NAPOLEON’S RACISM AGENDA IN HAITI

Napoleon Bonaparte’s campaign against the Black Haitians, particularly under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture, was marked by racial brutality and imperial ambition. After the Haitian Revolution erupted in 1791, Haiti became a symbol of Black resistance against European colonialism. France, under Napoleon, sought to reclaim control of the colony and reinstate slavery, which had been abolished during the early years of the revolution. Napoleon’s invasion of Haiti in 1802 was not just a military effort but also a deeply racist campaign aimed at crushing Black autonomy and reasserting white supremacy.

Continued……. Napoleon’s forces were instructed to use extreme violence to subdue the Haitians, treating them as lesser beings unworthy of freedom. His racist policies extended beyond warfare - he sought to restore the plantation economy and reinstitute the brutal conditions of slavery, disregarding the humanity of the Haitian people. The French military employed tactics of terror, including mass executions, and attempted to erase the progress Black Haitians had made toward liberty. Despite Napoleon’s ruthless efforts, the Haitian people, under the leadership of figures like Jean-Jacques Dessalines, eventually won their independence in 1804, making Haiti the first Black republic in the world.

This campaign remains one of the darkest examples of European colonial brutality in the Americas, highlighting the lengths to which powers like France were willing to go to maintain racial hierarchies and economic control. The Haitian victory was a monumental event in world history, challenging the racial order and inspiring anti-colonial movements globally.

Sources:

1. https://allthatsinteresting.com/toussaint-louverture

2. https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/articles/napoleon-the-dark-side-napoleon-and-santo-domingo-haiti-and-santo-domingo-4-min-read/

3. https://www.history.com/news/toussaint-louverture-haiti-revolution

4. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-haitian-revolution-and-the-hole-in-french-high-school-history

BLACK ORGANISERS CRITICISE BLACK GOVERNANCE

More than 640 Black mayors govern US cities, home to 48 million people. That comes to about 14 per cent of the US population. Yet, for the 90 per cent of our people who are working class, these mayors amount to symbols at best and traitors at worst.

That's according to @mapinduzi organisers Dedan Wa Waciuri (@dedanwaciuri on Instagram, @waciuri_dedan on Twitter and @bigkfla600 on TikTok) and Askari wa Watu (@askariwawatu on TikTok and @asafoyusuf on Instagram). Their African Marxist-Leninist community organisation's name, Mapinduzi, is the Swahili word for 'revolution.'

What the men describe at the micro level in a city of 89,000 people like Greenville in the US state of North Carolina, where Black people make up half of the city council, can be seen on a large scale in New York City. There, Mayor Eric Adams, the city's second Black mayor, recently reintroduced stop-and-frisk policing that a court had ruled unconstitutional.

Continued……. On a global scale, the first Black president, Barack Obama, advocated in 2011 that the US invade Libya, kicking off a crisis of governance in that country as well as the creation of slave markets and an upsurge in terrorism in Africa's Sahel region.

The US Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 led to a surge in our people serving as elected and appointed government officials. Some have said this trend is akin to the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) that sought to destroy revolutionary political organising in the United States.

Video credit: @bigkfla600

WHATSAPP FRANCE? AU CHAT ROASTS EX-COLONISERS

Group chats on WhatsApp can get awkward when the wrong people have accidentally been invited. As France and Britain find out when they get roasted by African Union countries in this satirical (not!) sketch.

THE AMAZING AMAZIGH

North Africa is a diverse region home to a multitude of identities, cultures and traditions. One of the significant indigenous ethnic groups living in North Africa as far back as 3000 BC is the Amazigh people. So who are they and what’s their story?

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WHY DEBT SINKS AFRICA NOT AMERICA

Why is it that America can run up huge debts and survive, but African countries cannot?
Well, it’s simple. The US can print the greenback, while the rest of the world can’t.
Listen to economist Michael Hudson explain how that basic fact underpins the world order and keeps Uncle Sam on top.

THE UPC: CAMEROON’S TRAGIC INDEPENDENCE HEROES

A shout-out to our brothers and sisters in Cameroon celebrating Independence Day! January 1st marks a pivotal moment in their history: the day the country broke free from colonial domination and embarked on its journey as a sovereign nation. However, this milestone was not achieved without immense sacrifice, revolutionary struggle, and the enduring fight for Pan-African unity. While the date is formally tied to the leadership of French-backed president Ahmadou Ahidjo, the true heroes of Cameroon’s independence remain the revolutionary Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) and the countless lives sacrificed in the fight against imperialism.

Continued……. The UPC fought and died for the independence and unity of Cameroon, as well as that of Africa - but they paid a terrible price. Ahidjo - backed by France - waged a genocidal war against not just the UPC but also the Bamiléké people. However, the UPC organised the peoples of Cameroon and fought to keep the country together, even across linguistic lines.

While the Cameroonian War of Independence is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War’ because the more successful Algerian Revolution overshadowed it at the time, the history of this struggle continues to shape Cameroon in the present.

Since independence in 1960 and the elimination of the UPC, a single political party and only two presidents have ruled the country: Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya.

Despite many setbacks, the UPC worked tirelessly to build relationships with other Pan-African organisations and leaders, from Kwame Nkrumah to Patrice Lumumba and Ahmed Ben Bella. Though not yet achieved, their objective of a unified and liberated Africa continues to inspire us in the ongoing struggle.

Today, as Cameroon reflects on its independence, it is crucial to rekindle the revolutionary spirit of the UPC and the broader Pan-African movement. With this milestone, let us honour the legacy of the country’s revolutionaries by working toward the realisation of their dreams: a Cameroon and an Africa that is truly free.

Watch, Subscribe, Like and Share

https://youtu.be/R58wESzIKp0

LAWN OF THE BEAST

A nice, well-kept garden looks innocuous enough, but the reasons it became popular aren't so beautiful.
We look at the thorny colonial history of the British lawn, which left its mark on the African landscape

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‘LEAVE EUROPE? ONCE EUROPE GETS OUT OF AFRICA!’

Racists in Europe will often mask their hatred as patriotism, telling Black and Brown people to ‘leave’ and ‘go back’ to their ‘own countries.’ The level of ignorance is galling. It was Europeans that came and pillaged our ancestral lands. It’s our wealth they built their more ‘advanced’ societies on - something that continues to this day through neo-colonial exploitation.

Adding to the irony is the fact that Europe controls two African territories on the Northern Coast: Ceuta and Melilla. This control, which dates back to Spanish colonisation, symbolises the ongoing neo-colonial presence of Europe in Africa. It highlights the contradictory nature of European immigration laws and policies:

Continued…….. on the one hand, European countries fortify their borders against African migrants, while on the other, they maintain sovereign territories on African soil, revealing a shameless double standard. At the same time, neo-colonial policies towards African nations continue to create terrible living standards that force Africans to look for livelihoods outside of Africa, while her plundered resources feed the Global North.

In this video, a brother expresses sentiments shared by many Africans living in Europe and in the diaspora: until Europe (and the rest of the Western world) leave Africa and provide restitution, Africans will not leave Europe. Africans are rightfully ennoscriptd to be in Europe and enjoy the fruits of their blood, sweat and tears. The video is particularly timely, given the recent racial violence we have seen erupt in the UK lately.

Unfortunately, we don’t know the video author’s name and can’t link to his account. If you can enlighten us, please do in the comments - where your reactions to what he has to say are also most welcome!

(Source video was shared by @Tasetireloaded2 on X.)

‘ALIENS DID IT!’ A RACIST CONSPIRACY

From the pyramids and the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, ancient, pre-colonial African civilisation is stunning - too stunning for some racists to handle. They’d rather believe wonders of the world such as these were created by aliens than by Africans. African Stream’s Clinton Nzala breaks it down.

SEAN IN TOTTENHAM, PT 2: ISRAEL VIOLATES INT'L LAW

Thanks to popular demand, we're dropping part 2 of Sean, our man in Tottenham, England, dropping truth bombs during a recent call into an LBC radio programme.

He shines a spotlight on Israel's clear violation of international law, violations that its Western backers have chosen to do nothing about despite their self-appointed position as upholders of the 'rules-based order.'

Sean reminds us of the West's main reasons for invading Iraq and Libya: Supposed violations of international law. Yet, they disregard even worse violations by Israel.

Continued………. Why haven't they done anything to stop Israel's genocide of Palestinians, whose death count so far has exceeded over 186,000, according to a Lancet study? And after it had been calculated, a Palestinian child is killed every 10 minutes? And as millions starve as Israel throttles delivery of relief supplies to a mere trickle? And while hospitals, schools and refugee camps are routinely bombed as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign?

The radio host tamely replies that the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has asked Israel to exercise its right to self-defence within international law.

As Sean puts it, it's all talk and no action because all the West has done is provide bombs and financial support to Israel, thus being complicit in the ongoing genocide.

Let us know what you think by sharing your comments.

NATO NABS KENYA

Kenyans will remember 2024 for President William Ruto's extravagant state visit to the US in May, during which Joe Biden announced that Congress was working on officially designating the East African country as a major non-NATO ally. The decision meant Kenya would effectively abandon a 60-year non-alignment policy that brought benefits from both the Western and Eastern blocs of nations.


Kenya is strategically located in Eastern Africa and boasts a tech-savvy, ethnically diverse, hardworking population of 56 million. The country is the gateway to the immensely wealthy Great Lakes region, with a natural harbour and relatively modern transport corridors linking it to Africa's interior. It’s clear why Washington was keen to lock Nairobi firmly into its orbit - as, of course, were the likes of Moscow and Beijing, whose foothold on our continent is fast expanding.

Continued……So what does Kenya actually gain - and what does it lose - by siding with Washington & Co.? Well, we’ve indulged our amateur-dramatics skills to bring you the answers! African Stream's Wambura Mwai, Ahmed Kaballo and Eric Gavala star, respectively, as Kenya, the US-led NATO bloc and the China-Russia axis!

Enjoy the show, and let us know what you think - of our points, if not our acting skills!

SISTER SOULJAH ON KU KLUX KLAN

In this 1992 interview with Larry King, rapper and activist Sister Souljah responds to an incredible accusation.
A caller claims her actions are on a par with white supremacist David Duke. Her answer is as powerful as it gets.
To do it justice, you’ll have to listen to the clip, but let’s just say she lays out some history that should never be forgotten.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a violent white supremacy organisation founded after the U.S. Civil War. Since 1865, the KKK has killed many Blacks in the U.S., including by lynching. Members burn crosses and march wearing hooded gowns to terrorise Black people. In addition to hate crimes, the KKK has opposed any form of equality with Africans in the U.S. Perhaps that’s why the caller thinks our sister doesn’t deserve to wear her jewels?

Video credit: @Larry King Live, CNN

HOW WESTERN TECH INDUSTRY DESTABILISES DRC

Could the West’s greed for electronics, advanced tech and profits be contributing to the genocide in Congo? A bold question, but one that needs to be asked. The DRC should be one of the richest nations in the world, given its immense mineral wealth. But instead, it’s consistently ranked as one of the poorest. Moreover, it’s being torn apart by conflict and a humanitarian crisis. African Stream’s Erick Gavala takes a deep dive into how greedy Western technology giants - and their growing appetite for DRC’s most sought-after minerals - are escalating the country’s insecurity.