Ghana police or koti if that’s your thing, and Rastafarianism don’t mix well. One has peace of mind, and the other is trying to maintain the “peace” through any means. I first took notice of this whilst overhearing the stories of the police raids of this or that rasta house, always a marijuana violation, and always short on the devilish details of what Rastas were up to (probably just meditating or vibing). But really and truly all Ghanaians know that the police, if they were indeed getting paid fairly, had better things to do. In fact all Africans will agree . . .
Organizing 101
Steps to a Socialist Pan-African Movement
A recently published book by Vita books publishers Essays on Pan-Africanism edited by Shiraz Durrani & Noosim Naimasiah contains essays on Pan-Africanism written by Pan-Africanist intellectuals at various times. In its preface, Prof. Issa Shivji says writings on Pan-Africanism never become dated for the desire of Africans globally for freedom continues burning, sometimes dimming into a flicker, at other times shining bright but never stuffed out however strong winds. The book has diverse chapters dating back to Karim Essack’s publication in 1993. Nevertheless, there is an important chapter on the necessity of building a Socialist Pan-African movement by Shiraz Durrani . . .
The Election Spectacle
Advertisements are ramping up, words are becoming fiercer, and skeletons are coming out of candidates’ closets. This game is nothing new, yet we play it all the time. What does it mean to vote? What does the election spectacle do for us? Within a bourgeois fantasy, it is to elect a person who is totally accountable to the community they represent. I mean . . . this is the ideal, an ideal which has material consequences. The fantasies are, in some perverted way, a reality. The structures and institutions we all engage with organize around these principles rooted in anti-blackness . . .
Why So Few of Us Have a Good Job
A good job is obviously one that brings you a sense of fulfillment while carrying it out. Since you are going to spend so much time there, more than you will with your loved ones, than this is a pretty important requirement. Other equally important characteristics of a good job are livable wages, quality health care, and a good retirement program. This means a wage that permits you to have a roof over your head, place food on the table, pay all your necessities, and have enough left over to save for a rainy day and enjoy some of the . . .
Anti-Consumerism & Voluntary Poverty
‘Mutual Aid’ as both concept and practice was reignited under the conditions of the pandemic that called for collective approaches for survival. However, as the years have continued, mutual aid has been redefined continuously and is now synonymous with ‘charity’ (which is not a bad thing, but is quite different). Crowdfunding links are flooding the internet by the hundreds, but as time continues, pushing more people into the margins and squeezing them financially, that method seems to be increasingly becoming less and less effective. And for whatever reason requests for funds are made, the fact that it is overwhelming, continuous . . .
We Must Be Guided by Revolutionary Ideology
In this country (the u.s.), all of our experiences are the material result of ideology. The schools, the clothes, the media, the workplace, the cars, the judicial system, are all manifestations of the ideology of white supremacist capitalism. This ideology is expanded and imposed upon the inhabitants of the planet through imperialism, and the superstructures made to strengthen it – structures like NATO, the IMF, the United Nations, and AFRICOM. Many of us (especially New Afrikans, Latin Americans, Afrikans on the continent and other oppressed peoples) did not choose this ideology – it’s been forced on us! . . .
Black Radio & the Struggle for Pan-Africanism
The 1960’s and 70’s proved itself a paramount time for Black Folks. Not since the beginning of the century with mass organization led by Marcus Garvey, had there been such great instituting towards a better future for Africans globally. In North America there was a rise in Black nationalism and racial pride, ultimately emphasizing the need for Power. Africans in the Caribbean and parts of South America participated in active armed struggles and insurrections against colonial supported governments. They fought strategically to dismantle the systems of economic subjugation that were based upon race. In Europe, Africans held mass demonstrations in . . .
Are You a Missionary or a Revolutionary?
In a recent panel, Delency posed the question to his fellow panelists: “are you a missionary or a revolutionary?” The question naturally arose since the panel featured groups and people who are actively participating in food and community programs. Over the course of the discussion, it became clear that folks are engaged in the work for different reasons. Two members of People’s Programs (Yemi & Delency) participated in the panel and it was their goal to have an honest conversation with the other panelists (and themselves) about why they are doing this work: to make themselves feel good, or to . . .