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PT. 3: GRENADA’S EDUCATION REVOLUTION 🇬🇩
In March 1979, the revolutionary New JEWEL Movement (with JEWEL standing for ‘Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation’) overthrew Grenada’s Western-aligned government of Eric Gairy (1922-97).
The new government led by President Maurice Bishop (1944-83) adopted several measures to transform the country and entrench the revolution.
In this March 2024 video produced by Salifu Mack, we look at how the government used education to build its revolution between 1979 and 1983 and how literacy led to increased political participation. Ordinary Grenadians developed the country’s annual budget and built ties with other revolutionary states.
Let us know in the comments how your country could learn from this experience.
In March 1979, the revolutionary New JEWEL Movement (with JEWEL standing for ‘Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation’) overthrew Grenada’s Western-aligned government of Eric Gairy (1922-97).
The new government led by President Maurice Bishop (1944-83) adopted several measures to transform the country and entrench the revolution.
In this March 2024 video produced by Salifu Mack, we look at how the government used education to build its revolution between 1979 and 1983 and how literacy led to increased political participation. Ordinary Grenadians developed the country’s annual budget and built ties with other revolutionary states.
Let us know in the comments how your country could learn from this experience.
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Nothing beats self-reliance and preparedness when facing challenges. Relying chiefly on external assistance can leave you vulnerable when that aid is no longer available. This week's proverb speaks to recent developments. The Trump administration issued a 90-day freeze on US foreign aid, including critical programmes for AIDS relief. This abrupt suspension has severely impacted HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention efforts in several African countries, such as Kenya and Nigeria. If our leaders prioritised taking control of our abundant resources and utilising them to benefit the African masses and not foreign multinational corporations, we would become stronger and less prone to outside shocks.
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WHY BLACK RACE REPRESENTS PEACE
No Black nation in the modern world has ever enslaved anybody, colonised another people, imposed its language on others or possesses weapons of mass destruction. That’s the observation of life coach Franck Zanu (@zanuprojectrethink - IG), who in this clip considers the deeper significance of this fact. He says it shows that the Black race is a symbol of peace. This might seem a stretch, given how many wars have been fought on our continent, even post colonialism. But many of those wars were due to continued meddling by our former colonisers.
Video Credit: @FranckZanu (YouTube)
No Black nation in the modern world has ever enslaved anybody, colonised another people, imposed its language on others or possesses weapons of mass destruction. That’s the observation of life coach Franck Zanu (@zanuprojectrethink - IG), who in this clip considers the deeper significance of this fact. He says it shows that the Black race is a symbol of peace. This might seem a stretch, given how many wars have been fought on our continent, even post colonialism. But many of those wars were due to continued meddling by our former colonisers.
Video Credit: @FranckZanu (YouTube)
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USAID IN AFRICA: ‘WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING’
In a recent X post, tech billionaire Elon Musk agreed with Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, a former African Union ambassador to the United States, who lauded the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). While speaking with journalist Steve Clemson (@scclemons on X), @HEDrArikana (X) argued in this clip that USAID had interfered in Africa, adding that its dismantling is a ‘wake-up call’ for Africans to build a self-sufficient continent.
In a recent X post, tech billionaire Elon Musk agreed with Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, a former African Union ambassador to the United States, who lauded the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). While speaking with journalist Steve Clemson (@scclemons on X), @HEDrArikana (X) argued in this clip that USAID had interfered in Africa, adding that its dismantling is a ‘wake-up call’ for Africans to build a self-sufficient continent.
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Continued……Musk is no stranger to controversy, as he fuelled US President Donald Trump’s attack on South Africa for alleged ‘unjust racial discrimination’ of Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch colonists who ran the apartheid regime that denied fundamental rights to the Black majority until 1994.
Maybe it takes one imperialist to recognise another. Whatever may be the case, dismantling USAID amplified many Global South people’s criticism that the agency worked to keep many places, including the continent, subservient to the US. The mere threat of destabilising governments not towing Washington’s line has kept many countries obedient.
In February, US Congressman Scott Perry alleged USAID funded Boko Haram, ISIS and Al Qaeda, which came after years of Nigerians pointing to foreign powers funding Boko Haram.
Video credit: @aljazeera
Sources
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/africasource/trumps-dismantling-of-usaid-offers-a-new-beginning-for-africa
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55229894
https://newscentral.africa/usaid-funded-boko-haram-other-terror-groups-us-lawmaker
https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s41109-020-00264-4
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1197570/deaths-caused-by-boko-haram-in-nigeria
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/newsletter/2025/01/29/inklings-what-make-trump-aid-freeze-chaos
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/3/3/why-some-in-the-global-south-are-not-mourning-the-demise-of-usaid
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1903671188754252133
Maybe it takes one imperialist to recognise another. Whatever may be the case, dismantling USAID amplified many Global South people’s criticism that the agency worked to keep many places, including the continent, subservient to the US. The mere threat of destabilising governments not towing Washington’s line has kept many countries obedient.
In February, US Congressman Scott Perry alleged USAID funded Boko Haram, ISIS and Al Qaeda, which came after years of Nigerians pointing to foreign powers funding Boko Haram.
Video credit: @aljazeera
Sources
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/africasource/trumps-dismantling-of-usaid-offers-a-new-beginning-for-africa
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55229894
https://newscentral.africa/usaid-funded-boko-haram-other-terror-groups-us-lawmaker
https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s41109-020-00264-4
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1197570/deaths-caused-by-boko-haram-in-nigeria
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/newsletter/2025/01/29/inklings-what-make-trump-aid-freeze-chaos
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/3/3/why-some-in-the-global-south-are-not-mourning-the-demise-of-usaid
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1903671188754252133
Atlantic Council
Trump’s dismantling of USAID offers a new beginning for Africa
African leaders should take advantage of the dismantling of USAID to propose new partnerships made up of direct investment and fairer trade, Rama Yade writes.
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ON THIS DAY: THE U.S. ARRESTS ITS YOUNGEST EXECUTION VICTIM
On this day in 1944, the discovery of two white girls’ corpses in a ditch in South Carolina led to the tragic execution of the United States’ youngest victim, George Stinney, Jr.
Authorities had wrongfully accused the 14-year-old Black child of murdering Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7.
On 23 March 1944, the girls, who had been riding bicycles in search of passion flower berries, stopped to ask Stinney and his younger sister if they knew where to find ‘maypops.’ That was the last time the girls were seen alive, as their bodies were found the next day.
Following an interrogation without Stinney’s parents present, plus a rushed investigation and a coerced confession, an all-white jury convicted Stinney in just 10 minutes after a two-hour trial on 24 April 1944, in which he had no proper legal defence. Despite widespread pleas for mercy, he was sentenced to death by electrocution.
On this day in 1944, the discovery of two white girls’ corpses in a ditch in South Carolina led to the tragic execution of the United States’ youngest victim, George Stinney, Jr.
Authorities had wrongfully accused the 14-year-old Black child of murdering Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7.
On 23 March 1944, the girls, who had been riding bicycles in search of passion flower berries, stopped to ask Stinney and his younger sister if they knew where to find ‘maypops.’ That was the last time the girls were seen alive, as their bodies were found the next day.
Following an interrogation without Stinney’s parents present, plus a rushed investigation and a coerced confession, an all-white jury convicted Stinney in just 10 minutes after a two-hour trial on 24 April 1944, in which he had no proper legal defence. Despite widespread pleas for mercy, he was sentenced to death by electrocution.
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Continued……On 16 June 1944, the state of South Carolina executed Stinney in an adult-sized electric chair, which was too large for his 95-pound frame, making his death particularly horrific.
His siblings and a former cellmate maintained his innocence for decades. But it was not until 70 years later, in 2014, that new evidence revealed authorities had coerced Stinney’s confession, and that he had an alibi placing him elsewhere during the crime. Judge Carmen Mullen ultimately overturned his conviction, calling it a ‘great and fundamental injustice.’
While some might call the 2014 ruling a victory, wrongful arrests continue to mark Black people’s existence as an internal colony in the US, violating our people’s human rights. From George Stinney (1929-44) to Breonna Taylor (1993-2020), George Floyd (1973-2020) and countless others, state violence against Black people in the US isn’t an anomaly but a pillar of its imperialist system.
Sources
https://allthatsinteresting.com/george-stinney-jr
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30529890
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1382796/stinney-ruling.pdf
His siblings and a former cellmate maintained his innocence for decades. But it was not until 70 years later, in 2014, that new evidence revealed authorities had coerced Stinney’s confession, and that he had an alibi placing him elsewhere during the crime. Judge Carmen Mullen ultimately overturned his conviction, calling it a ‘great and fundamental injustice.’
While some might call the 2014 ruling a victory, wrongful arrests continue to mark Black people’s existence as an internal colony in the US, violating our people’s human rights. From George Stinney (1929-44) to Breonna Taylor (1993-2020), George Floyd (1973-2020) and countless others, state violence against Black people in the US isn’t an anomaly but a pillar of its imperialist system.
Sources
https://allthatsinteresting.com/george-stinney-jr
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30529890
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1382796/stinney-ruling.pdf
All That's Interesting
Inside The Execution Of 14-Year-Old George Stinney Jr., The Youngest Person In U.S. History To Face Capital Punishment
Accused of murdering two white girls without a shred of physical evidence, George Stinney Jr. was charged, tried, convicted, and executed in a span of just 83 days.
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S. AFRICAN ENVOY EXPELLED BY TRUMP HAS NO REGRETS
‘I have no regrets!’ - that was the message of South Africa’s expelled ambassador to the US, addressing supporters who’d come to greet him at Cape Town airport.
Ebrahim Rasool took his expulsion by the Trump administration as a ‘badge of dignity.’ The boisterous crowd praised him for serving the country honourably.
The veteran diplomat crossed swords with the Trump administration after he criticised the administration’s crackdown on equity and diversity programmes. Speaking during a webinar featuring academics and political activists, Rasool suggested that Trump had been mobilising the fear that White people could become a minority in the US to justify racist policies.
Rasool’s expulsion puts additional strain on already fraught relations between Pretoria and Washington. In recent weeks, the African country has been a frequent target of Trump’s tirades.
‘I have no regrets!’ - that was the message of South Africa’s expelled ambassador to the US, addressing supporters who’d come to greet him at Cape Town airport.
Ebrahim Rasool took his expulsion by the Trump administration as a ‘badge of dignity.’ The boisterous crowd praised him for serving the country honourably.
The veteran diplomat crossed swords with the Trump administration after he criticised the administration’s crackdown on equity and diversity programmes. Speaking during a webinar featuring academics and political activists, Rasool suggested that Trump had been mobilising the fear that White people could become a minority in the US to justify racist policies.
Rasool’s expulsion puts additional strain on already fraught relations between Pretoria and Washington. In recent weeks, the African country has been a frequent target of Trump’s tirades.
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Continued……. In February, Trump suspended aid to the country over discredited allegations that it is discriminating against White citizens. Trump’s order came after South Africa’s president signed a new law allowing the government to confiscate private land without compensation under certain circumstances. The law aims to redress the legacy of apartheid-era laws that prohibited Black South Africans from owning land.
In his address, Rasool also recalled how the American people had often stood with South Africans, even when Washington hadn’t - for example, by boycotting South African goods during the apartheid era when the US refused to apply sanctions.
Video credits: SABC News and Newzroom Afrika
In his address, Rasool also recalled how the American people had often stood with South Africans, even when Washington hadn’t - for example, by boycotting South African goods during the apartheid era when the US refused to apply sanctions.
Video credits: SABC News and Newzroom Afrika
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‘GOLDEN VOICE OF AFRICA’ DEFENDS MALI REVOLUTION
Salif Keïta, Mali’s leading artist and one of Africa’s legendary musicians, defended the revolution underway in Mali following its 2020 people-backed coup d’état.
In an interview with a French media outlet banned in Mali, France 24, the interviewer asked Keïta, dubbed the ‘Golden Voice of Africa,’ multiple times to clarify his position on Malian President Assimi Goïta and what the interviewer referred to as ‘the junta,’ or the new government.
Salif Keïta, Mali’s leading artist and one of Africa’s legendary musicians, defended the revolution underway in Mali following its 2020 people-backed coup d’état.
In an interview with a French media outlet banned in Mali, France 24, the interviewer asked Keïta, dubbed the ‘Golden Voice of Africa,’ multiple times to clarify his position on Malian President Assimi Goïta and what the interviewer referred to as ‘the junta,’ or the new government.
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Continued……According to Keïta, many Malians love Goïta for his government’s work to secure and reunify the country, scoring significant victories against t*rrorist groups. On 14 November 2023, the Malian Armed Forces liberated the region of Kidal, previously a stronghold for these violent extremist groups, which Mali has accused France and Ukraine of supporting.
The Malian government suspended in April 2022 both France 24 and Radio France International (RFI) after they had reportedly published fake news about Malian soldiers committing abuses.
In December 2022, Burkina Faso also suspended RFI’s distribution after the news outlet aired a message from the leader of a t*rrorist organisation, Al-Qa*da in the Islamic Maghreb. Then, in March 2023, Burkina Faso suspended France 24 for broadcasting a ‘t*rrorist message.’
Niger suspended France 24 in August 2023, a week after the military ousted a Western-aligned leader.
Video credit: @france24
Sources
https://orinocotribune.com/mali-celebrates-liberation-of-kidal-from-separatist-groups/ https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/RFI-France-24-quels-pays-dAfrique-medias-francais-sont-ils-interdits-2023-08-04-1201277831
https://www.dakar-echo.com/apres-rfi-et-france24-lci-suspendu-au-mali-pour-deux-mois-pour-de-fausses-accusations/
https://apnews.com/article/france-24-burkina-faso-freedom-of-media-1156e777056a9171b482ce78da40a015
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/8/mali-accuses-france-of-training-terrorists-in-country
https://apnews.com/article/mali-ukraine-wagner-junta-embassy-rebel-russia-senegal-a471c7332369d154af57ad0816fb3504
The Malian government suspended in April 2022 both France 24 and Radio France International (RFI) after they had reportedly published fake news about Malian soldiers committing abuses.
In December 2022, Burkina Faso also suspended RFI’s distribution after the news outlet aired a message from the leader of a t*rrorist organisation, Al-Qa*da in the Islamic Maghreb. Then, in March 2023, Burkina Faso suspended France 24 for broadcasting a ‘t*rrorist message.’
Niger suspended France 24 in August 2023, a week after the military ousted a Western-aligned leader.
Video credit: @france24
Sources
https://orinocotribune.com/mali-celebrates-liberation-of-kidal-from-separatist-groups/ https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/RFI-France-24-quels-pays-dAfrique-medias-francais-sont-ils-interdits-2023-08-04-1201277831
https://www.dakar-echo.com/apres-rfi-et-france24-lci-suspendu-au-mali-pour-deux-mois-pour-de-fausses-accusations/
https://apnews.com/article/france-24-burkina-faso-freedom-of-media-1156e777056a9171b482ce78da40a015
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/8/mali-accuses-france-of-training-terrorists-in-country
https://apnews.com/article/mali-ukraine-wagner-junta-embassy-rebel-russia-senegal-a471c7332369d154af57ad0816fb3504
Orinoco Tribune - News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond
Mali Celebrates Liberation of Kidal From Separatist Groups
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Cities in Mali celebrated the liberation of the town of Kidal from separatist groups this week. On November 14, the Malian transitional government announced that the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) recaptured the strategic northern…
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Was it worth Keïta clarifying his positions on Mali on France 24?
Anonymous Poll
80%
Yes, he did great!
20%
No, why bother?
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SUDAN’S ARMY RETAKES PALACE IN KHARTOUM
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on 22 March that on the previous day, it had regained control of the presidential palace in Khartoum from the United Arab Emirates-backed paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), following intense fighting.
On social media, Sudanese soldiers posted videos that appeared to show them inside the presidential palace, celebrating their success. The RSF had taken over the palace in April 2023 at the outbreak of the foreign-backed proxy war that has displaced 12.9 million people and left close to 25 million acutely hungry, according to the UN. In May 2024, US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello stated that as many as 150,000 had been k*lled after a year of fighting. The actual death toll could be higher given the war destroyed the healthcare system, preventing accurate data.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on 22 March that on the previous day, it had regained control of the presidential palace in Khartoum from the United Arab Emirates-backed paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), following intense fighting.
On social media, Sudanese soldiers posted videos that appeared to show them inside the presidential palace, celebrating their success. The RSF had taken over the palace in April 2023 at the outbreak of the foreign-backed proxy war that has displaced 12.9 million people and left close to 25 million acutely hungry, according to the UN. In May 2024, US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello stated that as many as 150,000 had been k*lled after a year of fighting. The actual death toll could be higher given the war destroyed the healthcare system, preventing accurate data.
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Continued……In recent months, the army has been making gains, initially reclaiming territory in central Sudan before shifting its focus to Khartoum. It broke the RSF’s nearly two-year siege on the General Command headquarters in January. Then, in mid-March, the army reported that its troops had converged from north and south Khartoum, effectively surrounding the RSF.
While the UN has accused both the SAF and the RSF of war crimes, the UN has singled out the UAE-supported RSF and its allied militia groups for widespread s*xual violence and atrocities in areas under their control, particularly in Western Darfur, where they have attempted an ethnic cleansing of the Masalit and other non-Arab tribes.
Video credit: @warfareanalysis
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160161
https://www.citizen.digital/news/sudan-army-recaptures-presidential-palace-from-rsf-after-fierce-battle-n359635
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2024/05/09/rsf-accused-war-crimes-ethnic-cleansing-darfur
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/03/sudan-army-makes-gains-battle-khartoum-intensifies
While the UN has accused both the SAF and the RSF of war crimes, the UN has singled out the UAE-supported RSF and its allied militia groups for widespread s*xual violence and atrocities in areas under their control, particularly in Western Darfur, where they have attempted an ethnic cleansing of the Masalit and other non-Arab tribes.
Video credit: @warfareanalysis
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160161
https://www.citizen.digital/news/sudan-army-recaptures-presidential-palace-from-rsf-after-fierce-battle-n359635
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-military-rsf-war-khartoum-c41e1d829ea2560c9ff8eb43daac85da
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2024/05/09/rsf-accused-war-crimes-ethnic-cleansing-darfur
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/03/sudan-army-makes-gains-battle-khartoum-intensifies
AP News
Sudan's army says it seized key buildings in Khartoum after retaking the Republican Palace
Sudan’s military has consolidated its grip on Khartoum, retaking more key government buildings a day after it gained control of the capital's Republican Palace from a notorious paramilitary group.
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‘I’LL SPARK THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!’
In this famous clip from a 1994 MTV News interview, hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur (1971-96), one of the most influential artists of the genre, explained to TV producer and writer Abbie Kearse why he continued to advocate for Black people and against the establishment, despite having ‘made it out’ of poverty himself.
Until his tragic murder in 1996, Tupac remained committed to amplifying the struggles of marginalised and disenfranchised Black people in the United States. The messages in his raps appealed to audiences globally. However, they also attracted the attention of those who viewed him as a threat to their establishment. Rather than choosing to play it safe and polite, his artistry relayed the realities of US society.
In this famous clip from a 1994 MTV News interview, hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur (1971-96), one of the most influential artists of the genre, explained to TV producer and writer Abbie Kearse why he continued to advocate for Black people and against the establishment, despite having ‘made it out’ of poverty himself.
Until his tragic murder in 1996, Tupac remained committed to amplifying the struggles of marginalised and disenfranchised Black people in the United States. The messages in his raps appealed to audiences globally. However, they also attracted the attention of those who viewed him as a threat to their establishment. Rather than choosing to play it safe and polite, his artistry relayed the realities of US society.
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Continued……Three decades later, questions of racism, police brutality, and street violence, among many more issues that he wrote songs about, remain pervasive, disproportionately affecting Black people in the US.
In this interview, Tupac emphasised that his refusal to conform parallels his aspirations to see a better world. Therefore, even if he doesn’t change the world, he will not be so selfish as to not plant seeds for the ones who will.
Video credit: @MTVnews (X)
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/arts/music/tupac-shakur-death-legacy.html
https://vocal.media/history/tupac-shakur-the-legacy-of-a-revolutionary-artist
https://variety.com/2023/music/focus/tupac-music-hollywood-walk-of-fame-1235636404/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ogdenpayne/2016/09/13/20-years-later-tupac-shakurs-legacy-by-the-numbers/
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHOrL-qcwRU
In this interview, Tupac emphasised that his refusal to conform parallels his aspirations to see a better world. Therefore, even if he doesn’t change the world, he will not be so selfish as to not plant seeds for the ones who will.
Video credit: @MTVnews (X)
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/arts/music/tupac-shakur-death-legacy.html
https://vocal.media/history/tupac-shakur-the-legacy-of-a-revolutionary-artist
https://variety.com/2023/music/focus/tupac-music-hollywood-walk-of-fame-1235636404/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ogdenpayne/2016/09/13/20-years-later-tupac-shakurs-legacy-by-the-numbers/
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHOrL-qcwRU
NY Times
Tupac Shakur Remained a Defining Rap Figure After His Death
A star during his lifetime, he became an almost mythical figure in the decades since his 1996 killing.
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NAMIBIAN HEALTHCARE WORKER DONS INDIGENOUS ATTIRE
As part of Namibia’s 35th Independence Day celebrations on 21 March, workers were encouraged to wear traditional dress, such as this medic donning Himba attire while caring for a patient.
This proud display of culture is a form of decolonisation as colonial rule forced Western attire onto indigenous peoples while Europeans plundered our continent. The looting continues today under the gaze of Western-aligned African leaders, all while Western attire remains associated with civility and professionalism.
The Himba, a semi-nomadic pastoralist group primarily living in northern Namibia's Kunene region and southern Angola, speak a dialect of the Herero language. German colonial forces committed the 20th century’s first g*nocide by k*lling around 100,000 Herero and Nama people starting in 1904.
As part of Namibia’s 35th Independence Day celebrations on 21 March, workers were encouraged to wear traditional dress, such as this medic donning Himba attire while caring for a patient.
This proud display of culture is a form of decolonisation as colonial rule forced Western attire onto indigenous peoples while Europeans plundered our continent. The looting continues today under the gaze of Western-aligned African leaders, all while Western attire remains associated with civility and professionalism.
The Himba, a semi-nomadic pastoralist group primarily living in northern Namibia's Kunene region and southern Angola, speak a dialect of the Herero language. German colonial forces committed the 20th century’s first g*nocide by k*lling around 100,000 Herero and Nama people starting in 1904.
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Continued……Himba fashion reflects their cultural identity, social status, spiritual beliefs, rites of passage, and adaptation to the Namib Desert’s extreme temperatures and aridity. The attire includes leather garments, intricate beadwork, and elaborate hairstyles coated with red ochre paste and butter fat, symbolising beauty, fertility and a connection to the ancestors. Jewellery made from beads, shells, bones, and metal also signifies social standing and life milestones, while hairstyles indicate age, marital status and community roles.
Despite modern influences, the Himba, like their ancestors, continue to preserve their traditional attire as a vital expression of their heritage, ensuring its relevance for future generations.
Photo credit: @BassieBuzzing (X)
Sources
https://namibiatoday.com/the-unique-fashion-styles-of-namibias-himba-people/
https://x.com/MVAFundNamibia/status/1902983006127632646
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=928736642804566&id=100070047152304
https://x.com/_AfricanSoil/status/1903465629362840048
20th century's first genocide
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38530594
https://cultureandmind.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/fieldsites/himba
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1190801006379650&id=100063492856007
Despite modern influences, the Himba, like their ancestors, continue to preserve their traditional attire as a vital expression of their heritage, ensuring its relevance for future generations.
Photo credit: @BassieBuzzing (X)
Sources
https://namibiatoday.com/the-unique-fashion-styles-of-namibias-himba-people/
https://x.com/MVAFundNamibia/status/1902983006127632646
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=928736642804566&id=100070047152304
https://x.com/_AfricanSoil/status/1903465629362840048
20th century's first genocide
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38530594
https://cultureandmind.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/fieldsites/himba
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1190801006379650&id=100063492856007
Namibia Today
The Unique Fashion Styles of Namibia’s Himba People
Namibia is home to a vast array of indigenous cultures, each with distinct traditions, lifestyles, and customs. Among these, the Himba people, who reside in the northern part of the country, have become well-known for their unique and striking fashion styles.…
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‘I’M NOT RACIST, I HAVE BLACK FRIENDS’ - ELON MUSK
Elon Musk’s father says his billionaire son cannot be racist because he had Black friends as a boy - namely, his servants! As if the ‘Black friends’ defence wasn’t bad enough, Errol Musk makes it worse by assuming the power relations between his son and servants were equal. He is either woefully - or willfully - ignorant of the fact that these ‘servants,’ as Black South Africans, were forced into subservient roles by a regime designed to oppress them. Pointing to good relations between (essentially) master and servant as proof of non-racism ignores the obvious. The servants had no choice but to be friendly to their boss’s son. The extreme power imbalance in these interactions made it impossible to see them as genuine connections rather than coerced dynamics.
Elon Musk’s father says his billionaire son cannot be racist because he had Black friends as a boy - namely, his servants! As if the ‘Black friends’ defence wasn’t bad enough, Errol Musk makes it worse by assuming the power relations between his son and servants were equal. He is either woefully - or willfully - ignorant of the fact that these ‘servants,’ as Black South Africans, were forced into subservient roles by a regime designed to oppress them. Pointing to good relations between (essentially) master and servant as proof of non-racism ignores the obvious. The servants had no choice but to be friendly to their boss’s son. The extreme power imbalance in these interactions made it impossible to see them as genuine connections rather than coerced dynamics.
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Continued……Elon Musk himself has done little to assuage doubt. The billionaire endorsed a tweet suggesting Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have lower IQs and shouldn’t become pilots. He adopted a similar stance during an interview with Don Lemon, attributing hypothetical adverse medical outcomes to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion programmes despite evidence to the contrary. When swastikas and nooses were found at Tesla, not only did the company (whose largest shareholder is Musk) refuse to investigate complaints or take steps to end abuse, it retaliated against Black employees who complained or opposed the abuse.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When explaining why he imported emeralds from an unregistered mine in Zambia, Errol Musk said, “[otherwise] you would wind up with nothing, because the Blacks would take everything from you.” He also fondly remembers apartheid South Africa, describing it as a “well-run, law-abiding country with virtually no crime at all.” Failing to recognise the apartheid regime itself as a crime - against humanity, no less.
Sources
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-dad-friends-black-servants-b2719651.html
https://futurism.com/civil-rights-groups-horrified-elon-musk-racist
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/elon-musk-racist-tweets-science-video/
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When explaining why he imported emeralds from an unregistered mine in Zambia, Errol Musk said, “[otherwise] you would wind up with nothing, because the Blacks would take everything from you.” He also fondly remembers apartheid South Africa, describing it as a “well-run, law-abiding country with virtually no crime at all.” Failing to recognise the apartheid regime itself as a crime - against humanity, no less.
Sources
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-dad-friends-black-servants-b2719651.html
https://futurism.com/civil-rights-groups-horrified-elon-musk-racist
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/elon-musk-racist-tweets-science-video/
The Independent
Elon Musk’s dad touts billionaire’s friendships with his ‘Black servants’ as a kid
Errol Musk, Elon’s father, previously told a biographer he imported his emeralds from an unregistered mine because otherwise the “Blacks would take everything from you”
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Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
On 25 March 1931, nine Black boys in Alabama, USA were wrongly charged with rap*ng White woman. They were initially sentenced to death, but this was overturned and retrials were ordered - sparking a mass (nationwide and global) campaign under the banner ‘They Must Not Die!’ aimed at preventing a legal lynching of the so-called Scottsboro Boys.
The case also reminds us of George Stinney Jr, executed in 1944, accused of killing two White girls, and Emmet Till, lynched in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a White woman, who later admitted the accusation was a lie.
It was a pivotal moment in Black history in the United States that would impact generations to come. The international struggle to free the Scottsboro Boys led to the largest resistance movement against racism in the US justice system in history.
The case also reminds us of George Stinney Jr, executed in 1944, accused of killing two White girls, and Emmet Till, lynched in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a White woman, who later admitted the accusation was a lie.
It was a pivotal moment in Black history in the United States that would impact generations to come. The international struggle to free the Scottsboro Boys led to the largest resistance movement against racism in the US justice system in history.
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