When British Conservative Party MPs anointed Rishi Sunak, in October last year, as their new prime minister, he effectually came to power without people having the chance to vote. He took over from Liz Truss who lasted for only 45 days. In fact, he was the third prime minister in two months, inheriting a crisis-ridden government. Many demanded a general election to end the “musical chairs at the top of government” This was Sunak whose family avoided paying tax in Britain before he put up taxes on everyone else, the same Sunak whose wife, Akshata Murty, was forced to start . . .
representation politics
Wes Moore: Another ‘First Black’ In A Colonial System
Recently, Maryland swore in its first Black governor, Wes Moore, in a “historic” ceremony cemented with a tearful introduction by Oprah Winfrey and a hand on Frederick Douglass’ Bible. The Black elite flocked to fill the rooms of the inauguration to witness the third elected Black governor in U.S. history. Yet, this “first Black” gubernatorial win is history repeating itself. African/Black communities have witnessed “first Blacks” consistently continuing over-policing, surveillance, criminalization, and austerity policies. As Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) member organization Ujima People’s Progress Party understands, “The Black middle-class’ allegiance to capitalism, and not Black liberation, has largely led . . .
Elite Capture: Martha Karua and the Politics of Representation
Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and a front-runner in the upcoming August 9th presidential election announced that Martha Karua, a former Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister (and an erstwhile fierce opponent), would be his running mate. This historic nomination made her the first woman in Kenya to run on a dominant political party’s presidential ticket. The news was met with varying degrees of enthusiasm and concern. In her acceptance speech, Karua, who vied for the presidency in 2013 and came in sixth said “This is a moment for the women of Kenya. It is a moment that my grandmother . . .
Understanding Exploitation through the “Saweetie Meal”
Already underpaid, overworked, and disrespected, McDonald’s employees then begin to prepare for a flood of customers who expect them to deliver not just the Saweetie Meal itself, but the “Saweetie Meal Experience” that has been crafted. While many in the “diversity economy” created around the meal receive a material benefit (even if crumbs) from their participation in the event, the workers see no change in their material condition. . . .
Why We Say: Fuck Black History Month
In this statement, members of the Hood Communist Collective will outline what we have identified as four key ways in which Black History Month has been commandeered to work in the interest of the ruling class and paralyze the potential for radical movement-building today. . . .
The Hard Limitations of Representation
I know that people are celebrating the representational victory that Kamala Harris embodies. But I thought we learned from the last time we got representation in the White House that representation does not equate to justice. . . .