SOUTH AFRICA’S LITERARY HERO BESSIE HEAD

Born mixed-race with mental health problems in apartheid South Africa and placed into foster care, the chances of Bessie Amelia Head becoming a literary giant may have looked somewhat slim at the outset. But in her short life, she achieved just that - transforming from journalist-activist into author-in-exile and political refugee in Botswana. There, she was afflicted by bouts of poverty and depression - barred from returning home by the apartheid regime. But her writing flourished. Although she died aged only 48, her reputation as a writer adept at handling issues of race, identity and power has only continued to grow. African Stream’s Wambura Mwai pays tribute to her talents and legacy.

Have you read Head’s works? Which ones?

Location: @Chechebooks

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BOB MARLEY: AFRICA’S OUR HEAVEN

Bob Marley should be remembered for his revolutionary music but also as an artist that wanted a unified Africa. Even though he was born in Jamaica, he travelled to the continent with trips to Ethiopia, Kenya, Gabon and Zimbabwe. And he recognised all Africans scattered everywhere shared the same struggle. That is why he wrote songs like ‘Africa Unite’ and ‘Zimbabwe.’ His songs called for resistance, an end to injustice and exploitation, and a return to Africa. Africa, as he explains in this clip, is Heaven. Bob Marley passed away from skin cancer aged just 36 years old on this day in 1981. But he remains the most internationally popular and beloved reggae artist ever and is revered by Pan-Africans worldwide.

Play your favourite Marley song today and tell us what it is in the comments 🤟🏾🎵❤️

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S’ LEONE FIRST LADY: WOMEN’S RIGHTS UNDER SIEGE

On many levels, Sierra Leone has one of the worst gender gaps in the world. As of 2021, women held only 12.3% of seats in parliament, while less than 10 per cent aged over 25 have secondary education. That’s not acceptable, according to the country’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio. And in this interview she says ‘pushing women into the kitchen’ is strangling her country’s development. She compares it to telling Muhammad Ali to box with one hand.

Rwanda leads the way in African politics, in terms of female representation. Just over half its cabinet positions are held by women. Other countries with similar numbers include South Africa and Ethiopia.

The question is, when will other African nations catch up?

PT. 1: FORMER CIA AGENT SPILLS TRUTH ABOUT WAR AGAINST THIRD WORLD

In this 1988 video clip, former CIA agent John Stockwell spoke out about the CIA's crimes against the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America. He called this the 'Third-World War' because his studies concluded that crimes against people in countries that did not align with either the United States or the former Soviet Union made up the 'third bloodiest war.'

The term 'Third World' evoked pride as it was associated with anti-colonial resistance. French demographer Alfred Sauvy coined the term to refer to states adopting a policy of neutrality in the face of the 20th century's Cold War. Today, the term is often inaccurately used to describe countries riddled by warfare, disease, poverty, corruption and general violence.

Continued…While most Third World countries have been formally independent since the 1960s, they continue to operate under European and US economic and military terms. Further, covert US intelligence operations in the 20th century had wreaked havoc, setting the stage for US military invasion and the overthrow of democratic leaders. In more recent years, the United States has bombed or aided other countries to bomb countries like Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

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U.S. GOV'T PROJECTS ITS CRIMINALITY ON VICTIMS

How are criminals dealt with in civilised societies? You could say by the rule of law.

But that's not the case in the United States, said the late Pan-African scholar Amos Wilson (1941-95). There, the government projects its criminal nature by treating Indigenous peoples and Africans as savages worthy of punishment.

Is this the same treatment being dished out to peaceful pro-Palestine protesters on US university campuses? Authorities now describe these students as ‘criminals.’

Jump in with your comments to let us know what you think.

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TOUR OF HAITI HEROES

We thought we’d treat you to a quiet corner of Ecuador and slice of Haitian history. This video shows Republic of Haiti Square, in Quito’s San Juan neighbourhood. You’ll spot two busts: the first is of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the founder of the Republic of Haiti. The second is of Alexandre Sabès Pétion, the ‘father of Pan-Americanism’. Both were crafted by sculptor Vicente Bolaños.

Freedom from colonial Spain in the Americas owes a great deal to the Haitians. Their steadfast international solidarity, not just in words but deeds against imperialism, was vital. Without it, how would independence be achieved for countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Peru and Bolivia?

On May 6th, 2015, this little square was unveiled to the public, exactly two hundred years after the arrival of revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar to the shores of Les Cayes, in Haiti. It would be one of two separate exiles for Bolivar on the island where he was welcomed.

Continued….. Prior to becoming heads of state, Dessalines and Pétion served as generals in Haiti’s revolutionary army, leading thousands of formerly enslaved Africans during 12+ years of war against primarily France, but also Spain and Britain. Once achieving their freedom, Haitian foreign policymakers embarked on a comprehensive and widespread internationalist policy of anti-colonialism and anti-slavery.

Forward wind to today and you’ll see Haiti is portrayed as the poster-child for failed states, overrun by gangs and rampant instability. But that can never hide how the small Caribbean island has hit well above its weight in terms of revolutionary solidarity throughout the bad days of colonialism.

That’s why beautiful squares like this exit. They may not be big or get much publicity, but they remember what should never be forgotten. Hope you enjoy our little tour.

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MOTHERS OF AFRICA

Many Africans are celebrating Mother’s Day today. But African countries are also celebrating the women they’ve come to revere as ‘mothers of the nation.’ Today, we look at some of the great African mothers and their different contributions to championing the liberation, development and growth of our motherland. What other African mothers are you celebrating today?

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WEST USING PROXIES TO CARRY OUT WAR IN CONGO

The West has always wanted the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to remain in turmoil. Those are the words of Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba.

During a recent appearance on African Stream’s flagship podcast, ‘Pan-African Attitude,’ Lumumba highlighted how Western governments have used Africans to sow division in the Congo to facilitate the exploitation of its resources.

He gave an example of how US and Belgian intelligence services groomed the DRC’s longtime president, Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-97), to overthrow revolutionary leader Patrice Lumumba (1925-61) and take power from 1965 until 1997.

He added that using proxies has continued into modern times, giving credence to allegations that the West is using Rwanda and Uganda to foment strife and conflict in the Congo while facilitating the transit and laundering of suspected conflict minerals whose proceeds help perpetuate violence.

Watch the rest of this conversation by heading to our YouTube channel.

This week’s African Proverb is an invitation to stop and think before doing anything stupid. In particular, think about your own vulnerabilities before going on the attack - if you can’t take it, don’t dish it out! You might end up with egg on your face, or worse. (But what if it’s an egg fight?)

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A UNIFIED AFRICA WILL FREE THE DIASPORA

Revolutionary Pan-African leader and founding member of the @aaprpinternational Kwame Ture once stated, ‘Until Africa is free, no African anywhere in the world will ever be free or respected.’

Africans scattered across the diaspora, living far off in places like Europe or the Americas, find themselves without a home base to defend them. Ture said if Africa unified based on socialism, it would be powerful enough to punish countries that enact brutal acts of violence against Black civilians, such as in the United States.

In what ways do you think life would change for Africans of the world if Africa unified? Drop your ideas in the comments.

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THE REAL STORY VS HOW MAINSTREAM MEDIA REPORT IT

We all know the mainstream media only ever likes to report on Africa and Africans when it’s ‘bad’ news. But does it actively try to twist reality to make us look bad? You might think so when comparing this headline and its cropped image (left) with the full image (right). Many would argue that the way the image is used in the reporting misleadingly suggests the Black individual in the foreground is the suspected criminal - whereas the full image reveals she is actually the arresting officer. Are we being over-sensitive here?

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Egypt has announced it will formally join South Africa’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) gen*cide case against Israel due to its recent attacks on Rafah, and in the central and northern Gaza Strip.

Rafah is the enclave’s southernmost city, where Israel months earlier had advised Palestinians to flee to avoid its military onslaught.

An anonymous Egyptian official also allegedly told the Associated Press that the 1979 treaty with Israel that established diplomatic relations between the two states is at ‘high risk’ if Tel Aviv expands its military offensive in Rafah. Cairo has long said it will not accept Palestinian refugees and refuses to open safe corridors to protect Palestinians’ right to their land.

Continued…. The ICJ’s interim ruling in January found gen*cide ‘plausible’ since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine and ordered Israel to take a series of measures to prevent gen*cidal acts. However, since then, Israel’s military onslaught has killed more than 9,000 Palestinians, bringing the death toll to more than 35,000, with most being women and children.

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WHITE PRIVILEGE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP

While watching this video, keep asking yourself - what if she’d been Black?

It shows a White woman arguing with, insulting and repeatedly refusing to comply with a police officer - after breaking the speed limit, not pulling over and driving all the way home.

How many African-Americans have been executed by US cops on the flimsiest of pretexts? This clip showcases White privilege in action.

In many ways, American policing has been a continuation of racist policies that go all the way back to slavery. By 2000, Black people made up almost half of the state prison population but only about 13% of the US’s.

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