Former President Barack Obama delivers his first major speech since leaving office, addressing inequality and other issues at the 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, South Africa. Video via Time. A written commentary by Summer Meza and an article by Jelani Cobb (In Celebrating Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama Indicts Trumpism).
Centuries before two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks, capitalists met at coffee shops to profit from the transatlantic slave trade. By Tasha Williams, Yes Magazine — An 18th-century ad tells us that a dozen or so men, women, and children of African heritage were scheduled for buyer’s inspection one Saturday, just outside the entrance of the London Coffee House in Philadelphia. The Stamp Act protests and other famous anti-British…
A Life of Dedication and Service to His People. Brooklyn Resident and Panamanian-born activist; Ambassador Dr. Carlos E. Russell, founder of Black Solidarity Day (BSD), has passed at the age…
By Patrisse Cullors, HuffPost — Right after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer in July 2013, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and I were devastated. We’d been following the proceedings closely. We’d watched the media criminalize 17-year-old Trayvon and humiliate his family to justify his cold-blooded murder presumably because his assailant was white-presenting. Still, we were sucker-punched by the acquittal. We stood perplexed; hadn’t we elected our first black president? Yet it was clear;…
By Adam Hudson, Truthout — It’s no secret that, as the saying goes, “The rent is too damn high.”Across the nation, housing is becoming increasingly expensive for many Americans. But the story of the present-day housing crisis is not just a story of rising rents; it’s also a story of systemic racism. Today’s rising housing prices exacerbate the racial wealth gap in the US by making it more difficult for Black…
The festival celebrates the unity of the Caribbean peoples, their origins and history. By teleSUR — The Fire Festival is going on in Santiago de Cuba, considered “the most Caribbean city” in the island, aimed to celebrate the Caribbean people, its culture and history, and to exchange ideas and experiences. The festival is taking place between July 3 and 9 and it will include several musical and artistic events, ceremonies…
By Mohammed Girma, The Conversation — In this age of globalisation few events draw more attention than sport as the World Cup in Russia illustrates with billions of people across the globe glued to their screens. At this time in football crazy Africa, specialists and ordinary fans are watching, discussing and analysing the World Cup. But the excitement and euphoria come with a unique challenge to the continent’s religions. Africa remains firmly devout across…
By Allison Skinner, The Conversation — According to the most recent U.S. census, approximately 15 percent of all newlywed couples are interracial. More interracial relationships are also appearing in the media – on television, in film and in advertising. These trends suggest that great strides have been made in the roughly 50 years since the Supreme Court struck down anti-miscegenation laws. But as a psychologist who studies racial attitudes, I suspected that attitudes toward interracial couples may…
With Robin D.G. Kelley, Vijay Prashad, and Christina Heatherton. At Verso Books in Brooklyn, May 24, 2018. Walter Rodney’s “The Russian Revolution” is available from Verso Books: https://www.versobooks.com/books/2724-the-russian-revolution In…
African Demands for Freedom During the American Revolution Was the American Revolution Fought to Save Slavery? By Heather Gray — Preface Today, July 4, is when Americans celebrate their independence…
Translating Aimé Césaire. By David B. Hobbs, The Nation — Aimé Césaire was one of the foremost French poets of the 20th century. He was also one of the foremost…
Ever since his “It’s not like I’m black, you know?” comment, Neymar has served as a focal point in Brazil’s cultural reckoning with racism, whitening, identity and public policy. By Cleuci de Oliveira, New York Times — Years before he became the most expensive player in the world; before his Olympic gold medal; before the Eiffel Tower lit up with his name to greet his professional move from Barcelona to…













