Continued…. Omali explains how the brutal repression of the African revolution in the 1960s and ‘70s, followed by crack cocaine flooding our communities in the ‘80s and ‘90s, derailed the movement for Black self-determination in the United States. Rap group, Dead Prez, later sampled a portion of this speech in their militant 2000 album, ‘Let’s Get Free.’

In April 2023, the Biden administration charged 82-year-old Yeshitela, as well as three current and former APSP members, with conspiring with Russia to sow domestic discord.

What do you think of Yeshitela’s 1998 remarks? Hit us in the comments.

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Our African proverb for the week comes from Sierra Leone - and brings with it a lesson on tuning in to one’s current contentment. It’s a reminder that we should be grateful for what’s already here, as opposed to looking for problems where there aren’t any. Sometimes it’s just about enjoying the moment. Is that how you interpret it?

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TIME TO BOYCOTT ISRAELI SPORTS?

Why is everyone so reluctant to impose a sports boycott on Israel over the war on Gaza? Football’s governing body FIFA has so far refused to ban the country from competitions. And recently Olympic chiefs green-lighted their participation at the Paris games this summer.

Boycotts can have an impact, as South Africa’s apartheid regime found out. And a few years ago NFL stars took their own personal stand against Tel Aviv. And won. May be it’s time for all athletes to do the same?

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People often question us on why we don’t use the term African-American on African Stream. Well, our revolutionary elder breaks this down much better than we can. Have a listen and leave your thoughts below.

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GADDAFI’S SPOKESPERSON: AFRICAN UNION COULD
HAVE SAVED LIBYA IN 2011

Gaddafi’s former spokesman told African Stream - in an exclusive interview - that he believes the African Union had the mechanisms necessary to prevent the overthrow of the Libyan leader by NATO in 2011, as well as the ensuing collapse of the state.

Moussa Ibrahim told us that he personally lobbied to have the AU replace the UN Security Council in matters Libya, as well as for the use of African peacekeeping forces (as opposed to the ruthless NATO bombing campaign). Ultimately, he says, Africa was too weak back then.

However, he also told us that the reassertion of the Sahel’s sovereignty in recent years is a cause for optimism. And he’s noticed that fewer Africans buy the Western narrative about what happened to Libya these days.

Have a watch of this clip from our interview - the full version is on our YouTube page.

Do you think Africa is strong enough and clued up enough yet for a ‘Libya 2011’ never to happen again?

WHO WAS USMAN DAN FODIO?

Western researchers have often equated the ideology of the great African Islamic leader Usman Dan Fodio with the terrorism of Boko Haram. But let’s set the record straight as to who this man really was - a revolutionary and reformer who founded the great Sokoto Caliphate across present-day Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger.

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GADDAFI CALLED FOR BIN LADEN’S ARREST

Did you know Libya was the first country to call for an international arrest warrant for Osama bin Laden? The al-Qaeda founder was wanted over a double murder in the Libyan town of Sirte in 1994. A warrant was subsequently issued by Interpol in France in 1998 - a full three years before the 9/11 attacks.

In this 2010 interview, Gaddafi explains why he regarded al-Qaeda a terrorist organisation, in contrast to liberation movements. He says freedom fighters want to liberate their land from occupiers, while terror groups have no plan or justification for ‘existence’.

A 23-page UN report released February, 2024, said the threat from al-Qaeda in conflict zones was high, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel. It also warned al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab remained ‘resilient’ in Somalia.

Would the Global War on Terror have taken a different turn if Osama bin Laden had been arrested in the late 1990s, way before 9/11, as Gaddafi requested?

YOUNG GAMBIAN NAILS NEED FOR AFRICAN UNITY

Population-wise, Africa is one of the youngest continents in the world - and if this young Gambian youth leader is anything to go by, it’s in safe hands. Watch Ousman Touray lay out the case for why our colonially imposed borders mean nothing - can’t prevent us from recognising each other as brothers and sisters - and why we’re better off learning from each other and working together as part of one united African family.

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On April 1st, 1955, the African National Congress (ANC) appealed to South African parents to withdraw their children from schools. It was in protest against the so-called Bantu Education Act the apartheid regime had passed two years earlier as it ramped up its oppression of Black people. It introduced an inferior curriculum for Black students, further segregating the education system, and essentially condemning them to menial jobs.

The man behind the act was future Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd. At the time he was minister of native affairs and infamously said: ‘When I have control of Native education I will reform it so that Natives will be taught from childhood to realise that equality with Europeans is not for them.’

Continued…. Despite thousands of pupils initially staying away from schools nationwide, the campaign generally received a lukewarm response and in 1956 the ANC called it off. However, opposition to the Bantu Education Act continued to simmer and exploded two decades later.

The regime insisted schools should teach in Afrikaans - a language widely associated with the apartheid government. It sparked peaceful student protests, but they were violently suppressed by government forces. At least 176 demonstrators were killed and over a thousand more injured. The massacre sent shockwaves across the globe and laid bare the brutality of the apartheid regime.

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CHRISTIANITY: WHITE MAN’S RELIGION?

Christianity has a long history in Africa that predates any European nation docking on African shores. The ancient Egyptian Coptic Church, as well as Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church, which had both started by 1 AD, are some of the oldest Christian centres in the world. The assertion that Christianity is a White religion is neither historically accurate nor theologically correct. Is Christianity just another case of appropriation? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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WHITE LIBERTY GOOD BLACK LIBERTY BAD?

Here's a quote from American-born African writer James Baldwin: "When any White man in the world says, 'give me liberty or give me death', the entire White world applauds. When a Black man says exactly the same thing, he is judged a criminal and treated like one."

Baldwin was speaking on The Dick Cavett show in 1969. And it highlights the hypocrisy underlying Western society that many of us know and feel.

Africans growing up in the United States and other imperialist countries are educated on the brave struggles of Western 'freedom fighters', from George Washington to Joan of Arc. However, when it comes to the question of the emancipation of African people who have been subjected to hundreds of years of oppression, all of a sudden, fighting for freedom is unacceptable.

Continued…. Baldwin gives two examples: The treatment of Nat Turner, who led the famous US slave rebellion in the 19th century, and the backlash against human rights activist Malcolm X around a hundred years later.

Baldwin also talks about Israel in this video but later made clear he's anti-Zionist, saying: "I don't believe they have the right, after 3,000 years, to reclaim the land with Western bombs and guns on the biblical injunction."

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ARE YOU BLACK OR AFRICAN?

Pan-African scholar Dr. John Henrik Clarke breaks down the reason why he prefers to refer to himself and his people as ‘African’ rather than ‘Black.’ He may have been born and raised in the United States like his parents and grandparents before him, but as an African whose ancestors were forcibly brought to the Americas during the European slave trade, he understands that identity is a crucial part of Pan-African politics and liberation. He notes that most people of the world are referred to by names tied to their geographical origin. For example, a Chinese person born in the United States will still be called ‘Asian,’ after the Asian landmass - even if his parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were born in Chicago.

What do you think about this? Do you prefer to identify as Black or as African (or African-American, say)? Why? Let us know in the comments below.

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RACIST ALGORITHMS IN MEDICAL AI: WHAT’S THE CURE?

AI chat bots are everywhere - but would you trust one with a medical issue? Worrying new data suggests that the algorithms running artificial intelligence in health care are based on racist stereotypes - including false assumptions about Black tolerance for physical pain. With AI having the potential to revolutionise medicine, we look at the dangers involved - and the need to include Black-African perspectives from the get-go.

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RWANDA: LAND OF HIGH JUMP

The high jump is a sport dear to Rwandans. It used to be an integral part of the culture, eagerly watched by Rwandan royals - with participants pulling off feats fit for modern-day Olympics. Unfortunately, the sport declined with the monarchy in Rwanda - but government-backed efforts are now underway to make it a thing of national pride again. Bring on the medals!

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MEET CHEDDAR MAN

Blue eyes and dark skin? You might remember the news breaking about Cheddar Man. That’s the name scientists had given an ancient human being whose remains were discovered in Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, in southwestern England, UK. Unearthed in 1903, Cheddar Man’s almost complete skeletal remains date back to the 9th millennium BC, in the Mesolithic period, making him one of the oldest human skeletons in Britain.

What sets Cheddar Man apart is his estimated age and the ground-breaking genetic analysis performed on his remains in 2018. Scientists proposed he had dark skin, blue eyes and curly dark hair. The unexpected revelation challenged previous assumptions about how ancient Brits looked.

Continued….But it should really come as no surprise that the first ancient human being discovered in the UK was Black, as all human history originated in Africa. One museum scientist described Cheddar Man as ‘indicative of the population of Europe at the time.’ However, the UK’s far-right population lost its collective mind when this story broke back in 2018, so it is always nice to remind them ;-)

Cheddar Man’s striking looks transcend borders and challenge our preconceptions about the evolution of human physical characteristics. It’s a reminder that our history is rich, complex, and often filled with surprises that connect us in unexpected ways.

Were you surprised by the news? Please leave your thoughts below.

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THE MOST DANGEROUS AFRICAN!

Leading Pan-African figures have responded after Ghana authorities cancelled their event at the last minute.

Convention 2024 was due to be held at Independence Square, in Accra, on January 7th, but police intervened. However, leading guests due to speak held a press conference shortly after and didn’t hold back.

Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao called out presidents for having a ‘colonised mind’ and urged us all to look in the mirror and ask serious questions about the continued imperialist exploitation of Africa.

PLO Lumumba called on the continent’s youth to embrace the ‘spirit of personal sacrifice’ for the general good. Have a listen. Are you up to the challenge they describe?

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KINGDOM OF KUSH

Egypt may hog much of the limelight when it comes to ancient civilisations, but it too was influenced by a powerful sub-Saharan dynasty.

The Kush Kingdom also build pyramids and developed its own form of written texts. And its rich history helped shaped a regional landscape that can still be admired today.

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‘WE BLEW UP MOSQUES, UN OFFICES’ - ISRAELI RESERVIST

An Israeli military reservist told @TheGrayzoneNews that he was part of operations that bombed mosques and United Nations offices in the Gaza Strip. The unidentified person acknowledged UN offices had assisted Palestinian families since 7 October.

This clip is part of an exclusive video report that shows illegal settlers at the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings in the Gaza Strip blocking trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egypt. The Israeli military appeared to aid protesters’ efforts, while Egyptian forces did not respond to provocations.

Reports in January said Israel had destroyed 1,000 out of 1,200 mosques in the 41-kilometre-long enclave since the 7 October escalation. The UN said the highest death toll among its staff members worldwide has occurred in the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s military operation has killed more than 100 workers.