Continued……Participants also emphasised establishing schools and better access to education to uplift Black people. In addition to this, the convention called for ways to develop Black economic independence through trade and vocational skills.
These conventions, held decades before Marcus Garvey built the Universal Negro Improvement Association that tied together Africans across the world and over a century before the Civil Rights Movement, helped develop the collective Black consciousness in the direction of sovereignty and self-determination.
Nearly two centuries later, and despite the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Black people in the US remain disenfranchised and continue holding the same conversations on how to obtain social justice and economic empowerment.
NOTE: Although Theo R Davis’ sketch depicts the 1869 National Colored Convention in Washington, the Zinn Education Project considers it illustrative of the state conventions.
SOURCES:
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/first-maine-colored-convention
https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/1178
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-1964
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act
These conventions, held decades before Marcus Garvey built the Universal Negro Improvement Association that tied together Africans across the world and over a century before the Civil Rights Movement, helped develop the collective Black consciousness in the direction of sovereignty and self-determination.
Nearly two centuries later, and despite the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Black people in the US remain disenfranchised and continue holding the same conversations on how to obtain social justice and economic empowerment.
NOTE: Although Theo R Davis’ sketch depicts the 1869 National Colored Convention in Washington, the Zinn Education Project considers it illustrative of the state conventions.
SOURCES:
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/first-maine-colored-convention
https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/1178
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-1964
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act
Zinn Education Project
Oct. 6, 1841: Maine’s First Colored Convention
The first Colored Convention in Maine was an opportunity for northern Black abolitionists to organize and strategize for racial justice and the freedom of those still enslaved throughout the South.
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Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
WAS S. AFRICA’S TRUTH COMMISSION
A LIE?
In 1995, the Nelson Mandela-led African National Congress (ANC) government set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a court-like body tasked with investigating crimes committed by the apartheid regime between 1960 and 1994. Proponents of the Commission marketed it as a silver bullet that would deliver justice for the victims of the regime and help the country move forward. However, not everyone was convinced. Many argued that the TRC was simply a get-out-of-jail-free card for apartheid criminals, as it allowed them to avoid prosecution. Among those who were not in support of the TRC was Letlapa Mphahlele, a long-time member of the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania. He argued that the Commission was biased towards the oppressors and threw victims under the bus. He lays down his argument in this video from 1997.
A LIE?
In 1995, the Nelson Mandela-led African National Congress (ANC) government set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a court-like body tasked with investigating crimes committed by the apartheid regime between 1960 and 1994. Proponents of the Commission marketed it as a silver bullet that would deliver justice for the victims of the regime and help the country move forward. However, not everyone was convinced. Many argued that the TRC was simply a get-out-of-jail-free card for apartheid criminals, as it allowed them to avoid prosecution. Among those who were not in support of the TRC was Letlapa Mphahlele, a long-time member of the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania. He argued that the Commission was biased towards the oppressors and threw victims under the bus. He lays down his argument in this video from 1997.
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Continued......Considering that, some thirty years after the end of the oppressive system, very few apartheid-era politicians and security operatives ever went to jail for their crimes against Black South Africans, it seems that Mphahlele's prediction that the TRC would be an exercise in futility was spot on.
Credit: SABC/TRC
SOURCES:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/11/chris-hani-apartheid-killers-cant-force-victims-to-forgive
https://www.collegesoflaw.edu/blog/2019/01/08/trc-south-africa-study-abroad/#:~:text=Some%20South%20Africans%20felt%20a,apartheid%2C%20testified%20of%20his%20ignorance.
https://humanities.uct.ac.za/apc/trc-and-codesa-failed-south-africa-its-time-we-reflected
Credit: SABC/TRC
SOURCES:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/11/chris-hani-apartheid-killers-cant-force-victims-to-forgive
https://www.collegesoflaw.edu/blog/2019/01/08/trc-south-africa-study-abroad/#:~:text=Some%20South%20Africans%20felt%20a,apartheid%2C%20testified%20of%20his%20ignorance.
https://humanities.uct.ac.za/apc/trc-and-codesa-failed-south-africa-its-time-we-reflected
the Guardian
You may free apartheid killers but you can't force victims to forgive
Wife of slain South African leader Chris Hani lashes out as judge orders the release of his murderer and tells his family to ‘move on’
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The smearing of African media as disinformation tools is an old imperialist tactic, designed to maintain control of the narrative about our continent. We’re accused of disseminating propaganda when our perspectives challenge imperialist geopolitical interests. While these accusations serve to delegitimise and silence African voices, they also conceal deeper fears. Independent African journalism shines a light on neo-colonial exploitation and practices on the continent.
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Continued............ This week’s Facts of the Week highlight African media outlets that became a headache to global powers - leading, in some cases, to censorship… cloaked as a crackdown on disinformation.
SOURCES:
https://theappendix.net/posts/2013/12/radio-freedom-underground-radio-in-south-africa
https://www.news24.com/news24/radio-freedom-comes-home-20190516
https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/the-mozambican-civil-war-1977-1992/
https://www.blackagendareport.com/us-shooting-itself-foot-info-warfare-africa
https://africanstream.media/the-real-reason-we-got-banned/
SOURCES:
https://theappendix.net/posts/2013/12/radio-freedom-underground-radio-in-south-africa
https://www.news24.com/news24/radio-freedom-comes-home-20190516
https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/the-mozambican-civil-war-1977-1992/
https://www.blackagendareport.com/us-shooting-itself-foot-info-warfare-africa
https://africanstream.media/the-real-reason-we-got-banned/
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7 OCTOBER 2001: US 'WAR ON TERROR' COMMENCES
Following the horrific 9/11 attack that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States, US President George W Bush declared a global 'War on T*rror,' which began with the first bombardments on this day, 7 October 2001, in Afghanistan.
Consequently, African countries that had no issues with t*rrorism in 2001, saw a surge in armed violence over the past 24 years, that can be traced back to decades of US and NATO intervention, exacerbated in 2007 when the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) was formed.
For example, t*rrorist activities ravaged Africa's arid Sahel region since NATO's 2011 invasion of Libya, spurning violent rebels to k*ll former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Then, Sahel-region t*rrorists accessed the fallen Libyan government's weapons stash and distributed them in Mali, seizing control of large swaths of land in the country's north, spilling into its neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Following the horrific 9/11 attack that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States, US President George W Bush declared a global 'War on T*rror,' which began with the first bombardments on this day, 7 October 2001, in Afghanistan.
Consequently, African countries that had no issues with t*rrorism in 2001, saw a surge in armed violence over the past 24 years, that can be traced back to decades of US and NATO intervention, exacerbated in 2007 when the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) was formed.
For example, t*rrorist activities ravaged Africa's arid Sahel region since NATO's 2011 invasion of Libya, spurning violent rebels to k*ll former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Then, Sahel-region t*rrorists accessed the fallen Libyan government's weapons stash and distributed them in Mali, seizing control of large swaths of land in the country's north, spilling into its neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger.
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Continued......Not to mention Somalia, where through a US-backed Ethiopian invasion in 2006, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) was crushed, leading to the rise of the violent t*rrorist group, Al-Shabaab. The ICU consisted of various clan-based courts that governed the East African country following the 1991 civil war, became a federation in 2004 and had no Al-Qaeda affiliations.
Nonetheless, after years of a well documented history of fabricating narratives for political and economic interests to make way for invasion, the US appears to be losing the strong foot-hold it once had. Many are now seeing the nation for what it truly is; an imperialist state that neither cares for human rights nor to combat terrorism.
The formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on 16 March 2023, for instance, offers a glimmer of possibility towards African sovereignty.
Nonetheless, after years of a well documented history of fabricating narratives for political and economic interests to make way for invasion, the US appears to be losing the strong foot-hold it once had. Many are now seeing the nation for what it truly is; an imperialist state that neither cares for human rights nor to combat terrorism.
The formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on 16 March 2023, for instance, offers a glimmer of possibility towards African sovereignty.
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Continued.....Upon formation, the AES broke ties with AFRICOM, choosing to instead form a confederation for shared defense, economic and foreign policy. Over a year later, the three Sahelian states in West Africa continue to advance the work of decolonisation by breaking ties with neo-colonial institutions and reclaiming bit by bit, their sovereignty over their lands.
Are we currently witnessing the crumbling of an empire?
SOURCES:
https://emro.libraries.psu.edu/record/index.php?id=1720
https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-war-in-somalia
https://africainterest.org/confederation-of-alliance-of-sahel-states-aes-birthpangs-of-african-political-union
https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/research/topic-guides/global-war-terror
Are we currently witnessing the crumbling of an empire?
SOURCES:
https://emro.libraries.psu.edu/record/index.php?id=1720
https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-war-in-somalia
https://africainterest.org/confederation-of-alliance-of-sahel-states-aes-birthpangs-of-african-political-union
https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/research/topic-guides/global-war-terror
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UAE WEAPONS TO SUDAN DISGUISED AS AID!
An alarming New York Times investigation has exposed how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is sneaking weapons into Sudan through Chad under the guise of humanitarian aid to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a 17-month war that has k*lled from 20,000 Sudanese to as many as 150,000, according to the US envoy.
The New York Times reported the UAE is using the red crescent, the famous symbol of humanitarian aid, for its covert operations, essentially blurring the lines between aid and military support.
An alarming New York Times investigation has exposed how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is sneaking weapons into Sudan through Chad under the guise of humanitarian aid to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a 17-month war that has k*lled from 20,000 Sudanese to as many as 150,000, according to the US envoy.
The New York Times reported the UAE is using the red crescent, the famous symbol of humanitarian aid, for its covert operations, essentially blurring the lines between aid and military support.
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The war that started between the Sudanese army and RSF on 15 April 2023 has displaced 10 million Sudanese internally and forced 2 million to flee, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than half of the country’s 50-million population suffers acute hunger.
In May, the Sudanese ambassador to the UN accused the UAE of arming the RSF, while NGO SwissAid says the UAE is the primary recipient of Sudanese gold. According to the World Gold Council, Sudan is Africa’s fifth-highest gold producer.
In May, the Sudanese ambassador to the UN accused the UAE of arming the RSF, while NGO SwissAid says the UAE is the primary recipient of Sudanese gold. According to the World Gold Council, Sudan is Africa’s fifth-highest gold producer.
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Continued.....
SOURCES:
https://emiratesleaks.com/investigation-reveals-uaes-use-of-aid-to-escalate-sudan-conflict-says-u-s/?lang=en
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-calls-for-investigation-into-uae-arms-shipments-to-darfur/
https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/united-arab-emirates-arming-rsf-genocide-in-sudan
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html
https://swissaid.kinsta.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/swissaid-on-the-trail-of-african-gold-web-ok.pdf
https://sudan.iom.int/news/sudan-internal-displacement-set-top-10-million-famine-looms-iom
https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency
https://www.gold.org/goldhub/data/gold-production-by-country
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-rsf-key-ally-uae-logistical-and-corporate-interests
http://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(24)01939-1/abstract
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15784.doc.htm
https://sudantribune.com/article291233/
https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d321/d3211785
SOURCES:
https://emiratesleaks.com/investigation-reveals-uaes-use-of-aid-to-escalate-sudan-conflict-says-u-s/?lang=en
https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-calls-for-investigation-into-uae-arms-shipments-to-darfur/
https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/united-arab-emirates-arming-rsf-genocide-in-sudan
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html
https://swissaid.kinsta.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/swissaid-on-the-trail-of-african-gold-web-ok.pdf
https://sudan.iom.int/news/sudan-internal-displacement-set-top-10-million-famine-looms-iom
https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency
https://www.gold.org/goldhub/data/gold-production-by-country
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-rsf-key-ally-uae-logistical-and-corporate-interests
http://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(24)01939-1/abstract
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15784.doc.htm
https://sudantribune.com/article291233/
https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d321/d3211785
الإمارات ليكس
Investigation Reveals UAE's Use of Aid to Escalate Sudan Conflict, Says U.S - الإمارات ليكس
A U.S. investigation has confirmed that the UAE is using humanitarian aid as a front to escalate the civil war in Sudan, smuggling weapons and deploying drones under the guise of the Emirates Red Crescent. The investigation, reported by The New York Times…
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