‘I’M NOT A KIDNAPPER’ - HAITI’S JIMMY ‘BARBECUE’ CHÉRIZIER

Former Haitian police officer Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, the head of G9 Family and Allies, has become the face of the Caribbean state’s gang violence, thanks to international media plastering him on their front pages. The 47-year-old faces accusations of human rights violations, including k*llings and r*pe.

In this clip from an exclusive interview with African Stream’s freelance journalist Maud-Salomé Ekila (@ekilaaa on IG and X), Chérizier responded to the allegations.

If you’d like to hear more, you can watch the whole conversation on our YouTube channel. It is by no means a softball interview.

In the meantime, let us know in the comments what you make of Barbecue. Are you convinced by his answers?

‘WHITE K*LLER PREFERABLE’ - GRIEVING DAD DENOUNCES TRUMP

There’s perhaps no greater pain than the loss of a child, but for the Clark family of Springfield, Ohio, mudslinging by right-wing Trump supporters in the run-up to the US presidential election has added to their grief.

Social media users took issue with Nathan Clark wishing at a public hearing that his 11-year-old son, Aiden, had been ‘k*lled by a 60-year-old white man.’ Instead, a Haitian immigrant named Hermanio Joseph drove a minivan that crashed into a school bus that Aiden rode, k*lling him on 22 August 2023 and injuring other children.

Unfortunately, political figures like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have weaponised the situation against immigrants in the lead-up to the November presidential election, part of a larger trend of demonising immigrants from the Global South, particularly immigrants from Haiti.

Continued……. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, referred to Aiden in a post on X, saying, ‘a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.’

Clark asked politicians to stop exploiting the tragedy, which only makes it more painful for his family.

What do you think of Clark’s comments? And what do you think about how race and immigration status have been weaponised in the US political arena, particularly by Trump’s camp and their supporters? Let us know in the comments.

IS THE NFL ‘PLANTATION CAPITALISM’?

Another NFL season has got underway, with one statistic remaining the same. Despite around 70 per cent of players being Black, there’s not a single Black principal owner of any NFL side.

Overall, the majority of NFL owners are White, with a couple of notable exceptions, as of 2023. The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who has Pakistani heritage, and the co-owner of the Buffalo Bills, who has Korean heritage.

In this clip, Former NFL star, Anthony Prior, argues it’s a moral issue that needs to be addressed. He points out before World War II, the all-White NFL didn’t want any Black players. Since then, Black stars have turned it into a billion-dollar industry, although they still don’t have a ‘voice’ in the game. As far as Prior is concerned, all the power remains at the top, where White NFL owners dominate and enjoy guaranteed profits without ‘a fan going into the stadium [to see them]’

Continued……He made the speech in 2007, but he’s not alone. A similar accusation made headlines in 2022 when Brian Flores, a Black coach, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against multiple teams and the NFL, likening the professional football league to a plantation that exploits Black labour. His case said the NFL’s ’32 owners — none of whom are Black — profit substantially from the labour of NFL players, 70% of whom are Black.’

The Miami Dolphins fired Flores after three seasons. Since then, he’s failed to land another head coaching job and is currently defensive co-ordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. His legal case is ongoing.

And then there’s Colin Kaepernick, who couldn’t find a NFL club and alleged NFL owners refused to sign him after he parted ways with the 49ers in 2016. He filed a lawsuit against the NFL, arguing the league’s owners blackballed him because he’d protested racial injustice and police brutality. It ended with an undisclosed settlement.

Video credit: Socialism Conference in Chicago, May 2007

‘AMERICA IS THE BIGGEST GANG IN THE WORLD’

On this date, September 13, 1971, legendary rapper Tupac died six days after he was shot in Las Vegas in the United States.

Also known by his stage names Makaveli and 2Pac, Tupac was a politically conscious artist, and some say his political education began in the womb.

His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a former Black Panther Party member. And when her son turned a year old, she named him Tupac Amaru Shakur, after the 18th-century Peruvian revolutionary Túpac Amaru II.

Continued………In this clip, Tupac eloquently draws parallels between US foreign policy and the gang mentality prevalent on America's streets. His unique perspective sheds light on the aggressive nature of US interventions, whether it's in Cuba in the late 1950s and early 60s to Yugoslavia in the 1990s, where war was raging when this interview took place. Since then, the US has continued its pattern of interventions, including the invasion and destruction of Libya in 2011.

Tupac was more than a hip-hop hero; he was an activist dedicated to African liberation in America. And his way of speaking resonated with millions.

Does his view of US foreign policy strike a chord with you? Have a listen and share with us.

SWIMMING IN THE SAHARA

Torrential downpours have been wreaking havoc across southern Morocco - destroying homes and reportedly claiming at least 18 lives. The freak weather has, however, also created an unusual - and beautiful - phenomenon in the country’s Saharan regions: lakes in the desert.

Instagram travel guru @barefoottripsmorocco posted this video of himself taking a refreshing plunge amidst the arid dunes - calling the rains a blessing.

Interestingly, scientists think the Sahara actually used to be full of water - in the form of rivers flowing through woodlands teeming with life. That was some 5,000-11,000 years ago though!

Would you like a swim in the Sahara?

Video credit: @barefoottripsmorocco (Instagram)

TUPAC: SISTERS, KEEP YA HEAD UP

The great Tupac Shakur - rapper, actor, and activist - died on this day, 13th September, in 1996.

There’s no better tribute to the legendary rapper than his own music. In this clip, he delivers an ‘unplugged’ rendition of his classic ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ - performed in the intimate setting of a classroom of students.

And what an education the lyrics are. The song’s message - about respect for women and female empowerment - still packs a punch.

Tupac was a master at articulating the struggles of his community, particularly the marginalised Black people in America.

An authentic music revolutionary, he deserves to be remembered not just for his controversial death but also celebrated for his life and the passion of his powerful lyrics.

Rest in power, brother!

Video credit: @Adzmoose (YouTube)

ISRAELI PODCAST DEMANDS GAZA ‘CLEANSED’

There’s outrage over a shocking Israeli podcast that called for Gaza to be ‘cleansed.’ Hosts from the inappropriately named ‘Two Nice Jewish Guys’ channel have now made their YouTube video private, but not before it went viral.

During the chilling discussion, host Eytan Weinstein says, ‘There needs to be no Palestinians left in there. And we need to re-inhabit it with Jews.’

He and his co-host Naor Meningher have faced a massive backlash online and calls for Apple and Youtube to ban their show. However, it’s still available and boasts to be Israel’s longest-running English-language podcast. They’ve also championed the sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

Such horrific rhetoric mirrors that of some Israeli politicians who’ve advocated for genocidal destruction and for the rape of detained Palestinians by Israeli soldiers.

A word of warning, this clip is extremely offensive.

Video credits: Two Nice Jewish Boys

HOW SUDANESE SUFFERING IS DEHUMANISED

The war in Sudan has left some 11-million people displaced, 18,000 (confirmed) killed and 33,000 injured since its outbreak in April 2023. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, says the number of people killed in Sudan is likely closer to 150,000.

On top of this, the country is in the grip of a famine, with the UN reporting that “Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity in its history, with more than half of its population - 25.6-million people - in acute hunger.”

Despite being recognised as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world at the moment, there seems to be no international urgency to open up humanitarian corridors.

Continued……. In this clip, a Sudanese activist (@bsonblast) responds to a question raised by another content creator (@seij): why are other crises and the people affected by them generally treated more humanely? Her answer is that this simply comes down to anti-Blackness and the ‘othering’ of African people for centuries - to a point where their suffering has been normalised.

What are your thoughts? Why has Sudan’s conflict been largely ignored?

Video credit: @bsonblast

DRC PRESIDENT EXPLAINS EAST’S ADVANTAGE OVER WEST

China and Russia are beating the US in Africa, according to Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi who said in a recent interview that the difference comes down to attitude, or lack there of. The West is preachy, paternalistic when dealing with Africa and Africans. Even worse, their leaders say one thing and usually do the opposite. Take the concept of press freedom and objectivity as prime examples. Western journalists and media pundits continue to shout themselves hoarse over Venezuelan election results, whereas, comparatively, they’re as silent as a church mouse concerning France’s subversion of their own election results.

Continued……Russia and China peg their international relations and cooperation on the principle of non-interference in other countries’ affairs. Add to that the fact that Chinese inroads into Africa can point to some (not all) positive outcomes for the people through initiatives such as infrastructure development. Many African nations view China’s no-strings attached approach as more attractive than loans from the US-based financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which provide loans but demand reforms like privatisation and fiscal liberalism which have attracted criticism of infringing on nations’ sovereignty and serving US interests.

China’s experience in matters important to Africa, such as poverty eradication, have made it a model for development. For Russia, as Burkina Faso’s president Ibrahim Traore said, it does not impose conditions on weapons purchases, compared to Burkina’s traditional ‘partners’ such as France.

Have a watch and please share your thoughts.

SENEGAL’S FAYE DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT

Only six months in office, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and called for elections on November 17. Swept into power based on his vision for radical transformations of the political system and promises of more sovereignty, the 44-year-old head of state believes lawmakers from his party can win a majority in the legislature.

On Thursday, Faye said, “I dissolve the national assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means to bring about the systemic transformation that I have promised to deliver”. He called for support and asked voters to mandate his party to carry out governmental changes.

The Benno Bokk Yaakar opposition movement, led by former President Macky Sall, condemned Faye’s decision to dissolve Senegal’s National Assembly.

Continued…. He claimed Faye had convened a legislative session under false pretences then proceeded to dissolve the governmental body. Faye was also accused by his political rivals of “perjury.”

Faye, the youngest elected president on the African continent, came to power in March, less than two weeks after he was released from prison. During the presidential campaign, he promised widespread reforms to improve the living standards of the Senegalese people, including fighting corruption, reviewing fishing permits for foreign companies, and securing a bigger share of the country’s natural resources for the state and the population. 

Faye also suggested in his election campaign that he favoured Senegal’s withdrawal from the CFA franc, a controversial currency created in 1945 by former colonial power France and still used by several West African countries. The CFA is recognised as tool for economic control over previously colonised African states, which allows France to keeps an economic stranglehold on them.

With minimal if any progress made during Faye’s brief six month’s presidency, the question becomes: What will come next? Will he finally deliver on his promise?

14 SEPTEMBER 1941 DC ANTI-POLICE BRUTALITY MARCH

America has a long history of police brutality - and Black people in the country have stood up against it every step of the way. One significant occasion was in Washington DC on this day (14th September) in 1941. A large crowd of about 2,000 protestors, marching from four different points of the city, converged on 10th and U Streets (NW) to draw attention to the urgent need for police reform. The rally - called for by the Citizens’ Committee Against Police Brutality and organised by grassroots movements for justice - sought to challenge systemic issues within the criminal-justice system, particularly the use of excessive force and misconduct by law enforcement. Signs carried by protesters included, “Old Jim Crow Has Got to Go,” “Protect Our Civil Rights” and “Police Brutality is a Disgrace to the Nation’s Capital.”

Continued….. Tensions were high, particularly between 1936 - 1941. In the years leading up to the protest, several Black people had been killed at the hands of police. One such case was the shooting of Jasper and Edward Cobb in 1940 after refusing officer Donald Webber’s demand to see their driver’s licences - the two brothers were standing beside a car, not driving. Despite the Black community’s outrage, there was little accountability from city officials - some officers, including Webber, were exonerated.

Although the large protest on 14th September failed to bring about the hoped for overhaul, it was a turning point. Charles Hamilton Houston, the first general counsel of civil-rights group NAACP, said: “The persistent and forceful campaign, which the Washington Council [of the National Negro Congress] and allied organisations have waged against police brutality in Washington, has been one of the most significant battles for civil rights and personal freedom and security ever conducted in the District of Columbia.”

FACT-CHECKED: KAMALA HARRIS’ DEBATE CLAIMS

It was good to see Donald Trump get fact-checked on the spot by the moderators over his unfounded, malicious claims about supposed pet-eating Haitian immigrants during his debate with Kamala Harris. She, however, got off rather lightly. Her claims may not have been as outlandish, but some of them were certainly dubious. Here’s our take. What do you think?