impossible choices - children are forced out of school because their parents can’t afford fees, while teachers manage classrooms with up to 200 students, lacking basic teaching materials and adequate income.

The fallout disproportionately burdens women and girls, adding an additional 20 to 28 hours per week of unpaid care duties.

Continued……. Critical maternal healthcare programs, like Kenya's Linda Mama, are facing devastating reductions, endangering the lives of mothers and newborns.

Ashina emphasizes that these hardships aren't accidental - they result from policies imposed by institutions like the IMF, which prioritize debt repayments over the well-being of ordinary Africans. Africa’s economic struggles are compounded by Western-based credit rating agencies that label African countries as risky, perpetuating a cycle of debt and crisis.

There's an urgent call for reform. Despite being home to 54 countries, Africa collectively holds only three seats on the IMF board, leaving the continent with little voice in the very decisions that shape its economic future. This imbalance reinforces a global financial system that serves the interests of wealthy nations and international bankers over the basic rights of ordinary Africans.

What’s needed is a new financial architecture that puts people before profits, empowers nations to fund public services, and restores African control over its own economic destiny. It's time for Africa to reclaim economic sovereignty and dignity.

Sources

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/maternal%20health%20care%20kenya/43762/linda-mama-budget-cut-sparks-worry-over-rising-risks-for-pregnant-women

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/20/public-workers-in-africa-see-wages-fall-by-up-to-50-in-five-years-survey

https://nayakenya.org/2023/10/25/linda-mama-the-shattered-promise-of-kenyan-mothers/

https://actionaid.org/publications/2025/human-cost-public-cuts-africa

https://www.actionaidusa.org/news/crippling-budget-cuts-have-left-africas-public-sector-workers-underpaid-overworked-and-struggling-to-make-ends-meet-study-finds/

https://actionaid.org/news/2025/africa-owed-us36-trillion-climate-debt-rich-polluting-countries-new-report-actionaid

HOW THE U.S. STOLE HAWAII

Anti-imperialism begins with telling the truth, starting with that Hawaii was never the US government’s to take, as author @marcojwilliams (IG) articulates in this video. 

Hawaii wasn’t ‘granted statehood’ in a fairytale handshake of mutual agreement. White business people forcefully and unapologetically seized the Hawaiian islands in 1893 in a textbook act of imperialist aggression to further corporate and geopolitical interests.

Before US boots touched the islands, Hawaii was a sovereign nation with a monarchy, constitution, thriving society, and diverse flora and fauna. A coup against Queen Liliʻuokalani allowed the businessmen to develop large-scale mono-culture plantations, featuring mainly pineapples and sugar cane to sell abroad.

This takeover fits the long pattern of US imperialism, where they engineer coups, and Washington sanitises it all as ‘strategic interest.’

Continued……In 1959, the US government granted the archipelago 'statehood.' To this day, Native Hawaiians oppose the colonisation.

Listen to this breakdown and share your thoughts. 

Note: While we think this video helps our people understand the nature of imperialism, as descendants of enslaved and colonised Africans, African Stream doesn't identify with the United States or other imperial powers and, therefore, disagrees with the use of ‘we’ to describe the United States. We never invaded and occupied other people’s lands!

Video credit: @marcojwilliams (IG)

Sources

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/queen-lili-uokalani.htm?utm_source

https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?psid=1283&smtID=3&utm_source

Today's proverb serves as a powerful metaphor, highlighting the futility of denying the obvious in the face of clear evidence. A recent example is South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the White House, aimed at mending diplomatic relations.

What started as an opportunity for constructive dialogue quickly turned into a contentious display of intimidation and disinformation, reminiscent of a reality TV show. President Trump is not oblivious to the facts - he has access to a wealth of intelligence. The disinformation presented was more strategic than accidental, and Ramaphosa's attempt to engage Washington with factual appeals ultimately proved pointless.

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

CHINA U.N. REP: YOU DESTROYED HAITI STOP THE HYPOCRISY, U.S.!

Since Haiti’s 1804 revolution that transformed it into the first Black-led republic, the Caribbean state has faced relentless foreign interventions, with the United States playing a central role in its destabilisation, including three invasions. 

In his 21 April address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Geng Shuang (@chinamission2un on X), highlighted how the ongoing violence in Haiti, which had displaced over 1 million people by January 2025, is rooted in more than a century of US interference, such as invasions, occupations, tariffs, coups and spearheading unsuccessful UN missions. The US often frames its interference under the pretext of ‘aid.’ 

Continued…….. Meanwhile, Haitian migrants in the US are not exempt from deportation. US President Donald Trump also propagated false claims during the 2024 presidential campaign that Haitian migrants ate pets, leading to the rise of xenophobic sentiment toward Haitians in the US. 

Further, the UN says illegally shipped arms from the US have wound up in Haiti. Plus, reports say Haiti’s bourgeoisie that collaborates with foreign powers fund and arm Haitian gangs.

Shuang urged that the US be held responsible for constantly interfering in Haiti, leading it to become a hotspot for violence and dire humanitarian conditions. 

Video credit: @unwebtv (X

Sources

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/haitis-troubled-path-development

https://www.eurodad.org/10_years_haiti

https://cenjows.in/critical-analyses-of-the-impacts-of-foreign-intervention-on-the-security-and-development-of-haiti/

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview

https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-haiti/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/19/us/politics/us-haiti-intervention.html

https://theconversation.com/assassinations-and-invasions-how-the-us-and-france-shaped-haitis-long-history-of-political-turmoil-164269

https://www.dw.com/en/us-seeks-change-as-haiti-extends-state-of-emergency/a-68469303

https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/caribbean/haiti/107-locked-transition-politics-and-violence-haiti

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-weapons-gangs-us-trafficking-f06bfb0a7d3b46a1e14ebd7bea95fd71

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/19/un-expands-haiti-arms-embargo-to-all-types-of-weapons

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article288416015.html

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/frontpage/2024/April/haiti_-gangs-have-more-firepower-than-the-police.html 

https://www.iom.int/news/haiti-displacement-triples-surpassing-one-million-humanitarian-crisis-worsens 

https://marxist.com/the-gangs-of-haiti-and-the-failure-of-bourgeois-rule.htm

https://thegrayzone.com/2021/07/16/us-ties-to-suspected-haiti-assassins-follow-long-history-of-neocolonial-intervention

https://binuh.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/report_of_unhchr_on_the_human_rights_situation_in_haiti_24_february_-_04_april_2025_0.pdf?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/14/trump-immigrants-eating-pets-racist-stereotype/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77l28myezko

https://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162396

marxist.com/the-gangs-of-haiti-and-the-failure-of-bourgeois-rule.htm

ERROL MUSK LEAKED HIS DEVIANCY TO THE PRESS

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and the Musk family is a good example of the saying. Take Elon Musk’s dad, Errol Musk, who admitted to having a child with a woman entrusted to his care as a step-daughter. As if that weren’t bad enough, he revealed in a podcast with Joshua Rubin (joshwideawake on Instagram) that he leaked the story to the press.

This saga is not just gossip, it’s a reflection of how patriarchal power, colonial ennoscriptment and capitalist impunity reproduce themselves across generations. In any just society, allegations facing the family would trigger a reckoning. But in the empire of capital, accountability is a poor man’s burden.

The pattern persists with his son, Elon who has battled multiple sexual misconduct allegations. For instance, he once reportedly offered a SpaceX flight attendant a horse in exchange for an erotic massage.