Continued….He later left the party, travelling and speaking all over the world and building the All-African Peoples’ Revolutionary Party (AAPRP) – the party founded and outlined by Kwame Nkrumah in his ‘Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare’ while in exile in Guinea in the late 1960s.

Formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, he changed his name to Kwame Ture using one name from each of his political heroes, Kwame Nkrumah (former President of Ghana) and Sekou Ture (former President of Guinea). He died 25 years ago from cancer, but exchanges like this one keep his revolutionary ideas alive in the consciousness of the masses.

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THE REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF DREADLOCKS

Dreadlocks are a common sight across our homes, schools, places of work and even of worship. It wasn’t always this way, and it took persistence and patience to mainstream an authentic African hairstyle. Stigma around dreadlocks was informed by colonialism, with effects that were felt decades after independence.

In this video, we look at the revolutionary history of dreadlocks in Kenya and further afield. Have a watch, and please share your thoughts.

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HISTORY OF ‘THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN’

Englishman Rudyard Kipling first published his poem, ‘The White Man’s Burden,’ in 1899. The term was used to justify the supposed moral obligation of Western, predominantly white, colonial powers to bring their perceived superior culture and values to non-white, non-Western societies. All this paternalistic concept really did was make the case for imperialism and colonisation over the course of decades, in service of Western profit margins.

Here, we dive a little deeper to uncover the meaning of the poem. Let us know how you see the white man’s burden playing out today.

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THE POWER OF HIP HOP

In this video, author Nuri Muhammad from the Nation of Islam speaks about the power of hip hop and the formidable way it has shaped opinions and narratives, bringing about mass consciousness and a desire for change.

Hip hop has grown to be one of the most popular musical genres and has influenced both fashion and politics. Faced with economic hardships, racial discrimination and limited opportunities, the Black community drew on these challenging conditions to create music, poetry and dance that expressed its experiences and emotions.

But hip hop also became a movement for social change and empowerment. Its ability to shed light on social issues, provide creative avenues for expression and healing, and empower marginalised African communities has made hip hop an indispensable tool right up to the present day.

Do you agree with Muhammad? Let us know your most empowering artists in the comments.

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This week’s African proverb comes from South Africa. It evokes a striking image - but people interpret it in different ways.

Many see it as a reminder that African women often face additional hardships compared with the menfolk - they get paid less, are subjected to more abuse, are given little support with child rearing and sometimes cannot access sanitary products.

Others see it as an empowering mantra, saying that women have tougher characters and are less likely to give up.

But some spin it less positively - as saying women will put up with more… for example, in a marriage, even an abusive one.

What’s your own take?

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ANOTHER HERO EXECUTED BY THE BRITISH

Kenyan Freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi took his final bow 67 years ago.

The leader of the Mau Mau rebellion, he was a radical force against British imperialism and ultimately sacrificed his life fighting for Kenya’s independence.

The coloniser killed him by hanging, and buried his body in an unknown location. Almost seven decades later, his grave’s whereabouts remain a mystery. It’s rumoured the British buried him at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, but efforts to have the body exhumed have had no luck.

African Stream’s Brenda Mwai brings us the lowdown on why Dedan Kimathi matters. May he rest in power!

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SOUTH AFRICA F.M.: WORLD WOULDN’T ALLOW AFRICA TO OPERATE LIKE ISRAEL

Africa would never be allowed to get away with the murders Israel has been committing in the Gaza Strip, said South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.

On the sidelines of the African Union’s 44th Executive Council on 14 February in Addis Ababa, she decried the world’s failure to hold Israel accountable as it bombards and holds siege more than 2 million Palestinians.

Despite Israel claiming its operation is designed to root out militant group H*m*s, 70 per cent of the nearly 30,000 Palestinian fatalities have been women and children.

In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Tel Aviv to take measures to avoid acts that could amount to genocide during its military assault, which began on 7 October. However, Israel has appeared to have ignored the ICJ provisions, leading Pandor to add that a peace force should be in the Gaza Strip to ensure no more deaths.

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DR CONGO LATEST NEWS

Fears of a war in the Great Lakes region heightened after Kinshasa accused Rwanda of a drone attack at the Goma airport on Friday, February 16th 2024. Residents reported hearing ‘two loud explosions’ at around 2 AM. While no military aircraft were damaged, a civilian plane was hit. Rwanda did not immediately respond to the allegations.

Rwanda has been accused of deploying sophisticated mobile surface-to-air missiles during the attack, thus endangering civilian lives. Nineteen civilians and two South African soldiers have recently died in bombings attributed to the M23.

Thousands of people have fled from neighbouring towns towards Goma in the latest clashes between Congolese troops and the M23.

Continued…..The rebel group has reportedly cut off all routes to and from the city except for a single roadway leading to Rwanda. The town of Sake, just 20 km (12 miles) from Goma, has seen intense fighting in the last ten days.

With over seven million Congolese being displaced by the ongoing battles, aid groups are warning of a dire humanitarian situation as more refugees stream into overstretched camps.

President Felix Tshisekedi, who recently won a disputed second term in office, vowed to invade Rwanda if the neighbouring country did not cease meddling in the restive eastern DRC. However, Kigali denies supporting the M23.

‘FREE CONGO!’ PROTESTS ERUPT IN PARIS

Hundreds of protesters hit Parisian streets on 17 February, heading toward the Rwandan embassy to denounce the African state’s alleged complicity in the resource extraction and violence occurring in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is just one in many recent actions Congolese people have taken calling for the liberation of their country.

The Congo has been drained and pillaged for multiple generations to fuel the Global North’s technological advancements. Belgium built some of its initial wealth and standing as an industrialised state by plundering Congolese ivory and rubber in the 19th century and early 20th century. The native Congolese were subjected to brutality, such as amputations, if they could not fulfil rubber quotas. That international scandal forced the colonial system to rebrand itself and find less apparent ways to perpetuate the same violence.

Continued…..Since the mid-20th century, colonial rule has given way to neo-colonialism. The violence required to extract resources for the global capitalist economy has created a refugee crisis, with about 7 million Congolese internally displaced. Children have been documented digging for minerals, such as cobalt, so industrialised countries can reap profit. Meanwhile, neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda are accused of playing middlemen that help the West secure access to Congolese resources.

Until the DRC is free, we will continue to fight, mobilise and organise wherever we may be.

How do you see best to defend Africa against resource extraction that doesn’t benefit the people? Let us know in the comments.

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ACTIVISTS FOR CONGO INTERRUPT 37TH AU SUMMIT

Protesters interrupted proceedings at the 37th African Union (AU) Summit on 18 February in Addis Ababa. They held placards calling for ending the decades-long conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

This action marks a spirited campaign that has escalated in recent weeks. In the DRC, Congolese have taken to the streets and ripped foreign flags off buildings to condemn Western complicity. During the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast, DRC players grabbed the world’s attention through silent protests at matches and social media posts.

Continued…..The AU was founded on the ideals of leaders like Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah. But the continental body has been a toothless bulldog in the face of Africa’s myriad of crises. In the eastern DRC, 6 million have been killed and close to 7 million internally displaced since the mid-1990s.

While the body has been silent on foreign entities looting the continent, it has quickly taken action against countries fighting to regain their sovereignty. The AU suspended Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger after each country overthrew French-backed governments and severed links with France. Meanwhile, the AU has yet to act against constitutional coups in Ivory Coast and Senegal.

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DR CONGO FLOODS WREAK HAVOC

The worst floods to hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 60 years have damaged the homes of about 500,000 people and killed 221. Many areas in 16 out of the country’s 26 provinces are still under water two months after torrential rains in late December made the Congo River overflow. Authorities are concerned about the risk of malaria and typhoid in makeshift camps housing thousands of refugees.

Experts say the country’s rapid deforestation is to blame for the floods. According to Global Forest Watch, the second-highest tree-cover loss in 2022 occurred in the DRC. Activities like illegal logging and Western-backed mineral extraction have caused some deforestation. Loss of forest canopy and root systems leads to more rainwater flowing into rivers.

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THE WORLD WAS SILENT WHEN WE DIED

What you see in this clip is happening right now - another mass displacement of people in eastern DRC. Thousands of people have fled their homes in Goma - capital of the North Kivu Province - and in nearby towns and settlements, as M23 rebel advances bring genocidal violence ever closer.

Yet the global media is silent, as are world leaders. Why don’t African lives matter to them?

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Kenyan President William Ruto has called on Africa to harness green energy to create opportunities for Africans. On 18 February at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ruto said banking on green industrialisation would create enough jobs so African youths wouldn't have to migrate to the West to seek a better life.

While calling for more jobs in Africa, Ruto's numerous trips abroad have involved lobbying for hundreds of thousands of jobs in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Poland, to name a few. The Council of Governors, touted as a nonpartisan body that represents 47 counties, recently lamented Kenya's brain drain, saying only 14 doctors are available to treat every 10,000 Kenyans. Yet, barely a week ago, Labour and Social Protection Secretary Florence Bore was in Germany to 'follow up on job opportunities [Ruto] initiated and discussed.'

Continued…..Is Ruto's statement about keeping African youth on the continent in sync with his policy to send well-educated Kenyans abroad? Has he had a change of heart or is it something else? Let us know what you think.

BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT COMPARES ISRAELI ATROCITIES IN GAZA TO THE HOLOCAUST

At the 37th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this weekend, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva likened Israel’s assault on the Gaza strip to Adolf Hitler’s extermination campaign against the Jews.

Lula called Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, unprecedented. He went on to compare the systematic attacks upon the Palestinian civilian population to the Jewish Holocaust.

Taken aback by the comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Brazilian head of state of “trivializing the Holocaust and trying to harm the Jewish people and Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Continued…..Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned Brazil’s ambassador to the country to express an official reprimand. Shortly thereafter, Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, spoke personally with Daniel Zonshine, the Israeli ambassador to his country. On Monday night, in a private meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Vieira expressed his government’s discomfort amid the diplomatic row, referring to statements made by Netanyahu as “unacceptable.”

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