When my people speak...

"How is it that with the amazing array of talents diasporan Africans possess, they are at the..."

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:59:42 -0400

“How is it that with the amazing array of talents diasporan Africans possess, they are at the rock-bottom of every political, social, and cultural order?”

- David L. Covin

"As long as the worldwide denigration of Black people remains, black people have tasks of mobilizing..."

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:43:32 -0400

“As long as the worldwide denigration of Black people remains, black people have tasks of mobilizing racism that demand unified or coordinated action that cuts across all other divisions.”

- Julius Nyerere

"People who do not perceive themselves as Africans are not going to organize on the basis of being..."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:59:19 -0400

“People who do not perceive themselves as Africans are not going to organize on the basis of being African.”

- David L. Covin

"…in spite of frontiers and ethnic differences, we are of one mind and have the same desire to..."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:59:35 -0400

“…in spite of frontiers and ethnic differences, we are of one mind and have the same desire to make our continent a happy one, free from anxiety, and from the fear of colonial domination. Down with colonialism! Long live the Congolese nation! Long live an independent Africa!”

- Patrice Lumumba

"It is true that culture is one, and the general effects of true culture are the same; but the native..."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:00:19 -0400

“It is true that culture is one, and the general effects of true culture are the same; but the native capacities of mankind differ, and their work and destiny differ, so that the road by which one man may attain to the highest efficiency, is not that which would conduce to the success of another. The special road which has led to the success and elevation of the Anglo-Saxon is not that which would lead to the success and elevation of the Negro, though we shall resort to the same means of general culture which enabled the Anglo-Saxon to find out for himself the way in which he ought to go.”

- Edward Wilmot Blyden

"By overthrowing me, they only cut down the trunk of the tree of liberty of blacks; it will re-grow..."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 03:55:00 -0400

“By overthrowing me, they only cut down the trunk of the tree of liberty of blacks; it will re-grow through the roots, for they are profound and numerous.”

- Toussaint Louverture

"We can say that Pan-Africanism is a political and cultural phenomenon which regards Africa,..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 19:55:30 -0400

“We can say that Pan-Africanism is a political and cultural phenomenon which regards Africa, Africans, and African descendants as a unit. It seeks to regenerate and unify Africa and promote a feeling of oneness among the people of the African world. It glorifies the African past and inculates pride in African value. Any adequate definition of the phenomenon must include the political and cultural aspects.”

- Olisanwuche Esedebe

"Essentially, Pan-Africanism is a recognition of the fragmented nature of the existence of Africans,..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:52:51 -0400

“Essentially, Pan-Africanism is a recognition of the fragmented nature of the existence of Africans, their marginalisation and alienatiion whether in their own continent or in the Diaspora.”

- Timothy Murithi

"Beyond the rhetoric, Sankara died because of his patriotic and progressive convictions, but also..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:52:55 -0400

“Beyond the rhetoric, Sankara died because of his patriotic and progressive convictions, but also because he prevented some of his civilian and military comrades and soldiers from eating luxuriously and spending handsomely, to the detriment of the people.”

- Cheriff M. Sy over at Pambazuka: http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/43671 (via chikenna)

"For instance, how many Africans (not just men but women too) will accept the charge of ‘marital..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:59:43 -0400

“For instance, how many Africans (not just men but women too) will accept the charge of ‘marital rape’? There are many dubious interpretations of religion and internalised social conditioning that prevent women from accepting that they can say no to their husbands. Even girlfriends or mere female acquaintances are treated as ‘wives’ simply because they agreed to go out with a man or visit him. Imagine the reaction of many when Mike Tyson was imprisoned for date rape few years ago. Many asked, ‘What was she doing in a man’s room so late?’ But being with a man should not be interpreted as consenting to go all the way. It is a very simple definition: rape begins from the moment a women says no and a man does not stop. All kinds of specious cultural nuances are used to abet this particular crime by insisting that ‘no decent woman will just say yes like that’.

While the campaign against gender violence is gaining in momentum, it is important that campaigners do not concentrate on women alone. After all, it is generally men who batter and rape women, both in war and in peace. It is important to enter into serious dialogue with men to campaign against all kinds of gender-based violence together.”

- Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem

"Europe stretches out her hands on every side to squeeze the darker races to her advantage, because..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:42:46 -0400

“Europe stretches out her hands on every side to squeeze the darker races to her advantage, because she knows the people of Africa and the people of Asia to be divided. Her aim has been to promote division. It therefore behoves you, men of Asia, men of Africa, to join yourselves in one common bond of lasting friendship.”

-

From an editorial by Dusé Mohamed Ali in a November 1912 edition of his paper, the African Times and Orient Review, as quoted in Hakim Adi and Marika Sherwood, Pan-African History, Routledge, 2003.

Mohamed Ali was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 21 November 1866 to an Egyptian father, Abdul Salem Ali (who was an army officer), and a Sudanese mother.

(via dynamicafrica)

Become a Friend of Pambazuka

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 01:00:05 -0400

Become a Friend of Pambazuka:

studentofafrica:

I get a lot of my information/news/commentary on Africa and African affairs from Pambazuka Press. I can’t explain their mandate quite as well as they can so here’s a cut-&-paste:

“Pambazuka News is produced by a pan-African community of some 2,600 citizens and organisations - academics, policy makers, social activists, women’s organisations, civil society organisations, writers, artists, poets, bloggers, and commentators who together produce insightful, sharp and thoughtful…”

Please do visit them often, subscribe, read, and follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Once you get the gist of the importance of these voices, you’ll probably want to support them as well by becoming a Friend of Pambazuka. Thanks!

howiviewafrica: President John Atta Mills about the economy and...

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:12:25 -0400

howiviewafrica:

President John Atta Mills about the economy and democracy in Africa. Great interview! He will be missed greatly!!!

"We all know that the future belongs to our youth and it is imperative that they show interest and..."

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:45:42 -0400

“We all know that the future belongs to our youth and it is imperative that they show interest and understanding of most policy initiatives and how these impact on not only their lives, but on the people of Ghana as a whole.”

- John Evans Atta Mills

"This century must be Africa’s century in terms of development."

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 02:02:09 -0400

“This century must be Africa’s century in terms of development.”

- Kenyan President Raila Odinga, in an interview with CCTV on the first day of FOCAC (via fuckyeahafricarocks)

"There is slowly arising not only a curiously strong brotherhood of Negro blood throughout the world,..."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:46:04 -0400

“There is slowly arising not only a curiously strong brotherhood of Negro blood throughout the world, but the common cause of the darker races against the intolerable assumption and insults of Europeans has already found expression. Most men in this world are coloured. A belief in humanity means a. belief in coloured men. The future world will, in all reasonable possibility, be what coloured men make it”

- W.E.B. Dubois

"We can say with confidence today that our vision has been richly rewarded, for African Unity is no..."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:08:00 -0400

“We can say with confidence today that our vision has been richly rewarded, for African Unity is no longer a dream.”

- Kwame Nkrumah (1963)

My question is, do you think African unity is no longer a dream as Nkrumah states?

"I distrust people who talk to me about objectivity and despise people who run with the hares and..."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:34:03 -0400

“I distrust people who talk to me about objectivity and despise people who run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. It makes me angry when I hear one author condemning the work of another on the spurious ground of ‘objectivity’. Leave that to The Times and God!…No nationalist can be objective where the fate of his country’s freedom is involved. The trouble with most British people is that they have not had any foreigners sitting on their necks since the Danes and Normans. So they are the only people who make a fetish of ‘objectivity’ except when Napoleon and Hitler were threatening to ‘visit’ them and turn them into ‘natives’ - as conquered people are called. I presume Miss Lucy [generic for the white madam] should be ‘objective’ and take her kicks.”

- George Padmore

The Pan-African Connection: from slavery to Garvey and Beyond by Tony Martin

(via gravalicious)

"The erstwhile sleeping giant is gradually rising from the stupor and debris of the past, and I..."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:58:39 -0400

“The erstwhile sleeping giant is gradually rising from the stupor and debris of the past, and I believe that in a world plagued by greed and self-interest, torn by hatred, cruelty and fear, Africa can yet set a pattern in happy and brotherly peaceful co-existence that will restore sanity of civilisation, may yet prove to be its saviour.”

- George Padmore

"Most of the rich countries are attracted to Africa’s poverty rather than its wealth. And in the..."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:55:57 -0400

“Most of the rich countries are attracted to Africa’s poverty rather than its wealth. And in the process they end up subsidizing our failures, rather than rewarding our accomplishments”

- Andrew Mwenda (via b-sama)