COMEDY CLIP RIPS BIDEN’S STUDENT DEBT RELIEF

We have offered our fair share of criticisms of US President Joe Biden’s administration, with plenty of examples to support our points.

However, his student debt relief plan seems to be one of his better policies. Unfortunately, it’s not perfect, as he offers loan forgiveness for people who qualify under one of four conditions. It seems that for Takeiya in this video clip with @KevOnStage, may have qualified because of the excess interest accrued on her ex-boyfriend’s $60,000 loan, which she co-signed. With interest, the amount ballooned to $170,000, she said.

US university fees are amongst the highest in the world, leaving many of our people in the US put off by higher education. Biden’s initial student-loan forgiveness plan was only intended to provide about $20,000 of relief, regardless of the amount of debt.

Continued….. However, according to the US-based nonprofit Education Data Initiative, the average federal student loan debt is more than $40,000. Meanwhile, the total private loan burden in the US amounts to $ 128.8 billion.

Biden blamed the Supreme Court for preventing his initial proposal from proceeding. In 2023, the court granted relief to about 700,000 debtors who had been repaying loans for at least 20 years and a few other categories of debtors. However, about 42 million people remained in debt.

This year, Biden has provided more loan forgiveness, but again based on another set of conditions. Many have been left wondering why he couldn’t cancel all student loan debts with the swipe of his pen on an executive order.

But it was a cool ending for sister Takeiya and a very entertaining story to hear. “So, here’s the thing”- a nice policy on student loan relief can’t absolve Biden or his administration for collaboration in a g*nocide that has killed many students, teachers and children in Palestine.

Video credit: @KevOnStage (IG)

DRC TO PALESTINE: GLENCORE’S GLOBAL WEB OF DESTRUCTION

If you want an example of how a multinational can destroy local communities worldwide, Glencore is probably as good as any.

The Swiss-based commodity trader and miner helps fuel the g*nocide in Gaza by selling Israel coal from South Africa and Columbia. Elsewhere, it makes millions from the extraction of minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, corrupt deals have seen it avoid DRC taxes, and its activities have left a trail of environmental destruction.

William Sakawa looks at the global web of suffering brought by one conglomerate and the need for a unified response.

KAMALA, PALESTINE & HER PROSECUTION RECORD

In this episode of ‘Africa in 90 Seconds,’ African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim (@ahmed.ghoneim.official on IG) highlights the hypocrisy around Palestine at the recent Democratic National Convention.

Whether it be the lack of Palestinian representation on the DNC stage, the thousands of protesters police beat up, and the pro-Palestine delegates bullied out of the DNC event hall, Ghoneim argues the Democratic Party’s and Harris’s indifference toward millions of Palestinians was on display as was its complicity in Israel’s military onslaught, which has k*lled more than 40,000 Palestinians.

Ghoneim also made the case that Harris is not only an unfitting candidate when it comes to Palestine, but also on domestic issues, such as the mass incarceration of Brown and Black people in the US.

In short, she is not the answer. And, neither is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In the comments, let us know what you think about the DNC.

AFRICA’S FABULOUS FABRICS

Sumptuous African fabrics aren’t just beautiful to look at. Every thread weaves a tale of ancient dynasties and cultural rituals. From the geometric Kente cloth of the Ashanti, down to the Lamba Mena in Madagascar, they stitch together the continent’s rich history. Here are some of our favourites. Let us know yours!

KWAME TURE BLASTS AFRICAN BOURGEOISIE

Kwame Ture, revolutionary Pan-African organiser and co-founder of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, did not hold back when it came to his denouncement of the African bourgeoisie and petit bourgeoisie. We have to understand that not all Africans are on our side. Class interests ultimately determine the allegiances of many of the most powerful and influential Africans. This is the basis of neo-colonialism. While the masses struggle from day to day, a small group benefits from the system which they work to uphold.

What do you make of Ture’s radical stance?

‘Y’ALL DESTROYING BLACK AND PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY’

Pan-Africanist Afeni is worried that solidarity between Palestinians and Black people is under attack. She fears narratives that Palestinians are ‘anti-Black’ are fuelling unnecessary divisions that weren’t there before.

In this post, she reminds us that ‘Black and Palestinian solidarity goes back to the civil rights movement.’ The likes of Malcolm X viewed the Palestinian struggle as part of a global fight against colonialism and imperialism. So, too, did the Black Panthers, who established ties with the Palestine Liberation Organisation. And the Black Panther newspaper frequently featured articles supporting the Palestinian cause, highlighting its parallels with the Black liberation movement.

Afeni says, right now, the CIA is probably giggling, ‘watching y’all do their work for them’. And she warns if Palestinians are dehumanised, then so are we.

We couldn’t agree more. Please let us know what you think in the comments.

Video credit: @factsandfire

IT’S COLONIAL MENTALITY NOT CLIMATE JUSTICE!

Indian historian Vijay Prashad is a friend of ours at African Stream and he has some interesting comments regarding climate change from 2021 that are worth paying attention to. He argues that while Western countries consume most of the world’s energy, they lecture others on the need to reduce theirs, which simply comes across as a form of modern-day colonialism.

To back up his point, he quotes this statistic. The USA makes up five per cent of the world’s population and consumes 25 per cent of the world’s resources. Compare that to Africa, which has 18 per cent of the world’s population but accounts for only four four per cent of world’s energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency.

Mr Prashad was speaking at the Climate Justice Coalition People’s Summit in the UK. And his fiery outburst on Western double standards earned him a round of applause.

Continued….. The thing is, despite Africa’s low energy consumption, it remains in the sights of global Climate Change policy. The UN’s Development Programme website admits the continent ‘accounts for the smallest share of greenhouse gases’ emitted globally. However, it warns Africa’s rapidly growing population means it should make sure its ‘development trajectory’ aligns with a ‘just energy transition’.

Alternatively, to quote Mr Prashad, ‘You want to lecture us, you want to tell us that we are responsible for all the problems, because you never accept that you’re the one, principally, to blame.’

Is that how you see it too? Let us know in the comments. See you there.

EPISODE 4: BEFORE ROSA PARKS, THERE WAS CLAUDETTE COLVIN

In this episode of ‘Decolonised Minds,’ we explore the story of Claudette Colvin, a name often overshadowed in the annals of history. She played a crucial role in challenging the racist segregation laws in the United States.

At just 15 years old, she made a bold stand nine months before Rosa Parks, refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in March 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. Her courageous act of defiance led to her arrest, igniting the flame for a legal battle that would ultimately dismantle bus segregation.

Despite her pivotal role, the public largely forgot Colvin’s role, perhaps buried under the weight of time and overshadowed by the more widely recognised figures of the US Civil Rights Movement.

Continued……. Yet, her bravery as a teenager helped lay the groundwork for the historic Montgomery bus boycott and a Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

Her story is a powerful testament to the importance of every voice—no matter how young or marginalised—in the fight for justice.

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WHY NIGERIA SHOULD JOIN BRICS

In this recent clip by @channels television network, renowned Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana argued that Nigeria’s economic future hinges on breaking free from the restrictive prenoscriptions of institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Falana said these bodies have long advocated for policies, such as subsidy removal, currency floating and austerity measures, which have led to economic instability, increased poverty and a loss of sovereignty over national economic policies.

Continued…. In contrast, he urged the Nigerian government to join the BRICS group, which offers a compelling alternative. Countries like Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (each of their initials comprise BRICS) have prioritised economic independence by reducing reliance on the US dollar and fostering trade in their own currencies.

This approach allows them to retain greater control over their economies, ensuring that development strategies align with their unique needs and aspirations. BRICS now accounts for 36 per cent of global GDP in purchasing power parity. With nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt joining BRICS, Nigeria’s absence is glaring. 

Video credit: @channelstelevision (YouTube) @channelstv_ent (IG) @channelstv (X)

MARLEY ‘MOTIVATED’ ZIMBABWE FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Bob Marley’s music championed social justice, human rights, and the fight against oppression. His son, Ziggy, remembers the time they were in Zimbabwe to celebrate the end of colonial rule. While in their hotel room, resistance fighters who’d fought for their country’s freedom, came to thank him. They said his music had helped motivate them in their armed struggle.

Ziggy told the story during an interview with CNN while speaking about the newly released film Bob Marley: One Love. The music legend’s song ‘Zimbabwe’ became an anthem for the African country’s liberation movement. Marley and his band, The Wailers, were invited by the country’s new leader, Robert Mugabe, to perform during independence celebrations. They headlined at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare on April 18, 1980. An iconic moment that marked the birth of a new nation. Ziggy says that was when he realised how powerful music can be.

Continued….. One has to wonder how his father would have viewed the politics of his eldest son Ziggy Marley today, who is a big supporter of Israel and even attends the Israel Defence Forces’ annual fundraiser gala dinner in New York. In 2018, Israeli security forces killed 290 Palestinians, including 55 minors, and in that same year, Ziggy Marley and other Hollywood celebrities helped to raise more than $60 million for the IDF. In October 2023, when Israel began its genocidal onslaught on Gaza, which has seen schools and hospitals targeted by the IDF, Ziggy signed an open letter affirming his support of Israel amid the war.

A far cry from the liberation music his father was famous for.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Today marks the 8th anniversary of American football player-turned-civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick taking the knee as the US national anthem was playing before a preseason game. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback was protesting police brutality against people of colour. Prior to this, Kaepernick had already been protesting - but by sitting down during the national anthem. He was advised by Nate Boyer - a former Green Beret who had seen an image of Martin Luther King Jr. kneeling in a civil-rights protest in 1965 - that kneeling would be more respectful. On that fateful September 1st, 2016, Kaepernick was joined by teammate Eric Reid, who also took the knee. The act divided opinion. Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused Kaepernick of being unpatriotic. Others praised him for courageously drawing attention to police racism and violence against Black people.

Continued……But his career took a dive as no team wanted to sign him because of the controversy. Kneeling protests became widespread in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd by a White police officer, who knelt on the unarmed Black man’s neck until he suffocated to death. Players in other sports began to take the knee in solidarity with anti-police brutality movements around the world. Though it’s largely petered out now, taking the knee is still seen as a gesture of solidarity and sorrow for the many victims of institutionalised violence.

ONCE-MIGRATORY AFRICANS OBEY COLONIAL BORDERS

Much debate has occurred over whether Chidimma Adetshina, a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition, was South African enough to compete for the noscript and move on to the Miss Universe competition.

While it’s true her father is from Nigeria, and her mother is partly Mozambican, people may be arguing outside of what our history reveals about African identity.

Mozambique and South Africa have been home to the Shona, Nguni and Zulu peoples. Records also show the Bantu people began migrating thousands of years ago from the Nigeria-Cameroon border, spreading out in a few waves toward eastern, central and southern Africa.

Then, in the late 19th century, Europeans violently imposed colonial borders, criminalising migration.

Continued….. In this clip from African Stream’s weekly livestream collaboration with @authentic_african, Inemesit Richardson asked why Africans validate borders drawn by Europeans, cutting Africa into sections that have nothing to do with our pre-colonial conceptions of self.

If you are interested in hearing more of this conversation, check out ‘Is South Africa Falling for Xenophobia? Miss South Africa Competition Stirs Global Controversy’ in the ‘This Week in Africa’ playlist on our YouTube channel.

POLICE ARREST BLACK MAN LOOKING FOR HIS CHILD

A father has lost his job after a video went viral showing police arresting him after he reported his ex-girlfriend had kidnapped his 4-year-old daughter.

After police officers appeared on the morning of 6 August, things took a dark turn for Darnay Cockrell. As seen in this viral video making rounds online, police apprehended Cockrell by forcing him to lie on the ground, despite saying he had just had shoulder surgery. He reportedly also has bad knees. In the video, he said, ‘How y’all going to sit here and put me in the cage ‘cause my baby got kidnapped. I’m suing the sh*t out y’all.’

Speaking on 15 August, he explained what happened that day. ‘I was on the phone with the dispatcher, and I was like ‘she left.’ He was like, ‘Go locate and see which way she went.’

Continued….. So, I went down the stairs and the officer was walking up, and I was like, ‘My baby is gone,’ and he ran on the side of me and was like, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m not getting on the ground. My baby is gone.’ Cockrell said that’s when a second officer came, and both officers pulled him to the ground and detained him.

Cockrell filed a complaint with the Mesa Police Department. The department’s district commander responded that the officers’ actions did not violate their policy and that the officers would receive additional training.

His daughter was returned to Cockrell, and police booked his ex-girlfriend into jail for disorderly conduct under a domestic violence law.

Unfortunately, since the video went viral, Cockrell has lost his job and has been trying to make ends meet by selling snacks. A GoFundMe has been set up to help him cover the cost of food and rent. Cockrell told the media he’ll never call the police again.

Can you blame him?

Video credit: @negrotarantino (IG)