AFRICAN REVOLUTIONARIES ON VOTING

Democrats and Republicans are expected to battle, yet again, to win over the Black community’s votes to seal a victory in November’s US presidential election. Yet, African revolutionaries have long denounced both parties as two sides of the same coin.

Despite mass disillusionment with US electoral politics at an all-time high and US President Joe Biden’s dismal approval rating, he remains the presumptive Democratic Party nominee. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has emerged as the leading contender in the Republican primary process.

Do you agree with the revolutionaries, who say both parties represent racism, capitalism and imperialism? If so, will it stop you from voting if you’re in the US?

Malcolm X famously described Republicans and Democrats as the wolf and the fox: ‘No matter what, they’ll both eat you.’

Do you agree with him? Let us know below.

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U.S. BANKS USED SLAVES AS COLLATERAL

Many of America’s key banks today were built on the back of slavery. In the South, they’d regard enslaved people as financial assets, accepting them as collateral on loans and mortgages - especially after the War of 1812, when slave prices shot up. The practice was particularly prevalent among ‘frontier banks’ in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.

In this video, Congressman Al Green grills JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on his bank’s involvement in slavery. The institution used more than 13,000 slaves as collateral and ended up owning 1,250 of them when borrowers defaulted - that’s according to a study based on the bank’s records.

JPMorgan apologised in 2005. Do you think they need to do more? Leave your thoughts below.

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'AMERICA'S CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST'

'Violence begets violence,' as the Bible's Gospel of Matthew, 26:52, relays. The long list of crimes committed by the US government is staggering, as Pastor Emeritus Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, USA, notes in this now famous or some might say infamous 2001 clip, just five days after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Such remarks were used in the run-up to the 2008 US presidential election to attempt to discredit then-candidate Barack Obama, who had attended Wright's church for years. However, Wright's anti-imperialist analysis didn't seem to have an effect once Obama became the first African to be elected president of the United States. He went on to expand the so-called 'War on Terror' into many countries—including Libya—and persuaded African states to allow US military installations and operations via the US Africa Command (AFRICOM).

Let us know what you think below.

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'HISTORY OR HIS STORY?’ - RAP PIONEER

Many consider him the godfather of rap. Gil-Scott Heron left a permanent mark on poetry, music and culture at large with his profound lyricism and jazzy instrumentals. And some credit him for being among the originators or inspiration for hip hop music.

He wrote and performed with a purpose, to promote revolution and the liberation of Africans worldwide. In this poem, known as 'His Story' from his 1982 concert Black Wax, Heron shows how mainstream colonial rhetoric and language shapes our perception of Africa and the world.

While this was recorded over forty years ago, it remains relatable and relevant. He was born in Chicago but this is one of his poems that focus on the African continent.

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MANDELA: YOUR ENEMIES ARE NOT OUR ENEMIES!

Thirty-four years ago today, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after being jailed by the racist settler colonial apartheid regime. The mainstream media, when reflecting on Mandela’s legacy, always omits the fact that he remained loyal to those who supported the anti-apartheid struggle. He famously told his Western detractors: Your enemies are not our enemies!

Watch this timeless clip as he has an audience roaring as the former President of South Africa demolishes a critic who tried to get him to disown leaders despised by Western nations.

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HOW SACRED STOOL SCARED BRITISH RULE

Here’s one African treasure the British could never get their thieving hands on. The Golden Stool is a sacred bit of furniture that’s been revered by the Ashanti people of Ghana for centuries. They believed it gave them special powers when fighting the colonial Brits. So much so, the British governor made it his mission to find it. Luckily, locals kept it safely hidden and it remains a central part of Ashanti culture today.
Fair to say, without that hidy-hole, The Golden Stool would have ended up in some British museum.
Anyway, let’s celebrate the fact it hasn’t!
It’s an amazing story. Enjoy.

WHY ISRAEL CANNOT CHANGE FROM WITHIN

A 2022 Pew survey revealed young people’s support for Israel has sunk in the United States. Only 41 per cent of those aged 18-29 had a favourable view of Israel, compared to 69 per cent of people 65 or older.

One such young adult is TikTok creator millennialrox. She admits in a previous video that, before the current conflict broke out on 7 October, she was ignorant about the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine. Rox thanked TikTok creators, saying, ‘They finally helped me plant my feet on the right side of history.’

Continued….Rox also pointed out young Israelis are indoctrinated to see Palestinians as sub-human. In this clip she shared, Israeli students in a Jewish school appeared to agree on wiping out or enslaving the indigenous population. Rox concludes the video by agreeing with what many have said: Israeli society will never change positively from within because of such indoctrination, so outside pressure remains critical to ending the occupation.

What do you think about this millennial’s take on Israel’s future? Let us know in the comments.

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NO MORE WHITE SAVIOURS, PLEASE!

The ‘White-saviour complex’ can turn fatal, as in the case of Renee Bach, an American missionary who set up a fake medical facility in Uganda, resulting in the death of over 100 children.

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U.N. WARNS: DON’T FOREGT SUDAN

Every two hours a child dies in a Sudanese camp for displaced people amid the on-going civil war. That’s according to a recent report by the medical charity, Doctors Without Borders. Sadly, the world seems to have forgotten about the catastrophe that’s unfolding.

The UN warns $4.1 billion in aid is now needed to stave off famine across the country. Fighting is spreading into critical regions including Gezira state, the nation’s breadbasket. As a result, at least 18-million people are now acutely food insecure. That means they don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from.

Making matters worse, there’s an international aid shortage with humanitarian groups competing for funding amid heightened global conflict.

Martin Griffiths, the UN’s Emergency Relief chief, calls it an obscene ‘competition of suffering.’ This week he pleaded for the world to help Sudan, where war has raged for the last ten months.

Will anyone listen?

BIDEN’S QUESTIONABLE MEMORY

US President Joe Biden’s memory is ‘hazy.’ That’s according to the US Department of Justice Special Counsel, who investigated claims the 81-year-old president had mishandled classified information after his term as vice president to Barack Obama ended in January 2017.

Hours after its release, Biden took to the podium, holding a rare evening press conference. That appearance made news because he referred to the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as the Mexican president. Biden then snapped when a reporter raised the special counsel’s claim that they chose not to launch a case against Biden because he appeared to be a ‘sympathetic, well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’

Continued….Some independent journalists and commentators have speculated putting Biden behind the podium soon after the report was released is part of a Democratic Party effort to show Biden is incapable of running again for office. The theory is another presidential candidate who doesn’t have the baggage of having armed and attempted to increase funding to Israel amidst its bombardment and siege of the Gaza Strip could win the November election. Many people the Democratic Party has long counted on for support—mainly Arabs, Muslims and 18- to 29-year-olds—have told corporate media outlets they will not vote for Biden because of his administration’s support for Israel. Meanwhile, others have said they will not support any Democratic Party candidate as a consequence.

Would replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket change the party’s chances in November? Let us know below.

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KELVIN KIPTUM - WORLD MARATHON RECORD HOLDER DEAD AT 24

Tributes are pouring in for Kenya’s world-record marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum. The 24-year-old died on Sunday in a car crash in the Rift Valley along with coach Gervais Hazikimana. A second passenger, Sharon Kosgey, sustained severe injuries.

Born in the Rift Valley, the heartland of Kenyan distance running, Kiptum burst onto the marathon scene in 2022 with a stunning debut in Valencia, where he clocked 2:01:53. World Athletics called it the ‘fastest debut marathon in history.’ Less than a year later, competing in only his third marathon, he ran 2 hours and 35 seconds in Chicago, shaving off 34 seconds from Eliud Kipchoge’s record.

Continued….At the time of his death, Kiptum was working towards athletics’ immortality by running under two hours in race conditions in Rotterdam next April. He was also expected to be a star attraction at the Paris Olympics in July 2024. Kiptum was a superbly talented athlete whose career looked set for even more stardom.

Please leave your memories and tributes in the comments section below.

Rest in power, champ!

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Poor old Nigeria fans. They’re not just getting earache from Ivory Coast supporters, they’re also getting trolled by the Ghana faithful.

The Super Eagles lost the AFCON final 2-1 to the Elephants. But it wasn’t only Ivorians who took to social media to share their joy. Ghanaians also waded in to rub salt into an old enemy’s wounds.

Probably makes up for the shoddy performance of their own side. Remember the Black Stars got knocked out at the group stage after squandering a two-goal lead in stoppage time to Mozambique?

Anyway, a bit of friendly banter is always enjoyable, particularly between countries with a long competitive history.

Tell us about your favourite African rivalry, is Ghana v Nigeria one of the biggest?

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IVORY COAST: FOOTBALL'S FAIRYTALE

It goes down as one of the most amazing triumphs in football. Ivory Coast coming back from the brink of elimination to lift the AFCON noscript for a third time. The 2-1 win over Nigeria in the final will live long in the memory, but so will the story of how they got there.

Their goal hero is a guy who was battling cancer 18 months ago. Their manager is a guy who took over after the other one was sacked following a disastrous group stage. Nobody gave the Elephants a whiff of a chance. And yet they’ve ended up stampeding to victory against all odds.

Their fans have gone through every emotion. But as the African proverb says: 'Who follows the elephant will have no problems.' That’s true enough, you just have to keep your nerve and believe)))

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