Continued….Al-Umari, a 14th-century North African geographer and explorer, writes that he was told about the voyage by Mansa Musa during his visit to Cairo. Abu Bakari‘s exploits are also mentioned by Ibn Khaldun, an Arab historian and sociologist during the Middle Ages.

According to Leo Weiner in his book ‘Africa and the Discovery of America,’ Columbus logged in his journal that the Native Americans had mentioned that “black-skinned people had come from the south-east in boats, trading in gold-tipped spears.” The explorer also reported seeing mosque-like buildings when he arrived in America. This would tally with the arrival of Abu Bakari from the Muslim Kingdom of Mali.

What do you think? Did Abu Bakari reach America? Why did he never return?

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HOW WORLD BANK & IMF FUEL WATER PRIVATIZATION

Water is a basic human need. But to the World Bank and IMF, it’s just another commodity. They’ve been among the main cheerleaders of water privatisation in Africa - arguing that only an economic incentive can make clean, safe water more widely available. The essentially dictated terms of loans given to African nations by these two institutions have included demands on water privatisation.

The IMF instructed Benin, Tanzania, Senegal and São Tomé and Príncipe to privatise their water and electricity distribution companies, and directed price hikes for these essentials in Angola. And in Kenya, water rates in 2021 reportedly jumped 1,000% on the back of a World Bank deal.

What do you think? Should we surrender our water sovereignty to these sharks?

ISRAEL’S JIM CROW?

Does Israel do ‘Jim Crow,’ too?

Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef thinks so. He explained to Piers Morgan during their second widely-circulated interview, which aired in November, that racist laws in Israel prevent Palestinians from buying land in Israeli towns built on top of demolished Palestinian towns. He drew a powerful parallel to the Jim Crow laws that discriminated against Africans in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. In both instances, perpetrators were presented as law-abiding citizens, even though the laws violated human rights.

Plus, Youssef pointed out Christians also live in Palestine. That fact tends to be ignored amid the anti-Muslim rhetoric about Palestinians.

What are your thoughts on this comparison? Jot them below.

BLACK AFRICANS: THE ONLY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE!

Black Africans are the only indigenous people on earth, period - that’s according to science educator and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In this clip, he explains why to US podcaster Joe Rogan.

Africa is of course the cradle of humanity and civilisation. Being indigenous anywhere else, Tyson points out, is simply a matter of having got there first.

It’s a fact that might upset people - especially those who see themselves as indigenous to an area. And does it mean that everyone on the planet is actually (diaspora) African - and not merely descended from someone in Africa?

WHITE NARRATIVES BRAINWASH BLACKS

Psychology can go a long way to explaining who sits on top of the political and economic ladder.

Here, African-American Dr. Amos Wilson reveals how Eurocentric narratives and education purposely made Blacks feel inferior to Whites. And that, he says, has led to an acceptance of the status quo among many.

Dr Amos, who was also a Pan-African thinker, lectured at New York University and died almost thirty years ago. But has anything changed since? Let us know your thoughts.

HOW THE IMF KEEPS AFRICANS POOR

Financial rights activist Alex Gladstein breaks down how the IMF works in Africa.

Using the example of Zaire, now known as DRC Congo, he explains how they appoint their own officials to control African treasuries, then proceed to create export-led economies, weaken local currencies and cut deals with dictators.

Most importantly, they make sure that there is nothing left over for the African people whose land is being exploited for Western consumption. Basically, they deny our people education, healthcare, basic human rights and a decent quality of life to satisfy their own neocolonial interests.

When will this cycle of economic interference stop?

African fabrics have become ever more popular. European luxury fashion brands, such as Valentino and Louis Vuitton, are incorporating our textiles into their designs after decades of being inspired by them without giving any acknowledgement.

What makes these fabrics so unique is their distinctive styles, decorations, dyeing methods and colours. They are rooted in our rich African heritage and craftsmanship, ranging from the Kente worn by the Ashanti royals to the much-loved Ankara fabric adorned by West Africans.

The production of fabrics in Africa dates back to 5,000 BC, when raw materials from tree bark, animal hides, cotton, palm, jute, flax and silk were used.

So, next time you’re dressed in an African fabric or purchase one, try to learn more about its history and where exactly in Africa its are from.

BRITISH CRIMES IN KENYA SHOCK JOHN OLIVER

The United Kingdom's monarchs have been rehabilitated as people holding harmless ceremonial offices that only lend prestige to Britain. However, for the hundreds of millions of people who lived as second-class citizens throughout the lands Britain looted and pillaged starting in the 16th century, it’s a different story.

In this episode from last year of comedian John Oliver’s satiric news programme, he laid bare one of the most cruel acts Britain committed. It occurred in Kenya during the first decade of recently-deceased Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

Continued….In late October to early November, her son, King Charles III, visited Kenya for four days at Kenyan President William Ruto's invitation. However, police were used to block the venue for a press conference that was planning to condemn British forces' recent abuses while stationed in Kenya.

Many Kenyans have called for reparations for communities, such as the Kikuyu people, who were placed in concentration camps, as the Mau Mau freedom fighters waged war against British occupiers. Thousands were tortured and killed, while many more were maimed. In Kenya’s Rift Valley, after deceiving one of the chiefs, Koitalel arap Samoei, to travel for negotiations with the British, they killed him, and took his skull to England. His people continue calling for his remains to be returned.

Despite colonial governance formally ending, various British multinational companies, such as Finlays—one of the biggest tea companies in the world—still occupy land they seized and exploited, beginning many decades ago.

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5 THINGS WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR ‘HOODS

The echoes of colonialism reverberate in the US, as the nation itself was built upon the colonisation of Indigenous lands and the enslavement of Africans. The lingering effects of these oppressive systems manifest in the form of social and economic disparities. Black communities, subjected to centuries of marginalisation, find themselves disproportionately burdened by extractive industries that exploit both their labour and natural resources.

As this TikToker points out, check-cashing centres and payday-loan establishments disproportionately target Black communities, capitalising on financial vulnerabilities. The prevalence of fast-food chains such as McDonald's in African neighbourhoods, and limited access to healthier food options, leads to an over-reliance on junk food - contributing to health issues within our communities and reinforcing the cycle of systemic exploitation.

Continued….Liquor stores strategically placed in Black neighbourhoods contribute to a cycle of substance abuse and economic drain. The dominance of foreign-owned beauty supply stores in Black communities raises concerns about economic self-sufficiency and externally imposed standards of beauty.

These businesses, sometimes lacking local ownership and investment, extract profits from the community without necessarily reinvesting in its development. Understanding the connection between US imperialism, colonialism, and extractive practices in Black communities requires a nuanced look at these economic and environmental factors. Examining the tie between the five industries discussed in this clip is a great place to start!

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WHERE DID ALL THE ARTEFACTS GO?

Ever wondered why there are more African cultural treasures on display in European museums than in African ones? Even when they grudgingly admit that they stole from Africa, former colonial powers really don’t want to give back what they so violently took away from us. And they took a LOT. How angry does it make you?

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THREE AFRICAN KINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

We Africans are fond of saying we’re descended from kings and queens. African Stream’s Miss Phyll tells the story of three pre-colonial kings you should definitely know about - ancient kings of Ethiopia, Mali and Sudan! Which one are you related to? And let us known what queens to cover next!

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DICK GREGORY: BROTHERS DIDN’T SHOOT MALCOLM X

The late great Dick Gregory was a renowned actor, comedian and activist who was a close friend of human-rights defender Malcolm X, who paid the ultimate price for fighting for his people’s liberation.

In this passionate and revealing address, Gregory tells the story of how the people forced the US government to reveal the facts about Malcolm X’s 1965 assassination. Information obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request demonstrated bullets that took Malcolm X’s life were shot from above him, rather than from the guns of brothers who stood below the stage.

Decades later, Malcolm X’s family has begun the process of suing the New York Police Department, the CIA and the FBI for their role in the Organization of Afro-American Unity founder’s assassination.

Continued…This comes on the heels of two brothers, who had served prison time and were exonerated in the case, winning settlements in 2022 totalling $36 million from the governments of both New York City and New York State. One of the men filed a federal lawsuit in November to enquire about the FBI’s role. He seeks $40 million.

IMF’S GAME OF LOANS

As Kenyans get angrier and angrier over a worsening cost of living crisis, we take a deep dive into the role the IMF has played in ramming austerity down Africans’ throats. It boils down to neocolonial debt slavery, pure and simple - a system designed to keep us down, while oiling the wheels of otherwise faltering Western economies. African Stream’s Kenneth Kaigua breaks down this complex issue.

Watch the full YouTube version on https://youtu.be/hIvLjRdPsas

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KWAME TURE EXPOSED THE PETTY BOURGEOISIE

All-African People's Revolutionary Party organiser Kwame Ture delivered a fiery speech many years ago in Chicago, USA, exposing the treachery and corruption of the African petty bourgeoisie. He denounced wealthy Africans for indulging in luxury and wealth, while most of the people endure poverty, disease and oppression. He added the petty bourgeoisie collaborated with the colonial and imperial powers that had exploited and oppressed Africa for centuries.

Ture also criticized wealthy Africans in the United States for being opportunistic and reactionary, because they have exploited the struggle of the African masses to gain power. Ture said they cooperated with the racist and capitalist system that had enslaved and oppressed Africans for centuries.

Continued….He said the people must rise up without pity and without mercy to crush these 'reactionary pigs,' a term used for those who have resisted liberation via revolution. The revolutionary said this was unavoidable and justified, as part of the global struggle against imperialism and capitalism.

Let us know what you think of Ture's remarks.

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TOTTENHAM CALLER BLASTS PRO-ISRAEL BIAS

The British ruling class has often looked down on people of colour, especially if they are from impoverished inner-city neighbourhoods.

So, when ‘Sean,’ who sounds like a Black guy in Tottenham, England, called into a British radio show about Israeli crimes in Gaza—dropping truth bomb after truth bomb—the LBC radio programme host was caught off guard.

‘Sean’ explained the Western media had used the term ‘freedom fighters’ to refer to Zionist gangs that murdered innocent Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba (or ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic).

The caller relayed the West supports Israel’s illegal actions of blockading food, fuel, electricity and water from entering the Gaza Strip, while it has carpet-bombed the enclave’s civilian population of more than 2 million people since 7 October.

Continued….‘Sean’ went on for another few minutes and had twisted the LBC host into a pretzel by the end. Let us know below if you want to hear more from Tottenham’s pro-Palestine hero. If so, we will post part 2.

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