As Hurricane Dorian continues to work its destructive way up the east coast of the United States, threatening coastal communities including the Geechie-Gullah settlements of the Carolinas, it has taken a while for me to process the devastation and loss of life that has already resulted from its recent assault upon The Bahamas. I’m not sure if there are any estimates on the loss of life that are anywhere near accurate, but whatever they are, we can unfortunately expect that number to grow as the rescue operations and the efforts to bring aid to the survivors there grow increasingly desperate.

The storm spent the better part of two days battering the island nation, moving along quite literally at a snail’s pace (zero to one mile an hour), devastating areas of Grand Bahama Island and practically destroying much of the idyllic Abaco Islands, including the main coastal town of Abaco March Harbor. http://bahamaspress.com/2019/09/03/marsh-harbour-abaco-destroyed-by-hurricane-dorian/; http://bahamaspress.com/2019/09/02/main-city-town-of-abaco-marsh-harbour-completely-destroyed-in-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-dorian/

Bahamas opposition party leader Phillip Brave Davis has mobilized the resources he has to respond to the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from Dorian. http://bahamaspress.com/2019/09/03/opposition-leader-davis-mobilizes-hurricane-dorian-recovery-and-restoration-efforts-across-the-country/

I remember my honeymoon (I won’t tell you how long ago that was), when my new wife and I (we’re still together, thank you) took a short cruise that visited the Abaco Islands of The Bahamas. The excitement level was not high, but the relaxing nature of those peaceful islands gave me some idea of what paradise might look like to those of us whose lives are too often defined by the frantic comings and goings of what we like to call “the rat race”. It’s sad to think that those beautiful places may be no more, in part due to the negligence of those polluters, resource extractors and major global players who discount the catastrophic effects climate change is having on the planet by generating more frequent, far larger and deadlier storms such as this.

Expressions of grief and sympathy for the victims have begun to appear on Facebook. As usual, there is outrage but also a feeling of helplessness. Most of those who are expressing themselves at this time lack the individual means to actually help the people of The Bahamas, so we are largely restricted (or so we think) to expressions of grief and offers of “thoughts and prayers”.

With our response to disasters like this, with so much devastation and loss of life, much like the outrage following each police murder of an unarmed Afrikan-American male (and nowadays, female), or the carnage that follows every mass shooting such as the massacres in El Paso, Dayton, Midland, Odessa, Las Vegas, Charleston and so many others, we rise up in indignation, we stage a mass action protest, we send a celebrity to the US Capitol or even to the United Nations, and then, after a while, the fervor fades and we return to our mundane lives, bracing ourselves for the next atrocity to incite us all in collective rancor. Some of us rise up, pump a fist in the air, and scream at the top of our lungs, “Never Again!” But rarely do we mount a coordinated response that puts in place a means to help ensure that such violations of our community, and of general human dignity, truly occur “Never Again”.

Perhaps a little historical refresher will help drive home my ultimate point.

Hurricane Katrina, September 2005

I remember how upset we all were in September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, even before we learned of the first death from that disaster. There was a feeling of collective panic even as the hurricane was still churning in the Gulf of Mexico, taking aim at the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. After Katrina struck and devastated the city, Oprah Winfrey shared photographic and video accounts on her television talk show at the time, and people everywhere admitted to being forced to turn away from their television sets with tears in their eyes because they could not bear to continue to look at the images of destruction. Donations of money and supplies were collected and caravans were dispatched from across the country, in defiance of the federal government’s blockade, to take supplies there and to send people to New Orleans to personally observe and report on the conditions and the government’s non-response. A community play was produced, “Katrina: A Whole Lotta Water”, which was performed in Baltimore and other cities by a group of dedicated actors who had no resources or name recognition but plenty of commitment and the will to put their energies and talents toward something, anything that might help awaken us to the increasing environmental and meteorological crises that awaited Afrikan people in particular if we did not all become more aware of the threats to our existence.

The following July, a major meeting of community organizations in New Orleans was convened to plan an organized response to the city and state governments’ handling of Katrina’s aftermath, which had included the “forced removal” of several communities, primarily Black, who had survived the hurricane as well as the permanent shuttering of public schools and housing projects in preparation for a major wave of privatized “disaster-gentrification” projects in New Orleans. I was invited by Elder Leon Waters, a local historian and community activist, to attend, and after two previous failed attempts to drive to The Big Uneasy shortly after the disaster, I finally made my way there in July 2006 for the meeting. There I was able to see the devastation first-hand (only without all the water, which had drained from the city but still left an orange line on many of the buildings, seven feet or more above street level, where the water had settled for two weeks). I also learned about plans for what would be the September 2007 Hurricane Katrina Tribunal, where an international panel of community judges would spend a week listening to the testimonies of weather experts, environmental activists, community organizers, Indigenous community leaders and citizens about the mistakes, misdeeds and crimes committed by authorities before the storm, as the storm was approaching, during the storm itself and in its aftermath. At one point, the panel of judges traveled to the Lower Ninth Ward, where they viewed what was left of that once-vibrant Black neighborhood, and, despite the fact that it had been cleaned up considerably in the two years since the hurricane, when they saw the destruction that remained, they all broke down and wept.

Years later, New Orleans has recovered, but many of its Black residents have not. Sent away to places as close as Baton Rouge and as far away as Houston, Atlanta, New York, Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest, many who had either fled the city or been “removed” during and after the storm never returned, either because they had been sent too far away, or because they could not afford to return, or because they feared another hurricane there would be their last. Whatever the reason, the city that was known as the major port that received and unloaded half of the goods entering the United States with a dedicated workforce of longshoremen and associated dock workers was now smaller, Whiter and somewhat more affluent, an objective that had been sought by many powerful White Southerners and misguided politicians long before Katrina paid its fateful visit to the Gulf.

In Katrina’s aftermath, public officials in Louisiana have made some astonishingly frank comments. “We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did,” Rep. Richard H. Baker, a Republican from Baton Rouge, was quoted as saying in the Wall Street Journal last September [2005]. Former New Orleans City Council president Peggy Wilson, a candidate in the [2006] mayoral election, declared that the city should keep out “pimps” and “welfare queens,” while City Council president Oliver Thomas, who is African-American, said that public housing should be for people who work, instead of for “soap opera watchers.”
– from “Locking Out New Orleans’ Poor” By Bill Sasser, June 12, 2006, available at Spiegel Online, https://www.spiegel.de/international/after-hurricane-katrina-locking-out-new-orleans-poor-a-420880-2.html

Hurricanes Maria and Irma, September 2017

I remember as recently as two years ago, when Category 5 Hurricanes Maria and Irma struck the Eastern Caribbean. Irma struck first, in early September, and laid waste to many communities in the British and US Virgin Islands (where friends of mine live), Guadeloupe (where another friend lives), Cuba, Ayiti and Puerto Rico, among other areas, before drawing a bead on the United States. According to a Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irma):

The storm caused catastrophic damage in Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, and the Virgin Islands as a Category 5 hurricane. The hurricane caused at least 134 deaths: one in Anguilla; one in Barbados; three in Barbuda; four in the British Virgin Islands; 10 in Cuba; 11 in the French West Indies; one in Haiti; three in Puerto Rico; four on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten; 92 in the contiguous United States, and four in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hurricane Irma was the top Google searched term in the US and globally in 2017.

But Irma was evidently not enough. Maria came along two weeks later, dealing a double-blow to those islands already seriously weakened by Irma and laying waste to Puerto Rico. According to another Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Maria):

Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated Dominica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in September 2017. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect those islands and was also the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Mitch in 1998. The tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2017, Maria was the thirteenth named storm, eighth consecutive hurricane, fourth major hurricane, second Category 5 hurricane, and deadliest storm of the hyperactive 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. At its peak, the hurricane caused catastrophic destruction and numerous fatalities across the northeastern Caribbean, compounding recovery efforts in the areas of the Leeward Islands already struck by Hurricane Irma. Total losses from the hurricane are estimated at upwards of $91.61 billion (2017 USD), mostly in Puerto Rico, ranking it as the third-costliest tropical cyclone on record. 

In the wake of these disasters, the response of the Trump administration was more uncaring and ineffective than that of the Bush administration after Katrina. US president Donald Trump claimed to have dispatched record amounts of aid to Puerto Rico which was mismanaged, but the enduring image of Trump’s visit to that US territory in which he tossed rolls of paper towels to the gathered crowd and portrayed himself as a savior still rankles many activists and government officials to this day. His ongoing Twitter war with San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, and his most recent condemnation of the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosello, have served to deflect attention from the failure of his administration to restore power in Puerto Rico for over a year. Puerto Rico has not been completely restored two years later, and many of the island territory’s Afrikan-descendant residents, United States citizens all, still have not recovered.

Meanwhile, Trump, in a continuing fit of willful ignorance and immoral defiance, states time after time that he has “never heard of a Category 5 hurricane” (despite having presided over four Category 5 hurricanes that struck the United States and Caribbean since he invaded the White House in January 2017) and that “no one has ever seen a Category 5 hurricane” despite the clear documented history that shows thirty-five Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin since 1851, when records began (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Category_5_Atlantic_hurricanes), all of which made landfall and impacted the Caribbean, Central or North America and the communities that lived there.

“Thoughts and Prayers” versus Committed Action

It’s increasingly clear that the overused cliché of “thoughts and prayers” has worn thin. When politicians used it earlier this year at public appearances in the wake of mass shootings, angry constituents yelled “Do something” at them. Television talk show hosts, journalists and commentators have taken to calling these “thoughts and prayers” expressions by politicians exactly what they are: empty proclamations and platitudes that are rarely, if ever, backed up by official action. A few perfunctory mentions of background checks and assault weapons restrictions in the wake of another mass shooting. Empty promises to institute civilian review boards in response to another incident of police brutality. “Thoughts and prayers”, along with an occasional theoretical concession to climate change activists as the devastation from another record-breaking Category 5 hurricane is documented. All of which are conveniently forgotten in short order. None of which results in concrete action from the representatives of the Powers That Be.

If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?

If elected leaders and official politicians are not ready to take concrete action to deal with these crises that destroy our communities (while largely leaving theirs intact to continue to enjoy the profits from weapons sales, the rewards from their dividends in resource-extractive industries and the protection of their ill-gotten gains courtesy of the police), and if the major corporations are not inclined to place limits on their own behavior that aggravates these conditions, then it is left to us, the People, to take what actions we can.

As I said above, most of us feel powerless to stop these disasters from befalling us and our communities or to assist in their recovery because we lack the individual means to stop climate change, prevent the next mass shooting or reduce the dependency on sometimes-corrupt (but, to be fair, not always) police, or even to send the kinds of aid to our people who are traumatized by these crimes against humanity that would truly help them recover. We temper our collective outrage by reminding ourselves that there is nothing any of us can do individually to make a real difference.

Individually, no. But collectively, yes.

There is a veritable alphabet soup of groups and activists who stake a claim to Pan-Afrikan righteousness and who insist, to a woman or man, that it is only through our unity that we can lift ourselves up as a people. Well then, doesn’t that unity start with each of us, and especially with the numerous organizations that insist that Unity Is The Answer? If we ever are able to get all the organizations that insist we must unite to actually do so (and I don’t mean that they must join each other or join one big organization, only that they should find a way to work together on common issues that impact us all), then it might be possible to put in place some real responses to disasters like this, responses that are led by the Grassroots Community and not dependent upon high-level government officials or captains of industry who too often are motivated by their own personal bottom line. Considering what our oppressors are constantly doing to the climate of the planet, and the impact it is having of increasing the number and severity of these types of storms, we can only expect more scenes like these in the future, or worse. The same can be said about each mass shooting, each police attack, each senseless criminal act within our communities. The time to plan a coordinated response to these disasters, from a Pan-Afrikan viewpoint and led by Pan-Afrikan organizers and activists who give a damn and have a pot to pee in, is now.

It’s not as if we have no resources to draw from. In fact, we have many. In some ways we behave like the donkey who died of thirst because he couldn’t decide which puddle of water to drink from. But the fact is that among us we have practically all the ingredients needed to make things happen for our people, if only we had the will to bring them together and act collectively. There are Lobbying Organizations and Think Tanks among us who are familiar with the local, state and federal legislative processes, and can apply political pressure on those bodies to act in the interests of Afrikan People. There are Direct Action Groups that excel at organizing mass protests at City Hall, the State House, the Capitol and in the streets of Downtown Anywhere, USA. There are groups of Artists who can get together and plan benefit concerts or create works of visual, musical or performance art to help drive home a message of inspiration, unity and uplift in a time of increasing danger. There are members of Pan-Afrikan Media who hold down radio shows, run entire radio stations, publish newspapers, write books and manage social media sites that can get information out to the People. There are Black Businesses who can provide services and goods to suffering communities and to organizations seeking to respond to crises. There are members ofthe Science Community: health practitioners, such as medical personnel, environmentalists, inventors and mental health professionals, who can respond to crises and see to the mental, physical and community well-being of our People. There are Lawyers who can fight the battles in court, from the repeal of draconian laws to the defense of activists and prisoners who are pursued and prosecuted for their organizing work. There are Grassroots Activists who are needed to get the people together and galvanize them to participate in Mass Actions and the day-to-day community healing that will be needed to recover from crises and to prevent the next ones. And there are Pan-Afrikan Educators, Organizers, Elders and Spiritual Leaders to help us keep all of our roles in historical perspective as we struggle to build the Unity that we all claim we want but have so far failed miserably to bring into existence. I won’t name these organizations, activists and concerned citizens here because I didn’t write this to call them out by name (I respect their work too much for that) and I really don’t need to. They know who they are and how they could participate in a Cooperative Coalition, but they are there and their input is needed to craft a collective solution, now.

I’m all for thoughts and prayers for victims, but they must be backed up by action at some point. Political leaders who make empty promises of police accountability after an act of brutality or who offer only “thoughts and prayers” after natural disasters and assault-rifle massacres but take no actions to prevent the next one are hypocrites who only want the heat on them for their inactivity to be taken off. Let’s think of the people and pray for them, yes, because any real action begins with conscious thoughts and sincere, righteous prayer. But let us follow those “thoughts and prayers” up with action.

And the easiest action of all is to get together and decide to do something about it, together. By ourselves, we accomplish little, which is part of the reason why so few of us even try. But enough of us should be familiar with the cliché “Together Everyone Achieves More” to know what we must do.

Contact other organizations, even those with whom you may have had differences in the past, and agree to meet to work out some comprehensive, cooperative solutions. This is something that obviously must be done throughout the Pan-Afrikan World, since wherever you go around the globe where there are large numbers of people of Afrikan Descent, we are all beset by multiple “indicators of repression” (environmental racism, disaster non-response, political instability, human trafficking, police brutality and several others). But a grassroots response such as this will by necessity emanate from local community activists, organizations and concerned citizens on the ground where we live. In the process of organizing these localities and linking them with others who do the same, we will see that our issues are linked to each other by their sameness and the identification of the same oppressors, and that our resultant struggle as Afrikan People is the same one all around the world.

My organization (Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus, http://www.srdcinternational.org) will gladly get the ball rolling in Maryland by calling a Cooperative Coalition meeting this fall, probably on a Saturday afternoon in October or November. The Historic Arch Social Club in Baltimore is the likely location, but I’ll need to make the arrangements with their leadership to ensure the venue is available (and that I can afford to book it). Anyone who wants to discuss it or get more information on the Cooperative Coalition can feel free to contact me at cliff@kuumbareport.com, or even comment on this Web site or on Facebook. We’ll invite local and regional Pan-Afrikan organizations, activists and concerned members of the Grassroots Community to come and work on building the Cooperative Coalition, which we hope will lead to a Pan-Afrikan United Front one day. All it costs us is our time and our foolish pride.

Black August brings a number of important events to Baltimore and Maryland.  Here, we announce three of them: the RBG Human Flag Day and Garvey Day on Saturday, August 17l and the Afrikan Family Day Tribute to Ancestors Roots on Sunday, August 18.

A Brief History of Black August

August is an important month in the history of Black Resistance in the United States.  “Black August”, as it is often known, commemorates our struggle to free ourselves from oppression since the time of our enslavement in the US.  In recognition of the many historic events that marked the month of August, Pan-Afrikan activists often celebrate our struggle through a number of commemorations during the month of August.

The following is an excerpt from a historical analysis courtesy of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM), and is available on the Web page https://blackopinion.co.za/2016/08/26/what-is-black-august/:

Black August originated in the California penal system to honor fallen Freedom Fighters, Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson, William Christmas, James McClain and Khatari Gaulden. Jonathan Jackson was gunned down outside the Marin County California courthouse on August 7, 1970 as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black Liberation Fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee. Ruchell Magee is the sole survivor of that armed liberation attempt. … George Jackson was assassinated by prison guards during a Black prison rebellion at San Quentin on August 21, 1971. …

Khatari Gaulden was a prominent leader of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) after Comrade George was assassinated. Khatari was a leading force in the formation of Black August, particularly its historical and ideological foundations. …

Black August is a time to embrace the principles of unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical training and resistance. …

In the late 1970’s the observance and practice of Black August left the prisons of California and began being practiced by Black/New Afrikan revolutionaries throughout the country. Members of the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM) began practicing and spreading Black August during this period. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) inherited knowledge and practice of Black August from its parent organization, the New Afrikan People’s Organization (NAPO). …

Traditionally, Black August is a time to study history, particularly our history in the North American Empire. The first Afrikans were brought to Jamestown as slaves in August of 1619, so August is a month during which Blacks/New Afrikans can reflect on our current situation and our self-determining rights. … In 1843, Henry Highland Garnett called a general slave strike on August 22. The Underground Railroad was started on August 2, 1850. The March on Washington occurred in August of 1963, Gabriel Prosser’s 1800 slave rebellion occurred on August 30 and Nat Turner planned and executed a slave rebellion that commenced on August 21, 1831. The Watts rebellions were in August of 1965. On August 18, 1971 the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA) was raided by Mississippi police and FBI agents. The MOVE family was [attacked] by Philadelphia police on August 8, 1978. Further, August is a time of birth. Dr. Mutulu Shakur (political prisoner & prisoner of war), Pan-Africanist Black Nationalist Leader Marcus Garvey, Maroon Russell Shoatz (political prisoner) and Chicago BPP Chairman Fred Hampton were born in August. August is also a time of rebirth, W.E.B. Dubois died in Ghana on August 27, 1963.

MXGM would like to thank the following for their contribution to this article: Kali Akuno, Kiilu Nyasha, Ayanna Mashama, David Giappa Johnson, Sundiata Tate, Louis Bato Talamantez of the San Quentin 6 and The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM).

Saturday, August 17: RBG Human Flag Day and Marcus Garvey Day in Baltimore

The weekend of August 17 and 18 holds particular significance in the Baltimore, Maryland area this year.  Baba Charlie Dugger holds an annual observance of Garvey Day at this time, often beginning with a march through several West Baltimore streets and culminating with a Garvey Day celebration in Harlem Park in West Baltimore.  This year, the celebration takes on added significance, as a coalition of organizations led by the Black Wolves Youth Scouts and its founder, Bro. Mosiah Fit, are holding the first Red-Black-Green Human Flag Day on the football field at Harlem Park (1500 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21123), starting at 11:00 AM. 

The objective is for a crowd of between 3,000 and 10,000 people to assemble on the field and hold red, black and green placards and create a large Human Flag in the colors of Afrikan Liberation that can be filmed and photographed from helicopters circling above.  Part of the inspiration for this idea comes from the red, white and blue human flags that have been created and displayed at Federal Hill, Fort McHenry and other locations to celebrate events in US history.  This event, however, will celebrate the history of Pan-Afrikan struggle against oppression in the United States.

Baba Charlie Dugger’s observance of Garvey Day, which he has sponsored for over 40 years, occurs immediately after the Human Flag Day event, next to the field in Harlem Park.  There will be speakers, musicians and presentations to memorialize the work of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, as well as Pan-Afrikan fellowship and historical lessons for youth, adults and elders of the community.

Sunday, August 18: Afrikan Family Day, A Tribute to Ancestors Roots

The historic Arch Social Club will host a special event the following day to honor the lifelong contributions of Baba Ras Marcus and Mama Lola Jenkins, founders of Ancestors Roots, to the cultural and historical enrichment of Afrikan people in Maryland.  For several decades through the 1990s and early 2000s, Ancestors Roots held regular Afrikan Family Day events at school auditoriums across Baltimore City. 

These events always began with a Libation or Tambiko to honor the Ancestors of Afrikan People, recognizing the fact that we are only here today because of the struggles undertaken by those who came before us who held our personal families together and who fought for the liberation of all Afrikan people.  Baba Ras Marcus always gave an in-depth yet easily understandable explanation of what the Libation ceremony means, the significance of pouring water (the most precious substance on the earth) into a plant or similar vessel (to signify growth and regeneration) while we call out the names of those who came before us.  Mama Lola Jenkins would then lead the audience in the Afrikan Pledge.  From there, a series of presentations would use storytelling, music, dance, spoken word and Baba Ras Marcus’ Drums of Kujichagulia to impart an understanding of Afrikan culture to the people.  The events were aimed at the youth, the adults and the elders, for the purposes of education, inspiration and motivation to get out and continue the struggle that our Honored Ancestors have left for us to finish.

The Afrikan Family Day events stopped around the turn of the Millennium, largely because age and illness made it more difficult for Mama Lola Jenkins and Baba Ras Marcus to organize and hold them at the level they had been.  Now, Baba Ras Marcus is being cared for at a Baltimore nursing home that is equipped to meet his needs, and Mama Lola is in a serious battle with advanced cancer.  Being rather private people who chose not to burden the community with their personal struggles, their predicament has gone unnoticed for far too long.  But the burden should have been ours to embrace all along, as Mama Lola Jenkins and Baba Ras Marcus sacrificed much for the historical and cultural enrichment of our community for years.  In their time of need, the community has, quite frankly, been too consumed with other pursuits, some of them worthy, others not, to see their difficulty and come to their aid.  Unfortunately, such is often the fate of our committed activists, that their years of sacrifice and struggle seem to go unrewarded.  Now, local community activists such as Nana Nyamekye, Bro. Bill Goodin and others fear that Baba Ras Marcus and Mama Lola Jenkins may soon leave us to join the Ancestors.  The least we can do as a community is come together for a special Afrikan Family Day and say “Asante Sana (Thank You)” to them for their many years of selfless service, and to give them a chance to “smell their roses while they are here.”

Longtime Baltimore-area activist Mama Victory Swift, founder of Our Victorious City and one of the key organizers of this Tribute, said the following on her Facebook page:

Please join us all for this magnanimous occasion to honor Harriet Tubman City/ Baltimore’ s Revolutionary Greats, Mama Lola Jenkins & Baba Ras Marcus’s Ancestors Roots celebration. These elders have been at the forefront of the conscious community for decades. Sadly; due to illnesses for years, they have both been unable to partake in our continued struggle for liberation. However, it is imperative that we give them their roses while they are still on this side of life and that we come together on this day, August 18,2019/ 6260 to give honor and love to two elder greats who have fought unyieldingly for our freedom, love, and unity! If you would love to donate or help with this event please contact the elders on this flyer or just call Mama Lola and give love, honor, and respect. I love you all! please share to your friends and family, let’s make this a day for them and their loved ones to always remember! Much Love!

The Afrikan Family Day Tribute to Ancestors Roots at Arch Social Club starts at 3:00 PM Sunday, August 18.  Come out and show your support and gratitude to Mama Lola Jenkins and Baba Ras Marcus of Ancestors Roots.  Contact Nana Nzinga Nyamekye at (443) 739-3620 or Mama Lola at (443) 419-6414.

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Wednesday, June 19th, Dr. Chukwuma Martin Okeke, President of the Mouvement International pour Reparation (MIR) in France, passed on to the Honored Ancestors. While much has been made of the struggle for Reparations in the United States, with prominent writers such as Ta-Nehisi Coates dressing down the United States Congress in a public hearing on the date of the celebration of the emancipation of the last enslaved Afrikans in Texas, known as “Juneteenth”, and with groups such as American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) advocating for Reparations for Afrikan-Americans, there has been an international movement for the cause as far away as the Caribbean, Europe and Afrika going on for many years. One of the more prominent international organizations is MIR, and Dr. Okeke has been its driving force. Below, we present tributes from two stalwart fighters for the cause from across the waters, Dr. Makeda Kandake of MIR from Guadeloupe in the Eastern Caribbean, and Dr. Barryl Biekman of the African Union African Diaspora Sixth Region (AUADS) Europe, a Pan-Afrikan Diaspora organization based primarily in The Netherlands.

Message of Tribute and Brief Biography from Dr. Makeda Kandake, MIR-Caribbean

HE WAS AND WILL REMAIN!
“Death is a garment that everyone will wear”
by Dr. Makeda Kandake
Mouvement International pour Reparation (MIR)-Guadeloupe

Hotep to All!

On this day of celebration June tenth (Freedom Day or Emancipation Day), all these words that celebrate FREEDOM, Dr. Chukwuma Martin Okeke, President of MIR France, faithfully departed from us, to a place of Eternal Honor with the Ancestors.

First-rate humanist, affable and combative at the same time, he presided over the destiny of MIR France, with conviction and force, so that Reparations be granted to the descendants of deported Africans. A Man of science that he was, he was the inventor of a process now widely used by the French industry.

We spoke at length during my stay in Paris in March 2019, and little by little, during our discussion, hope illuminated his face, bringing out with strength the goodness that lived in him. Although the intensity was short, at each recurrence, joy enameled him, his face.

He would not have liked us to be devastated, however my mind is numbed by sorrow. As far as I’m concerned, I lost a friend, an ear, a support.

Thank you, dear Brother Martin, for the trust you have shown in me, and the honor you have given me by making me the International Representative of MIR France in the 6th region of Africa, the Diaspora.

Dear Brother Martin, you have now returned to the very select courtyard of glorious and luminous Ancestors.

My organization SRDC in the USA is paying tribute to you on its website, and the presidents of sister organizations have almost all shown up to pay tribute to you.

THAT THE EARTH OF YOUR ANCESTORS BE SOFT AND LIGHT, TO YOU, FREE AT LAST, FLY, FLY, MY FRIEND

Brief Biography by Dr. Makeda Kandake

He was an engineer specializing in the analysis of wear and aging of materials. He was one of the founders of an engineering school in Lyon, the 3rd largest city in France (ENIS). He arrived at the age of 20 in France following the Biafra war that was raging in his home country of Nigeria without knowing a word of French. He worked tirelessly to catch up with others and continue his studies, in which he brilliantly succeeded. He was a very beautiful person with great humanity. Always listening attentively to others and with great humility. Rich in, and yet thirsty for knowledge.

He was like all beautiful people — curious about the essentials. He fought to bring the issue of Reparations to the highest level in France, and was never stingy with advice on the issue. He dreamed of meeting all the good people who were fighting for Justice for Africans and African descendants.

He never failed to ask me to thank the sister organizations that had chosen to accept MIR France in their group and really hoped to meet the leaders of these organizations, such as the Professor David Horne from SRDC, David Commissiong from CPAN, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante and Professor Ama Mazama from Afrocentricity International. He enjoyed talking about Dr. Barryl Biekman, Malaak Shabazz, Dowoti Desir and many others. In short, he was a beautiful soul.

His transition is painful for us who stay here, but finally brought him rest from the ordeal of the illness that finally took him from us. June 19, International Day of Liberty (Juneteenth’s Day), is the date he has chosen for his ultimate trip to the Great Freedom to be with the Honored Ancestors. It only remains for us to thank him for his many contributions against the injustices towards our community and his sustained fight for the Reparations of the Trafficking and Slavery recognized as being Crimes against Humanity, and that we must tear up by all means the vestiges of slavery and exploitation. To his family we say to always cherish his memory and once again we bow respectfully to his memory. Thank you Friend, have a good trip to Honored Eternity and may the land where you rest be forever sweet and light.

Message of Tribute from Dr. Barryl Biekman, AUADS Europe

Dr. Barryl Biekman of African Union African Diaspora Sixth Region (AUADS) Europe, a Pan-Afrikan Diaspora organization operating out of The Netherlands, issued a brief message of condolence and tribute:

Indeed with the transition of Dr. Okeke we have lost a Great Pan African Hero.
In 2007 he was at the forefront of the setting up and organizational development of the AUADS Europe and a GREAT supporter of the SRDC.

With his transition we have lost a GREAT fighter for the implementation of the 20 AU ECOSOCC seats for the Diaspora.

Dr. Martin Okeke I applaud for you and thank for all of your dedication; all that has been achieved because of your empowerment and strong belief.

Sister Makeda, SRDC & MIR families please receive my deepest condolences.
May his soul rest in Peace.

Sister Barryl.

Delaware State University hosted the DSU-APRM Pan African Development Conference, “Mobilizing the 6th Region of Africa” on April 10-12 . Co-hosted by the African Peer Review Mechanism, known as “Africa’s self-assessment for good governance”, and the Center for Global Africa at Delaware State University, the Conference concentrated on topics ranging from reshaping Afrikan and Diaspora images, narratives and relationships to development opportunities with APRM member countries and the role of APRM in mobilizing the Sixth Region of Afrika, as the Diaspora was unofficially named in 2003 when the African Union initially launched its Diaspora Initiative.

This first Pan Afrikan Development Conference at Delaware State University essentially announces the Center for Global Africa (CGA) to the public.  This initiative was conceptualized by Delaware State University Professor Ezrah Aharone and was promoted in large part by Professor Aharone, Professor Akwasi Osei and Professor Leandra Casson Marshall.

“While Pan African gatherings are not unusual,” Prof. Aharone writes in his introduction to attendees,

“this conference uniquely coincides with the 400-year mark (1619-2019) of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the United States.  Along with the importance of understanding our interlocking interests and the global complexities of this period, we at Delaware State University understand the subsequent 21st-century responsibility of Diasporan Africans to now structurally devise and apply our collective intellect and ideals toward institutional collaborations for global and sustainable African progress, as this conference aims to facilitate through our Center for Global Africa (CGA).

“Further unique, the CGA’s establishment aligns with the African Union’s (AU) policy to designate Africans in the Diaspora as the ‘Sixth Region.’  So to contribute to Africa’s ‘Renaissance and Revitalization’ as recently declared by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, the CGA’s mission is to mobilize Sixth Region resources and expertise through HBCU initiatives that are faculty and student-driven, solution-oriented, development-centered, and revenue-generating in ways that will be mutually beneficial to Africa and the Diaspora.

“To this end, we applaud and recognize the value of APRM which is a specialized agency of the AU, on whose behalf we largely gather today.  The purpose is to exchange ideas that will productively contribute and expand APRM’s unparalleled work to evaluate the proficiencies of governance and socioeconomic conditions of African nations, with the objective to make recommendations for governments to implement as a means to catalyze 21st-century innovations and development of African nations.”

The full Conference consisted of an opening VIP reception on Wednesday, April 10; four panel discussions on Thursday, April 11, followed by an evening reception; and closed sessions on Friday, April 12. We were able to make the drive to Dover, Delaware, the location of Delaware State University, for the Thursday sessions, where most of the public discussion took place.

The Conference was notable for its varied selection of important speakers. Of course, being an Historically Black College/University (HBCU) and the institution at which the Center for Global Africa was founded, Delaware State professors served on the various panels. Prof. Ezrah Aharone, Dean Michael Casson, Prof. Leandra Casson-Marshall, Prof. Akwasi Osei, Dr. Vincent Fondong, Dr. Cherese Winstead, Dr. Kankoe Assiongbon and Dr. Maneesh Pandeya all made important contributions to the Thursday panels. Prof. Eddy Maloka and Prof. Ibrahim Gambari of APRM, Prof. Donna Patterson, Dr. Marshall Stevenson and Dr. Virginie Zoumenou of University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Dr. Chieke Ohejirika of Lincoln University and Prof. Jamila White of Morgan State University were amoing the academics from other institutions and organizations who provided key insights and analysis.

South African attorney Tumi Dlamani, Zemenay Lakew of APRM and New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Liziwe Masiela of APRM, and His Excellency Khayar Ouman Defallah of APRM-Chad were among other important speakers.

Perhaps the best known panelists were former Major League Baseball manager Dusty Baker; Robert “Kool” Bell of Kool & The Gang, who is partnering with Mr. Baker in Kool-Baker Energy to provide sustainable energy in Afrika; Thomas McClary, founder of the Commodores, who spoke about cultural exchanges between the Diaspora and the Mother Continent; and African Union Ambassador to the United States, The Honorable Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao.

As perhaps the most prominent (and for many Afrikan Diasporans, the only) voice to consistently speak out on behalf of the unification of Afrika and her Scattered Children in the Diaspora, Madame Ambassador Quao’s comments on the key topic of mobilizing the Sixth Region of Afrika are included below, pretty much in their entirety.

One of the African Union’s major catch-phrases over the last several years has been “The Africa We Want”. Here, Ambassador Quao describes the AU’s current plan for how we in the Diaspora can help build it.

“Once again we are here to talk about matters of the village. There are issues in our village, and I appreciate the opportunity for us to come together as members of the village to address the issues together.

“With what I know of the issues that are keeping us together, difficulties that we are having as Afrikan Diaspora, Continental Diaspora, and Afrikan Diaspora as Afrikan Americans. I know many of us have tried to go home, to make a difference. And many of us have come back, because the conditions on the ground were not conducive to what we wanted to offer. I used to take doctors on medical missions, and you end up with a surgeon treating infections and sore throats. Because that’s all they could do. The country did not have the facilities they needed to do what they do best.

“Now, there are other reasons why some of us have gone home and come back. And I’m going to hit this nail by the head, because it’s something we must speak to. When we go to Afrika, as Continental Afrikans, who’ve been-to – in my husband’s country of Ghana, we call these people like me “been-to’s”; I’ve been to America, I’ve been to Britain, been-to’s – we’ve got issues. We go back home with an attitude. We think just because we’ve been-to, we know more than the ones at home. That attitude has got to change. And it’s one of the reasons that many people are not making it when the been-to’s go back.

“We also have Afrikan Americans, who go to Afrika thinking ‘I’m going to tell the Afrikans, I know more than the Afrikans.’ That’s where you are wrong, because Afrikans have a lot to teach you too. So there is a need for an attitude adjustment, a realization that we have something to offer. But they too have something to offer us. What is needed is for us to work together, because united, and understanding each other, that’s the only way we can come together in a meaningful way and build the Afrika that We Want.

“At the African Union Mission, that’s one of my mandates. Two main mandates, one to promote Afrika in the Americas, and the second one, to bring the Diaspora home by any means necessary.

“With that understanding, I sat down and asked myself, how do I go about taking this very diverse, interested group of people who don’t like each other, how do I go about bringing them together so we can go home?

“Looking at the issues that we are dealing with on this side of the Atlantic as well as the opposite side, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way we can effectively go back home as Afrikan Diaspora to accomplish two things: 1) yes, to bring the expertise that is needed, but 2) I remember two years ago, president Trump was addressing the Afrikan heads of state and he said ‘I don’t know why you guys are poor. My friends go to Afrika poor, they come back rich.’ Are you with me? So for those of you who think the Afrikan heads of state are calling you to come home because they just want your money, wrong. We are saying, if you don’t show up, and you [don’t] stand up to be counted, next time the contracts go to the Chinese, shut up. How do we give you contracts when we don’t know where you are? How do we know about your business when you don’t stand up? And that is the challenge the Afrikan heads of state are running into. Next … Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, there is a conference going on in Nairobi. Former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, is now over infrastructure. His advisor called; one of his Afro Champion advisors called me and said, ‘Ambassador, we need you to put together a coalition of Afrikan Diaspora who can come in and be together with Afro Champions, be the first to know of the development of projects that are going on in Afrika.’ There is nothing wrong with Diaspora organizations building the next Cape to Cairo Highway. The next Cape to Cairo High Speed Train. You can only get those contracts when you’re on the table. You heard your sister [earlier in the conference] talk about [trying to find a] Pan Afrikan Chamber of Commerce, but [especially when she mentioned developing an Afrikan] single currency. These are all opportunities that are going to happen in Afrika at the continental level. You’ve got to realize, because of the Afrikan Continental Free Trade Area [CFTA], for the first time ever, in the development agenda for Afrika, we are looking at it as Afrika, not as 55 different countries.

“So this is a tremendous entry point, that if you Diaspora, if we don’t organize, we are going to miss out. The heads of state are saying the Diaspora must be in the front, along with the Afro Champions. They are wanting to create a space for us. We got our twenty-second ratification which is what we needed in order for implementation [of CFTA] to begin, two weeks ago. We are talking of a baby who has just been born. I want everybody to be clear about that. We are in a beautiful place to be on the drivers side, [in the] drivers seat of the developmental agenda for Afrika. So please, if you hear anything else from me, this is the time for us to organize, and stand up, and let’s take Afrika where Afrika belongs on the world stage. But in the process, we are also helping ourselves. There is nothing wrong with you investing your money in Afrika, coming back home to America, and play golf like they do. That’s what we want you to do, so don’t look at it any other way. It’s a win-win situation.

“So with that in mind, in Washington, we set out to then say, Where do we begin? Fortunately for us, first it was the President of Zambia who stood up and he gave us 135 hectares of land, which is about 300 acres. And when the President of Zimbabwe heard about the 135 hectares, he said … Zambia has a lot of money. You see, Victoria Falls – for those of you who don’t know Victoria Falls, Google it, it’s a beautiful place – is one of the best tourist destinations in Afrika. They say Victoria Falls is like a woman: when you look at her from the Zambian side you’re looking at her back. But when you’re looking at her from Zimbabwe the choice is yours which view you want. So he proceeded to give us 2,000 hectares. So we have been offered 2,000 hectares of land, on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls, along the Zambezi River. Prime, prime, prime location. There, ladies and gentlemen, we, the Afrikan Diaspora, in collaboration with our Brothers and Sisters on the Continent, we are going to build our first, our very own, Wakanda.

“We are calling it, Afrikan Diaspora Centers of Excellence. Why are we building Wakanda? Money alone is not enough to bring change, sustainable change that Afrika needs. Capacity building is where it’s at. Most of you may not realize that Afrika today needs 1.2 million doctors. If all the Diaspora, Continental Afrikan and Afrikan American doctors, were to go home to Afrika today, they’re only going to meet about 30 percent of the need. Many heads of states thought building new hospitals, renovating old ones, was the way to address the issues of health care. Guess what? Most of those wards, half of them, are empty because there are no doctors.

“I’d like to talk about my husband’s country, my own country, Ghana. There are more Ghanaian doctors in New York City alone than in the entire country of Ghana. So when Diaspora starts complaining … I say ‘[that’s] because you are here.’ So our reality is , capacity is what Afrika needs. And where is that capacity? It’s in the Diaspora, thanks to the brain drain. At every level, every sector, the capacity Afrika needs is in the Diaspora, not on the Continent. Seven billion dollars is being spent every year paying salaries to expatriates going to Afrika to provide services. And when I ask why is it that you never get Diaspora to fill some of those jobs, they say ‘Where are they?’ … At every level, we are losing out because we are scattered.
“So, in Wakanda, there will be a thousand-bed teaching hospital to train all the capacity Afrika needs. There will be one Wakanda village in each region, which will be a developmental hub for the region. So for every hospital built, there will be supporting hospitals. Also, we will have a university, a technical college, to train, again, all the capacity Afrika needs. Agricultural farms and an agricultural college, hotels for hospitality. A country with some of the best tourist destinations, [but] we’re only realizing about 4 percent of the tourism dollars in the world. Agriculture – for a continent with over 65 percent of the arable land in the world, we are importing food. I am embarrassed to say that. Afrika should be, and will be, the breadbasket of the world.

“In addition, in our Wakanda, we are also going to have pharmaceutical manufacturing. Most of you are also not aware that in most of the Sub Saharan Afrikan countries, [of the] drugs going into those countries, close to 50 percent have zero bio-viability. That means they are not medication. They are chalk, in some cases poisonous substances. Millions of people are dying every year, thinking they are taking blood pressure medicines, diabetic medicines … when they are taking poison. Those are murderers, outside murderers, coming in. Millions of them, every day. And nobody is held accountable. We have got to stop that. …

“And of course, there will be a power plant, infrastructure, housing, supportive development. It’s going to be a very modern city, with roads that are ready for self-driving cars, monorails for easy transport around the village. It’s going to be how Afrika should be. We will build the Afrika that We Want.

“For everything that’s happening in Wakanda, there’s going to be downstream development. You can picture this: a team … whose job is to do nothing but to make sure, 15 to 20 years from now, [lack of] access to health care is a thing of the past. Educators who are saying, 15 to 20 years from now, [lack of] access to health care is a thing of the past, [lack of] access to power is a thing of the past, [lack of] access to water is a thing of the past. We’ll have teams from the Diaspora working on the various sectors. Can we not do that guys? Absolutely, yes we can. And all we’ve got to do is organize, because the brains we need are endless in the Diaspora. Then the question becomes, ‘Ambassador, how are we going to find them?’ That’s easy! We’ve got 50 million Black people in this country. 41 million Afrikan Americans and 9 million Continental Afrikans. If I just get a million of those to put aside a thousand dollars a year, that’s a billion dollars. Can we not do that? If I get 5 million, now we’re down to only 200 dollars a year, and we’ve got a billion dollars. And you take that money, you leverage it, and you keep it in there, just leveraging it, not doing another thing, we can get a billion dollars every year, out of that money, to build our Wakanda. Can we not do that? Can I get an ‘Amen’?

“We can do this! We want the NGOs out of our countries. We want no more aid. Aid is killing us. We don’t need aid, because we are very capable of taking care of ourselves. Especially you, us, Diaspora. To whom much is given, much is expected. We can do this. We live in this wonderful, great country. In my last conversation with [previous African Union Commission] Chairman [Nkosazana Dlamini-] Zuma, she said to me, ‘My sister, if sustainable development is to come to Afrika, it’s going to be brought by the Diaspora. But not just any Diaspora; the Diaspora in America. The Diaspora in America. Think about it. There’s something unique about being a Diaspora in this country. We already live as Americans. Not as Californians, not as Floridians, but Americans. Subconsciously, we are already integrated, so moving into Afrika is a piece of cake! So the Afrikan leaders, and my [current African Union Commission] Chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, they are very clear, that in order for Afrika to move forward, the Children of Afrika in the Diaspora must be front, middle and end of it all. So I look forward to our conversations, [and] I hope that we can all be in the right spirit and agree that we must speak as one Continent, one Afrika, one voice. Thank you.”

The Ambassador has also released an extremely informative video in which she quite emphatically breaks down the destructive legacy of the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, in which the European powers at the time carved up the Afrikan Continent into colonial territories that led to the current map of Afrika we see today, as well as the colonial influence that persists in Afrika in the form of colonial languages, colonial spirituality, colonial names, colonial currency and the pillage of the Continent for the benefit of the colonial powers, and urges us all to work together as Afrikan People to break the colonial grip that still hampers the Mother Continent to this day.

The end of March brought news of the senseless, tragic death of Los Angeles Hip Hop artist Ermias Davidson Asghedom, more famously known as “Nipsey Hu$$le”. Gunned down in front of the Marathon apparel and music store he had founded and built, his murder has shocked friends, fans and followers alike. Two other victims in the shooting survived. The many celebrities, from Dr. Dre to Jay-Z to Charlamagne Tha God, have expressed their shock at this murder and their condolences to his family. Some of the initial news reports can be found at The Blast (https://theblast.com/nipsey-hussle-dead/) and The Grio (https://thegrio.com/2019/03/31/breaking-rapper-nipsey-hussle-shot-and-killed-outside-of-los-angeles-store/).

More details will be revealed over the next few days and weeks, but speculation on the reasons for this attack has ranged from some escalation of gang violence (he was once affiliated with the Crips in Los Angeles and had spoken about his early life in the local drug trade) to a video documentary he had recently announced centering on Dr. Sebi, an alternative health practitioner who was himself rumored to have ben targeted and killed because his opposition to drugs and his success in treating people with natural remedies were seen as a threat to the pharmaceutical drug industry (See the article in The Root, https://www.theroot.com/5-mysteries-surrounding-the-life-and-death-of-dr-sebi-1790856373) to the larger issue of his plans to revitalize the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles through real-estate and other economic strategies, fueled by his musical successes (See an article in Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/02/20/nipsey-hussle-opportunity-zone-real-estate-mogul-blueprint/#62420ed86364).

Nipsey Hu$$le’s story, which includes guest appearances on Larry Wilmore’s Nightly Show in 2016, The Breakfast Club and other programs, as well as his recent Grammy nomination for best rap album and his performance at the 2019 Super Bowl, nearly parallels those of others who have rocketed to fame for their artistic talents but were later cut down either because of their fame of because of their commitment to lifting up their communities. On the national front, the names Tupac “2Pac” Shakur and Christopher “Biggie Smalls/Notorious B.I.G” Wallace are the best known, but these tragedies play out far too often in every city, and their impact on local communities is just as traumatic. In Baltimore, Maryland, Tyriece Trayvon “Lor Scoota” Watson (left), 23, was gunned down on June 25, 2016 on his way from a community peace rally (“Killing of Baltimore rapper Lor Scoota — ‘one of the voices of the city’ — stuns community”, The Baltimore Sun, https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-rapper-shooting-20160626-story.html). Dominic “Nick Breed” Grant (right), 24, “who advocated for nonviolence and whose lyrics often reflected the city’s trauma”, was killed October 21, 2018 (“Rapper whose lyrics reflected Baltimore’s pain fatally shot”, https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/10/23/rapper-whose-lyrics-reflected-baltimores-pain-fatally-shot/). Washington, DC-area rapper Theodore Dashawn “30 Glizzy” Pigford (left), 26, “a nice young man with a promising career,” according to attorney John McKenna, who had represented him in court, was shot and killed September 6, 2017 in South Baltimore (https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-30-glizzy-killed-20170907-story.html).

These killings seem to be occurring at a time when these artists are just starting to transcend the more stereotypical aspects of their musical careers – the lyrics about sex, drugs, gangs and gun violence – and finding their “comfort zones” in the areas of entrepreneurship, community uplift and personal growth. This begs the questions: How many of these murders truly are gnag-related, and how many of them may be motivated by some effort, by some person or persons still unknown, to prevent them from using their exploding “street cred” to help lift their communities out of the cycles of poverty, violence and despair that often seem inescapable?

We continue to await answers, or even clues of answers, to these questions. In the meantime, we pray for some semblance of peace for their families, friends and fans, and for us as a community to find or develop ways in which those who are left and are still doing positive work in their communities can be protected from a similar fate.

The communities of activists and artists have work to do! Let’s embrace those positive forces who reach out to the people and help move the community forward.

Definition of smear campaign: a plan to discredit a public figure by making false or dubious accusations. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/)

A smear campaign is an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual’s or group’s reputation, credibility, and character. Like negative campaigning, most often smear campaigns target government officials, politicians, political candidates, and other public figures. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smear_campaign)

Definition of anti-Semitism: hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.
– Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-Semitism

Working Definition of Antisemitism. Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
– International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/working-definition-antisemitism

Definition of trope: Rhetoric.. any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in other than their literal sense. (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/trope)

In 2012, Ilhan Omar was not yet the first Somali-American member of Congress. She was a Muslim woman who had fled persecution before and was convinced she knew it when she saw it.

She witnessed what she saw as persecution yet again with a 2012 Israeli military assault in the Gaza Strip, a place where the Palestinian population has lived in a state of desperation since the Israeli isolation and blockade of the Hamas-led Palestinian territory, a place where an Israeli assault on a Gaza “Freedom Flotilla” on May 31, 2010 had killed nine peace activists and where the Israeli military had fired white phosphorous chemical weapons in the infamous Operation Cast Lead from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009.

The Israeli government had pointed to the regular firing of rockets from Gaza as justification for these actions, but the disproportionate force used led to accusations from much of the international community of imposing collective punishment on the Palestinians of Gaza, and the treatment of Palestinians in the more compliant West Bank was not much better, with the increasing encroachment of Israeli settlements and the building of roads through the West Bank that Palestinians were not allowed to use, policies which had caused former US president Jimmy Carter to write about “apartheid” in the Palestinian territories.

Ms. Omar was inspired by what she had seen of the 2012 assault to write the following Tweet:

“Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

Even though she was not a member of Congress at the time, that Tweet was used seven years later to launch a political attack on her less than a month after being sworn in as part of a new wave of women, one of Congress’ first Muslim women (along with Rashida Tlaib of Michigan) and the first-ever Somali-American in the United States House of Representatives.

When journalist Glen Greenwald Tweeted in January about threats from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to take “action” against her for that earlier Tweet, she responded with a comment that reflects the suspicions of many that lobbyists, including the powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC (the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee), have influenced political leaders with their campaign contributions:

“It’s all about the Benjamins baby.”

Afrikan-Americans recognize this saying as the title and main vocal hook from the 1997 hip-hop smash from Puff Daddy (Sean “P Diddy” Combs) and the Family, as well as the 2002 film starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps. To us, the line highlights the undue influence money has over all of us, often to our own detriment. However, others see that line as something entirely different: an “anti-Semitic trope”.

“Congresswoman Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.”
– Statement from the House Democratic leadership, Sunday, February 10, 2019

Rep. Omar’s initial efforts to defend herself from what many saw as a weak right-wing excuse to attack her integrity seemed to ignite even more controversy.

“Our democracy is built on debate, Congresswoman! I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee. The people of the 5th elected me to serve their interest. I am sure we agree on that!”
– Tweet from Congress Member Ilhan Omar, in response to criticism from NY Reps. Eliot Engel (D) and Nita Lowey (D)

Ms. Omar continued to defend her integrity, even as she issued apologies for the “unknowing” use of what she had come to acknowledge as “hurtful” words to her critics.

“I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks.”
– Tweet from Congress Member Ilhan Omar

“Israel is an ally of the United States and I think as much as you would look to your neighbor, to your friends, to live out the same values as you are, we want to make sure that our allies are living out the same values that we push for here.”
– Congress Member Ilhan Omar, in a CNN interview

While it may be understandable that Jewish politicians and members of the Jewish community may have taken her words as hurtful (though many progressive Jews in the United States who are themselves critical of official Israeli actions seem to know better), when one looks at the Tweets above, exactly what about them is anti-Semitic? How is it that mere criticism of Israeli policy must always place one in the same company as the Nazi Party, even if a statement criticizes the government and not the people? If “all about the Benjamins” is considered anti-Semitic, then is not the common expression “money talks, bullshit walks” as well? Must we now cease listening to the O’Jays’ “For The Love Of Money” for fear of being labeled a hater of Jews? Is all criticism of politicians’ susceptibility to lobbyists now off-limits? Is it now improper to point out that political candidates, whose campaigns are initially judged by how much money they raise and whose policies once in office are often influenced by the moneyed interests whose contributions got them their jobs, are influenced more by these major donors than by the people who elected them? Is campaign finance reform, an often-touted strategy to “take the money out of politics”, now a forbidden subject? Who exactly is being anti-Semitic here, those of us who use the above expressions and point out the hypocrisy of materialistic would-be lawmakers, or those who see in all of them some unintended, loosely-associated and often-manufactured reference to people of the Jewish faith and Israeli citizenship?

Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is generally considered to be a form of racism. It has also been characterized as a political ideology which serves as an organizing principle and unites disparate groups which are opposed to liberalism.

Antisemitism may be manifested in many ways, ranging from expressions of hatred of or discrimination against individual Jews to organized pogroms by mobs, state police, or even military attacks on entire Jewish communities. Although the term did not come into common usage until the 19th century, it is now also applied to historic anti-Jewish incidents. Notable instances of persecution include the Rhineland massacres preceding the First Crusade in 1096, the Edict of Expulsion from England in 1290, the massacres of Spanish Jews in 1391, the persecutions of the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the Cossack massacres in Ukraine from 1648 to 1657, various anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire between 1821 and 1906, the 1894–1906 Dreyfus affair in France, the Holocaust in German-occupied Europe during World War II, Soviet anti-Jewish policies, and Arab and Muslim involvement in the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries.

The root word Semite gives the false impression that antisemitism is directed against all Semitic people, e.g., including Arabs and Assyrians. The compound word antisemite was popularized in Germany in 1879 as a scientific-sounding term for Judenhass (“Jew-hatred”), and this has been its common use since then.
-from a Wikipedia article on Antisemitism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism)

Ms. Omar did not question the existence of the Holocaust or its horrific toll on Jews worldwide. She did not make statements against the Jewish community or exhort people to commit actions against Jews as Neo-Nazis and followers of the Ku Klux Klan often do. Her comments were critical of Israeli government actions, specifically those that have led and still lead to Palestinian suffering or are used to influence US politicians to stifle criticism. And she did not play subtle games using double-speak. She was, at worst, unsubtle and politically incorrect, a level of brutal frankness many of her right-wing detractors would admire if coming from one of their own.

But she was attacked for it, and some have issued threats against her safety for it. Thus is the honesty and, perhaps, naivete of a 37-year-old (young by political standards) freshman Member of Congress punished.

The criticism from right-wing media was summarized, in part, by a March 3, 2019 article by Joel Pollak for Breitbart, “Ilhan Omar Doubled Down on Antisemitic Slur: No ‘Allegiance’ to Israel” (https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/03/ilhan-omar-doubles-down-on-antisemitic-slur-no-allegiance-to-israel/):

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) doubled down Sunday on her comment last week accusing pro-Israel Americans of “allegiance to a foreign country,” repeating that view on Twitter and defying calls from fellow Democrats to apologize. …

The Political Machine Retaliates

The response from the Democratic Party establishment was swift and, frankly, not surprising. Kassy Dillon wrote an article on February 11, 2019 in the Daily wire (https://www.dailywire.com/news/43320/democrats-pelosi-condemn-ilhan-omar-keep-her-key-kassy-dillon), “Democrats, Pelosi Condemn Ilhan Omar, But Keep Her On Key Committee”, and an article in Business Insider, “Democrats condemn Rep. Ilhan Omar over ‘anti-Semitic’ tweets about AIPAC and Israel” (https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-criticize-ilhan-omar-aipac-israel-tweets-2019-2Congressional) describes the reaction as follows:

A number of congressional Democrats on Monday joined a growing chorus of criticism against freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota over her tweets about Israel that led to widespread allegations of anti-Semitism.

Omar ignited a social-media firestorm on Sunday after she suggested that support for Israel among Republican members of Congress is motivated by money.

“It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” Omar tweeted in response to a tweet from the journalist Glenn Greenwald about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threatening to take “action” against the freshman congresswoman over her criticism of Israel.

Subsequently, when asked to clarify what she meant, Omar in a separate tweet seemed to suggest a pro-Israel lobbying group — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — is paying US politicians to support Israel. …

Omar is a proponent of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), a nonviolent, global campaign that seeks to isolate Israel economically and politically regarding the country’s treatment of Palestinians and the occupation of the West Bank.

The Minnesota congresswoman has been unabashedly critical of the Israeli government and said in a recent CNN interview it’s “exciting” to see a broader debate happening on the US government’s relationship with Israel.

“It’s not surprising. I think it is actually exciting because we are finally able to have conversations that we weren’t really willing to,” Omar said. “It is really important for us to get a different lens about what peace in that region could look like and the kind of difficult conversations we need to have about allies.”

“Israel is an ally of the United States and I think as much as you would look to your neighbor, to your friends, to live out the same values as you are, we want to make sure that our allies are living out the same values that we push for here,” she added. …

Amid the ongoing criticism, Omar has maintained that she supports the Jewish community and her comments are directed at the Israeli government in the context of its policy toward Palestine. She’s also expressed regret over how she’s framed her criticism of Israel in the past.

Meanwhile, Ms. Omar has her defenders in Congress and the Senate. US Senators and 2020 presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Kamala Harris (D-California) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) have expressed their concerns about the fervor with which Ms. Omar has been targeted. One article detailing this was written by Filipa Ioannou (“Kamala Harris defends Ilhan Omar after backlash to Israel comments”, Wednesday, March 6, 2019; https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/ilhan-omar-kamala-harris-nancy-pelosi-resolution-13668448.php):

In a Wednesday statement, Harris expressed concern over the criticism of Omar, who has reportedly received death threats.

“We all have a responsibility to speak out against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and all forms of hatred and bigotry, especially as we see a spike in hate crimes in America. But like some of my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, I am concerned that the spotlight being put on Congresswoman Omar may put her at risk,” said Harris in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

“We should be having a sound, respectful discussion about policy. You can both support Israel and be loyal to our country,” the statement continued. “I also believe there is a difference between criticism of policy or political leaders, and anti-Semitism.” …

Other 2020 contenders, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also expressed misgivings about the criticism of Omar, warning against equating “anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel.”

“What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate,” he continued, in a statement to The Hill. “That’s wrong.”

David Crary wrote an analysis for sfgate.com (https://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Omar-furor-reflects-intensifying-national-debate-13675648.php) on Saturday, March 9, 2019 “Omar furor reflects intensifying national debate over Israel”:

One of the first two Muslim women in Congress, Omar supports a contentious part of the overall dispute — the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, or BDS, which promotes various forms of boycotts against Israel.

Some celebrities — including actress Natalie Portman and singer Lana Del Ray — have withdrawn from appearances in Israel in recent months out of concern over Israeli policies. Several scholarly associations, including the American Studies Association and the Association for Asian American Studies, have supported an academic boycott, even as other associations and academic leaders have opposed that campaign. …

In response to the BDS movement, 26 states have passed laws seeking to deter businesses and individuals from participating in it. For example, a Texas law requires contractors who work for or do business with the state to certify that they do not boycott Israel or Israeli-occupied territories.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed lawsuits challenging the Texas law and similar laws in three other states, saying they violate the right to free speech. A separate lawsuit was filed in Texas by a speech language pathologist, Bahia Amawi, who said she lost her contract with the state because she would not sign the certification. …

One of the groups supporting BDS is Jewish Voice for Peace, which was founded in 1996 and endorsed the boycott campaign in 2015. Rabbi Alissa Wise, the group’s deputy director, says the boycott campaign has been effective, even in the face of state laws seeking to curtail it.

“These laws are meant to silence and repress,” she said. “But they can’t change people’s hearts and minds.”

The Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to combat anti-Semitism, denounces Jewish Voice for Peace as “a radical anti-Israel activist group” that advocates a total boycott.

Linda Sarsour, one of the key organizers of the Women’s March in 2017 and 2019, blasted Pelosi and the House leadership for their initial condemnation of Ms. Omar (https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Ilhan-Omar-Linda-Sarsour-anti-semitism-Pelosi-13665817.php), “Women’s March leader blasts ‘white feminist’ Nancy Pelosi for Ilhan Omar condemnation”, by Eric Ting, Tuesday, March 5, 2019.

Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour ripped into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after House Democrats drafted a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to Rep. Ilhan Omar accusing pro-Israel lawmakers of pushing for “allegiance to a foreign country.” …

“Nancy is a typical white feminist upholding the patriarchy doing the dirty work of powerful white men,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “God forbid the men are upset – no worries, Nancy to the rescue to stroke their egos.” …

“Democrats are playing in to the hands of the right,” she wrote. “Dividing our base and reinforcing their narrative and giving them an easier path towards 2020… You want a resolution? Condemn all forms of bigotry. All forms of bigotry are unacceptable. We won’t let them pin us up against each other. We stand with Representative Ilhan Omar. Our top priority is the safety of our sister and her family.”

The House of Representatives Resolution on Anti-Semitism and Bigotry

The House of Representatives’ official word on the matter came down on March 7, 2019 when it passed a broad resolution by a vote of 407-23. “Sparked by Ilhan Omar’s ‘Valid Criticism’ of Israel, House Overwhelmingly Passes Broad ‘Anti-Hate’ Resolution”, on the Web site of Common Dreams (https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/07/sparked-ilhan-omars-valid-criticism-israel-house-overwhelmingly-passes-broad-anti), reported on the resolution on March 7, along with the text (which can be read in its entirety on the Common Dreams article link):

The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a non-binding Democratic resolution condemning anti-Semitism, white supremacy, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry.

The final tally was 407-23, with 234 Democrats and 173 Republicans voting yes. All of the no votes were Republicans, and one GOP member—Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)—voted present.

Though the resolution does not mention Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) by name, progressive critics perceived the measure as an implicit rebuke of the congresswoman over her criticism of the Israeli lobby and government.

“While valid criticism of Netanyahu, AIPAC, and Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians are being falsely attacked as anti-Semitism, threats by white supremacists are continuing.”
—Rabbi Alissa Wise, Jewish Voice for Peace.

While advocacy groups that have mobilized in defense of Omar applauded House Democrats’ far-reaching condemnation of hatred and bigotry, they were quick to note that the resolution is far from perfect.

“As the anti-Omar resolution was transformed into a broader ‘anti-hate’ resolution—with plenty of rhetoric that progressives support—it unfortunately found no room to say: ‘Criticism of Israel cannot be equated with anti-Semitism.’ That was the message of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in their defenses of Omar,” said Jeff Cohen, co-founder of RootsAction.org. “Let’s hope the resistance to the original resolution marks a turning point in Congress’ blind support for Israel’s subjugation of Palestinians.”

Linda Sarsour—executive director of MPower Change, a broad coalition of Arab and Muslim groups that helped organize support for Omar—said that it is now time to “get back to work against the rise of white nationalism that threatens all of our communities and build a government and policies that respects every resident of this nation.”

“We are a movement that unequivocally rejects anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, and all forms of bigotry, and expect the same from Democratic leadership,” Sarsour said. “It’s a new day where we no longer will accept attacks on our free speech and stifling of necessary debate on Israeli government policies against Palestinians.”

Rabbi Alissa Wise, deputy director of Jewish Voice for Peace, echoed Sarsour’s warning about white nationalism, saying, “While valid criticism of Netanyahu, AIPAC, and Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians are being falsely attacked as anti-Semitism, threats by white supremacists are continuing.”

“And we all know who white supremacists have their sights set on: Black people, Muslims, Jews, immigrants, and more,” Wise concluded. “We’re happy to see a resolution that condemns real bigotry, rather than going after Rep. Ilhan Omar and her vision of a world free of racism and oppression.” …

On Twitter, the youth-led Jewish advocacy group IfNotNow credited grassroots pressure with ensuring that “the new House Resolution [is] more inclusive: it now condemns anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism, while correctly blaming the rise of such bigotry on white nationalism and white supremacy.”

“It is not a perfect resolution,” IfNotNow added. “Its timing still clearly associates it as a rebuke to Ilhan Omar. It, unfortunately, enshrines U.S. support for the Israeli government, which maintains the fifty-one-year military occupation of the West Bank and siege of the Gaza Strip.”

But this broad resolution against anti-Semitism and bigotry was not enough for the right-wing. Several Republican lawmakers refused to vote for the resolution because they felt it was “watered down” from what they had wanted – an unequivocal condemnation of Ms. Omar, and perhaps even some punishment to be imposed upon her, taking her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for starters, and for some, expulsion from the House of Representatives altogether. Here is a sampling of some of the responses, taken from an article by Emily Cochrane, Catie Edmondson and Sheryl Gay Stolberg for msn.com on Sunday, March 10 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-some-republicans-voted-against-the-antibigotry-resolution/ar-BBUAiAA?ocid=spartanntp):

Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama

Mr. Brooks said he voted against the resolution because its “failure to specifically state opposition to discrimination against Caucasian-Americans and Christians, while reflective of Socialist Democrat priorities and values is, by omission, fatal to the bill.”

After Mr. Brooks said in 2016 that Muslims wanted to “kill every gay person in America,” the Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded an apology.

Representative Ted Budd of North Carolina

Mr. Budd, reacting on Twitter, said that he voted against the resolution because it failed to name Ms. Omar or list her comments.

Representative Michael C. Burgess of Texas

The legislation, Mr. Burgess said in a statement, “does not adequately refute the anti-Semitism that has been displayed in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming

Perhaps the most striking “no” vote came from Ms. Cheney, the No. 3 Republican, because of her role as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.

“Today’s resolution vote was a sham put forward by Democrats to avoid condemning one of their own and denouncing vile anti-Semitism,” Ms. Cheney said in a statement after the vote.

Representative Chris Collins of New York

Mr. Collins was re-elected in November even after he was indicted on a charge of insider trading. He has kept a low profile, but after his “no” vote, he took to Twitter.

“After reading the final resolution I did not feel it was strong enough in support of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, and that is why I voted no,” Mr. Collins said.

Representative Rick Crawford of Arkansas

“If Democrat Leaders wanted to specifically address anti-Semitism and a member of their conference who has repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments,” Mr. Crawford said on Twitter, “this resolution failed in nearly every way possible.”

Representative Jeff Duncan of South Carolina

Mr. Duncan argued that a true condemnation would have made reference to Ms. Omar, and the comments that prompted the resolution.

Mr. Duncan stirred protests in 2017 when he posted on Facebook an image of a white man labeled “Europe” with a noose around his neck watering a small tree labeled “Islam,” with one end of the noose tied around it. “Chew on this picture,” he wrote.

Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas

In a fiery speech on the House floor on Thursday, Mr. Gohmert complained that the resolution was “watered down.”

Mr. Gohmert dealt with his own accusations of anti-Semitism last year after he falsely accused [George] Soros of collaborating with the Nazis during World War II, a popular myth on the far right. “George Soros is supposed to be Jewish, but you wouldn’t know it from the damage he’s inflicted on Israel, and the fact that he turned on fellow Jews and helped take the property that they owned,” he said on Fox Business Network.

Patrick Gaspard, the president of Mr. Soros’s Open Society Foundations, sent a letter to Mr. Gohmert in December demanding an apology for the “disturbing and false anti-Semitic slur.”

Mr. Soros was a child in Nazi-occupied Hungary.

Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona

“Without naming the offender, the chastisement is an empty gesture,” Mr. Gosar said on Twitter. “It’s time for Democrats to take real action against these anti-Jewish remarks.”

Mr. Gosar raised eyebrows after the deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 when he said “an Obama sympathizer” — funded by Mr. Soros — “started the rally,” then repeated the claim that Mr. Soros “turned in his own people to the Nazis.”

Representative Peter T. King of New York

Mr. King complained on Twitter that the resolution was weakened because of political correctness, and said it was a “sad day for Congress.”

“Victory for hate speech!” he added.

Representative Doug LaMalfa of California

In a statement to The New York Times, Mr. LaMalfa said that the resolution — which he called a “last-minute, politically driven catchall smorgasbord” — was an “abomination to the message that should be sent on the anti-Jewish, anti-Israel rhetoric.”

Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama

“House Democrats had the opportunity to make a strong statement against this vile bigotry by condemning hateful statements,” Mr. Rogers in a statement. “Instead, they caved to their radical socialist base and took no meaningful action.”

Representative Mark Walker of North Carolina

In a statement, Mr. Walker said that it was a “spineless resolution” that “provided cover to a politician spreading hatred and anti-Semitism.”

The Attack Continues on Several Fronts

“They got to him, he is compromised.”
-Tweet from Congress Member Ilhan Omar about former Senator and Attorney General Lindsey Graham, regarding Graham’s flip-flop from calling then-presidential candidate Donald Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” to becoming one of the most ardent supporters of the Republican presidential nominee and later president

As if accusations of anti-Semitism weren’t enough, some have even attacked Ms. Omar as being homophobic. As supporters of Ms. Omar have noted about the rather thin rationale that she is an anti-Semite for daring to criticize Israeli policy and actions, her detractors have also taken to interpreting her use of the word “compromised” as an indication that she was implying that Lindsey Graham was a secret homosexual, thus sparking accusations of homophobia. William Cummings wrote in USA Today about this curious intellectual leap in a January 17, 2019 article “Rep. Omar starts furor with tweets on ‘compromised’ Sen. Graham, Israel ‘evil doings'” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/17/ilhan-omar-tweet-controversy/2603030002/):

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Democrat and first Somali-American elected to Congress, posted a tweet about Graham, saying, “They got to him, he is compromised.” The comment was made with a retweet of a post featuring a 2015 CNN interview in which the South Carolina Republican called then-presidential candidate Donald Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”

When asked about the tweet on CNN Thursday, Omar said her point was “we have seen many times where Sen. Lindsey Graham has told us how dangerous this president could be if he was given the opportunity to be in the White House, and all of the sudden he’s made … a turnaround.”

“So, I am pretty sure that there is something happening with him, whether it is something that has to do with his funding when it comes to running for office, whether it has something to do with the pull that they might have in his district, or whether it has to do with some sort of leadership within the Senate,” she continued without explaining who she meant by “they.”

“He is somehow compromised to no longer stand up for the truth,” she concluded from his change of opinion. …

Although she made no reference to Graham’s sexuality, many conservatives denounced her for homophobia, saying her tweet about Graham being compromised was a reference to long-running and unsubstantiated rumors that he is gay.

“This is ignorant, homophobic and unacceptable,” CNN’s S.E. Cupp tweeted with a link to the CNN interview in which Omar made no reference to Graham’s sexuality. “Democrats, this is becoming a very bad look.”

“Here we have Ilhan Omar, a sitting Congresswoman, floating around a conspiracy theory with absolutely zero evidence that Lindsey Graham is secretly gay and the GOP is holding him hostage. Unbelievable,” tweeted social media strategist Caleb Hull.

Meanwhile, Ms. Omar has continued to defend her political stance while acknowledging that her statements were often clumsily made without realizing how they would be interpreted. “There’s a difference between criticizing a military action by a government that has exercised really oppressive policies and being offensive or attacking a particular people of faith,” she said in a January 2019 interview with Christine Amanpour while calling her choice of words in the “hypnotized” tweet “unfortunate”.

“I say the same things if not worse when it comes to the Saudi government. I’ve called for boycotts of Hajj, and boycotts of Saudi Arabia, because to me it is important when you see oppression taking place – when you see regression – when you see our values being attacked as humans, you must stand up, and it doesn’t matter who the inhabiters of that particular region might be.”

While public figures must be held to standards of honesty and compassion for all people and must be corrected when they misspeak or behave in ways that offend members of the diverse citizenry of their country and the world, the rest of us need to recognize the difference between indelicate remarks, uninformed comments, unenlightened opinions and vindictive and hateful proclamations designed to awaken the impulses that reside in the xenophobic recesses of the soul. We’ve seen enough examples of true evil in political leaders who have sought to promulgate policies that exclude others, dispossess others of their homes, encircle others, imprison others, exploit others, oppress others and exterminate others. Enough has been said about the “othering” of those who are not the same as us for us to be able to see real hatred when it rears its ugly head. It’s time for us all to think more and lash out less, time for us all to stop looking for convenient, vulnerable scapegoats and to start standing up to real injustice and evil when we see it.  Perhaps then we will cease with the wanton attacks against a young, idealistic and, yes, imperfect lawmaker such as Representative Ilhan Omar and start resisting the policies and actions that truly exacerbate the worsening climate of xenophobia in America and around the world.

EDITOR’s NOTE: This comes from JUSTICE INITIATIVE, an organization founded by Heather Gray that often shares commentary on truth and justice issues.  They can be reached at hmcgray@earthlink.net.

The use of the Term “America’ and Where it Originated

The term ‘America’ is used beyond its reference to the United States.

When addressing the politics surrounding the US and Venezuela, invariably the importance of Simon Bolivar comes to the fore. The remarkable leader Hugo Chavez referred to Venezuela essentially as the ongoing Bolivarian Revolution! Without doubt, the significant role of Simon Bolivar continues to resonate in Venezuela and South America overall.

Then, when researching the works and philosophy of Simon Bolivar, I came across the narrative by him that refers to “America” and its needs.

Now, I know that most in the United States refer to the United States singularly as “America” yet we are mistaken to do so. Venezuelans and many others in South America will refer to their countries as “America” as well.

Here is an example of the “American” conceptual framework vis a vis Venezuela from a paper by John Lynch in 1983, from the University of London, entitled “Simon Bolivar and the Age of Revolution. ” In this segment below, with a quote from Bolivar, ‘America’ is being referred to in the context of ‘Venezuela’ under Spanish rule:

Bolivar was not a mere creature of his age, not a slave to French or North American examples. His own revolution was unique, and in developing his ideas and his policies he followed not the models of the western world but the needs of his own America….

But there were problems of identity. Americans by birth, they were neither Indian nor European, but in an ambiguous position between usurped and usurpers. And under Spanish rule their political role was purely passive: ‘America was denied not only its freedom but even an active and effective tyranny’. Most despotic rulers, he argued, at least had an organised system of oppression in which subordinate agents participated at various levels of administration. But under Spanish absolutism Americans were not allowed to exercise any functions of government or even of internal administration. Thus, he concluded, they were not only deprived of their rights but kept in a state of political infancy.
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John Lynch (11 January 1927 – 4 April 2018) was Professor of Latin American History at the University of London. He spent most of his academic career at University College, and then from 1974 to 1987 as Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. The main focus of his work was Spanish America in the period 1750-1850. (Wikipedia)

Then I realized that I had never researched where the name “America” came from in the first place. As noted below, ‘America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer’ and “America,” is a Latinized version of “Amerigo.”

What is the Origin of the Name ‘Venezuela’?

The name ‘Venezuela’, I discovered, came from the second Spanish expedition to the area in 1499, following Christopher Columbus ‘s expedition in 1492. ‘Venezuela’ means “little Venice.” Here’s a short explanation:

The second Spanish expedition, led by Alonso de Ojeda, sailing along the length of the northern coast of South America in 1499, gave the name Venezuela (“little Venice” in Spanish) to the Gulf of Venezuela-because of its perceived similarity to the Italian city.
(Wikipedia)
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Below, please see the interesting short narrative of the origin of the term “America”.
Heather Gray
February 17, 2019
Justice Initiative

The Loc.Gov
Wise Guide

B. [Portrait of Amerigo Vespucci], Reproduction of anonymous painting. [No date found on item.] Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-63115

America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent. A map created in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller was the first to depict this new continent with the name “America,” a Latinized version of “Amerigo.”

The map grew out of an ambitious project in St. Dié, France, in the early years of the 16th century, to update geographic knowledge flowing from the new discoveries of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Martin Waldseemüller’s large world map was the most exciting product of that research effort. He included on the map data gathered by Vespucci during his voyages of 1501-1502 to the New World. Waldseemüller named the new lands “America” on his 1507 map in the recognition of Vespucci’s understanding that a new continent had been uncovered following Columbus’ and subsequent voyages in the late 15th century. An edition of 1,000 copies of the large wood-cut print was reportedly printed and sold, but no other copy is known to have survived. It was the first map, printed or manuscript, to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean. The map reflected a huge leap forward in knowledge, recognizing the newly found American landmass and forever changing mankind’s understanding and perception of the world itself.

The Library of Congress recently completed the purchase of the only known extant copy of this map for $10 million, thanks to the generosity of the U.S. Congress, Discovery Channel, Gerald Lenfest, David Koch and several other donors.

A. Waldseemüller, [Map of the World Naming “America,” 1507.
Geography and Map Division

For more than 350 years the map was housed in a 16th century castle in Wolfegg, in southern Germany. The introduction to Waldseemüller’s “Cosmographie” is in the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division. This extremely rare work contains the first suggestion that the area of Columbus’ discovery be named “America” in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, who recognized that a “New World,” the so-called fourth part of the world, had been reached through Columbus’ voyage. Before that time, there was no name that collectively identified the Western Hemisphere. The earlier Spanish explorers referred to the area as the Indies believing, as did Columbus, that it was a part of eastern Asia. The Vespucci Family Papers are housed in the Library’s Manuscript Division.

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The Waldseemüller map opens the new Library exhibition “Rivers, Edens, Empires: Lewis & Clark and the Revealing of America.” It is one of the treasures of the Library and of the Geography and Map Division, which has more than 4.6 million cartographic items in its collections. Many of these items are online in American Memory, the Library’s Web site of more than 120 thematic collections ranging from the papers of U.S. presidents, civil rights leaders and suffragists to early motion pictures, sound recordings, photographs and baseball cards.

# # #

EDITOR’s NOTE: The following articles were shared from pieces that originally appeared in the BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47172020), The Namibian (https://www.namibian.com.na/75591/read/Haile-Selassie-–-Why-the-African-Union-is-putting-up-a-statue) and the Daily Monitor (https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Why-African-Union-putting-Haile-Selassie-statue-Rastafarian-god/688340-4976280-18pgqyz/index.html), among other sources.  This also currently appears on the Web site of the Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (http://www.srdcinternational.org), and thus reflects the occasionally differing perspectives of a variety of news sources and organizations, which we present here unedited.

A statue of Ethiopia’s last emperor has been unveiled outside the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The likeness of Haile Selassie is being given pride of place outside the $200m (£154m) building in recognition for his role in establishing its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

But that might not be the first thing that springs to mind on hearing the name Haile Selassie. The name is perhaps more easily connected with Jamaican singer Bob Marley and Rastafarians.

So who exactly is Haile Selassie, and how did he come to be worshipped as a god by people living thousands of miles away?

First things first: why is he getting a statue?

Haile Selassie was more than 30 years into his reign when he helped establish the OAU. Its first meeting, in May 1963, was held in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia – which has never been colonized although it was subjected to a five-year military occupation by Mussolini’s Italy – had served as a symbol of African independence throughout the colonial period.

Now other countries were finally gaining independence, and this was a chance to bring nations together to fight against colonization and white minority rule while also coordinating efforts to raise living standards and defend their sovereignty.

“May this convention of union last 1,000 years,” Selassie, who spent a year preparing the city for the meeting, told the gathered delegates.

As it happened, the OAU ceased to exist in its original form in 2002, replaced by the African Union (AU).

But his role in establishing the union has not been forgotten, and the statue is a way for the AU to recognize Selassie’s contribution.

So, how exactly did he come to be seen as a god?

It all comes down to his coronation in 1930, and a “prophecy” made by a Jamaican black rights campaigner, Marcus Garvey, a decade earlier.

Garvey had told his followers in 1920 they should “look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at hand”.

So, when a black man called Ras Tafari was crowned in Ethiopia, many saw that as a sign the prophecy had come true.

In East Africa, Ras Tafari (“chief” Tafari) became Haile Selassie (“power of the trinity”). Almost 8,000 miles away in the West Indies, Haile Selassie became God (or Jah) incarnate – the redeeming messiah – and Ethiopia, the promised land.

In short, the Rastafari movement was born.

Did Selassie believe it himself? Well, he certainly didn’t try to dispel the belief when he visited Jamaica in 1966. The emperor was greeted by thousands, desperate to get a glimpse of their god. Among the devotees was the wife of a young Reggae musician, Bob Marley, who was away in the US.

Rita Marley would later describe how she saw nail marks on Selassie’s palm as he waved at her. It was a moment of religious awakening, and when her husband returned, they embraced the belief.

Three years earlier, Rastafarians had begun to move to Ethiopia and a piece of land Selassie had put aside for black people from the West in 1948. After the visit, the numbers grew larger. Today, the community numbers about 300 people.

But followers were presented with a conundrum after Selassie died in 1975, a year after he was deposed in a Marxist revolution. After all, gods cannot die.

This was resolved after it was argued Selassie’s body was just his earthly body.

Also, it should be noted, Garvey was never a believer. In fact, he was a critic of Selassie.

What was he really like?

Opinion is still split over whether Selassie was good for Ethiopia or not.

A Human Rights Watch report accuses him of acting with “official indifference” to famines in various regions of the country and attempting to conceal the famine of 1972-72, in which an estimated 200,000 people died.

He is also known to have violently cracked down on people who opposed him during his reign.

Marcus Garvey was unimpressed after he fled Ethiopia in 1936 following the invasion of Benito Mussolini’s troops a year earlier, describing Selassie as a “coward” and calling him out for “the terrors of slavery”. The practice was not outlawed in Ethiopia until 1942.

Academic Dr Yohannes Woldemariam has gone as far as to argue that Selassie should be remembered as a dictator. Indeed, he created a constitution which placed all the power in his hands and those of his descendants.

But his supporters argue he was a great leader and modernizer, who was one of the first African leaders to become a figure on the global stage.

His appeal to the League of Nations after his country was invaded is still remembered today – not least because it forms the basis of Bob Marley’s 1976 song, War.

What’s more, he was not made emperor through a chance of birth. Although born into a noble family in 1892, he was only named leader after impressing Menelik III with his intelligence.

And – as the AU’s statue to him reminds people – he was a great advocate for pan-African cooperation, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to have an effect on millions of people across the continent today.

African Union Unveils Haile Selassie Statue At Its Headquarters in Ethiopia

Takudzwa Hillary Chiwanza
Sun, Feb 10, 2019

⦁ In paying respect to Haile Selassie’s role in the formation of the African Union, his statue has been unveiled at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

⦁ The African Union has paid reverence to one of the most iconic African revolutionaries, Haile Selassie I by⦁  unveiling a statue at the headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The statue was officially unveiled by the AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame, Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The artists who brought it to life are Bekele Mekonnen, Mesfin Tesfaye and Henock Azene, who are all Ethiopians.

Haile Selassie’s statue becomes the second one to be erected at the AU headquarters. In 2012, Kwame Nkrumah’s statue was unveiled. Kwame Nkrumah is respected for how he championed Pan-Africanism, especially at a time when colonial forces did not want to see any advancement being championed by African leaders.

The unveiling of Haile Selassie’s statue sends a very strong message of Pan-Africanism across Africa. Haile Selassie was one of the leaders who were instrumental in the formation of the continental body, when it was still called the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Haile Selassie was the leader of Ethiopia at the time (1963), being Emperor of the country. He was the last Emperor of the country. He was deposed in 1974 through a coup after some resentment had grown against him.

Selassie uttered some iconic words when the organization was formed. “May this convention of union last 1,000 years,” he said.

Ethiopia has long been viewed as a beacon of African independence. The country was never colonized – although it was subjected to a five-year military occupation by Mussolini’s Italy.

The African Exponent Weekly

Ethiopians have hailed this development from the African Union.

Header image credit: @terrefebiruk on Twitter

As the forces backing President Nicolas Maduro and National Assembly member and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido continue to marshal their respective forces in their struggle to establish control of what can only be described as a divided Venezuela, and as the United States seems bent on coercing its allies in Canada and the right-wing nations of Latin America to support a policy of regime change in that country, the international community has increasingly voiced its opinion on the crisis.  The extreme right seems to be represented by the Lima Group of Latin American nations, including the latest ally of US President Donald Trump in Brazil, in calling for the outright overthrow of what they term an “illegitimate” Maduro-led government, with support from the United States, Canada and a few European states.  The left is largely represented by many academics who have signed open letters to the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS), such as Noam Chomsky, former leftist heads of state such as Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, a variety of Socialist governments (Russia, China) and several grassroots, revolutionary and Socialist organizations.  The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) seem to be in the middle, with OAS leaning toward backing Guaido and CARICOM, though divided itself between Guaido and Maduro, generally insisting in unison on a peaceful resolution to the crisis that listens to the people of Venezuela, respects the nation’s sovereignty and avoids bloodshed.  Here, we will discuss some of the international community’s response, so far, to the Venezuela crisis.

The United States Shows Its Face

On January 22, US Vice President Mike Pence officially announced the US’s support for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the ascension of National Assembly member Juan Guaido to the Presidency. The New York Times announced Pence’s statement in an article by Edward Wong and Ana Vanessa Herrero, “US VP Pence Officially Backs Guaido’s Effort to Oust Maduro”, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/world/americas/venezuela-usa-nicolas-maduro.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article&region=Footer:

“Nicolás Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power,” Mr. Pence said. “He’s never won the presidency in a free and fair election, and he’s maintained his grip on power by imprisoning anyone who dares to oppose him.”

Mr. Maduro fired back hours later, saying that he had ordered “a total and absolute revision” of Venezuela’s relationship with the United States. Speaking on state television, he asked: “Who elects the president of Venezuela? Mike Pence?”

A week later, Trump announced sanctions against Venezuela’s oil, as reported in a January 29 article by Karen DeYoung, Steven Mufson and Anthony Faiola for The Washington Post, “Trump administration announces sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry”, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-announces-sanctions-targeting-venezuelas-oil-industry/2019/01/28/4f4470c2-233a-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html?utm_term=.9f88b59ea61d:

The Trump administration on Monday escalated its efforts to force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, blocking all U.S. revenue to Venezuela’s national oil company and calling on members of its armed forces to switch their allegiance to the man the United States now recognizes as Venezuela’s head of state.

Any attempt to harm remaining U.S. diplomats in Venezuela, or violence against the newly recognized president, Juan Guaidó, “will be met with a significant response,” White House national security adviser John Bolton said. …

The measures announced Monday place sanctions on ­PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company, freezing $7 billion in U.S.-based assets and blocking more than $11 billion in revenue that would otherwise flow from oil sales over the next year, Bolton said.

Virtually all of those assets belong to Citgo, the U.S.-based PDVSA subsidiary that owns three refineries in the United States and a nationwide network of pipeline and gas stations, and employs thousands in this country.

International Reaction to the Venezuela Crisis

The German international broadcast Web site Deutsche Welle (https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-crisis-how-the-world-sees-it/a-47205881) compiled a listing of countries that supported Guaido (the US, the right-leaning Lima , the Organization of American States and Canada), those that stopped short of backing Maduro’s ouster but appeared to back Guaido (Great Britain, France and the European Council) as well as those that continue to recognize Maduro (Cuba, Bolivia, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and China).

Russia’s condemnation of US sanctions and its decision to back Maduro was discussed in The Washington Post‘s January 29, 2019 article “Russia slams U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and promises to back Maduro” by Anton Troianovski (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-slams-us-sanctions-on-venezuela-and-vows-to-back-maduro/2019/01/29/71eb5fe4-23be-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.46b0afcc35c0).

The Organization of American States (OAS), while having already established its pro-Guaido position, released a Resolution back on June 5, 2018 (prior to Guaido’s rise to popularity and declaration of himself as president) which called for the Venezuelan government to allow humanitarian aid and to commit itself to “representative democracy”, as stated in detail on their Web site http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=S-032/18:

Resolution on the Situation in Venezuela
June 5, 2018
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 5, 2018)

CONSIDERING that the Charter of the Organization of American States recognizes that representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and development of the region and that one of the purposes of the OAS is to promote and consolidate representative democracy;

REAFFIRMING the right of the peoples of the Americas to democracy and the obligation of their governments to promote and defend it;

BEARING IN MIND that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; access to and the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law; the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, the pluralistic system of political parties and organizations, and the separation of powers and independence of the branches of government are, among other things, essential elements of representative democracy;

TAKING NOTE of the report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights “Democratic Institutions, the Rule of Law and Human Rights in Venezuela,” published on February 12, 2018, which reflects the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in that country;

RECALLING that, through its resolution CP/RES. 1095 (2145/18) of February 23, 2018, the Permanent Council requested the Government of Venezuela to reconsider the convening of presidential elections and to implement the measures necessary to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian situation, including accepting the assistance offered by the international community;

CONSIDERING that the aggravation of the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis that has caused a deterioration in the standard of living in that country is generating an increasing emigration of Venezuelan citizens and is having impacts on the capacity of some countries of the Hemisphere to meet their different needs, including those pertaining to security, as evidenced at the meeting of the Permanent Council held on April 30, 2018;

RECALLING that resolution CP/RES. 1078 (2108/17) of April 3, 2017, declared that an unconstitutional alteration of the constitutional order of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela had occurred;

UNDERSCORING that diplomatic initiatives offered by the Permanent Council and undertaken by several member states have either been rebuffed by the Venezuelan Government, or failed until now,

RESOLVES:

1. To declare that the electoral process as implemented in Venezuela, which concluded on May 20, 2018, lacks legitimacy, for not complying with international standards, for not having met the participation of all Venezuelan political actors, and for being carried out without the necessary guarantees for a free, fair, transparent and democratic process.

2. To reaffirm that only through a national dialogue with the participation of all Venezuelan political actors and stakeholders can national reconciliation be achieved and the necessary conditions agreed upon for holding a new electoral process that truly reflects the will of the Venezuelan citizens and peacefully resolves the current crisis in that country.

3. To reiterate that an unconstitutional alteration of the constitutional order of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has occurred, as stated in resolution CP/RES. 1078 (2108/17) of April 3, 2017.

4. To urge the Government of Venezuela to take steps to guarantee the separation and independence of the constitutional branches of power and restore the full authority of the National Assembly, the rule of law, and the guarantees and liberties of the population.

5. To urge the Government of Venezuela to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and to implement epidemiological surveillance measures in its country to prevent the aggravation of the humanitarian and public health crisis, particularly against the reappearance of diseases such as measles, malaria, and diphtheria

6. To invite the member states to implement measures to address the humanitarian emergency in Venezuela, including supplying medicines, as well as considering contributions to the competent international organizations to strengthen the institutional capacities of the recipient countries.

7. To instruct the Permanent Council to identify, in coordination with the relevant inter-American and international institutions, the appropriate measures to support the member states that are receiving an increasing number of Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

8. To call upon the member and permanent observer states to implement, in accordance with their respective legal frameworks and applicable international law, the measures deemed appropriate at the political, economic, and financial levels to assist in the restoration of democratic order in Venezuela.

9. To remain seized of the situation in Venezuela in order to support diplomatic actions and additional measures that facilitate the restoration of democratic institutions and social peace, and that promote full respect for human rights and full adherence to the rule of law, within the constitutional framework of Venezuela and in a manner consistent with its international obligations and commitments.

10. To apply, in strict accordance with the letter and spirit of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the mechanisms for the preservation and defense of representative democracy provided under its Articles 20 and 21.

1)The delegations of Antigua and Barbuda and Bolivia stated that they will submit footnotes.

http://scm.oas.org/ag/documentos/Documentos/AG07680E06.doc
Reference: S-032/18

On January 29, the OAS, through its Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, also urged the Venezuelan government to ensure the protection of Guaido and his family, stating that it believes that “his life, personal integrity and personal freedom are at ‘urgent and grave risk.’ It is asking that Venezuelan authorities adopt the measures necessary to protect the president of the National Assembly, who declared himself interim president of the country” (https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/The-Latest-India-closely-following-crisis-in-13560640.php). The site also shares several developments in the crisis, including Russia’s offer to mediate, Maduro’s stated willingness to discuss the dispute in his country, critics of Guaido calling his true intentions into question, and UN human rights commissioner Michelle Bachelet calling for independent investigations into violence linked to protests in Venezuela and the holding of “immediate talks to defuse the increasingly incendiary atmosphere.”

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), divided as to its initial support of the OAS position on Venezuela, met with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to seek the establishment of a “roadmap to peace” on January 29. CARICOM also released a statement on the crisis (https://newsday.co.tt/2019/01/25/full-caricom-statement-on-venezuelas-political-crisis/) on January 25.

Full CARICOM statement on Venezuela’s political crisis
The following is the full statement issued tonight on the outcome of the meeting.

STATEMENT BY THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF CARICOM ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SITUATION IN THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA

The following Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago; Foreign Ministers of Grenada and Suriname; meeting by video-conference on 24 January 2019, issued the following statement.

“Heads of Government are following closely the current unsatisfactory situation in Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a neighbouring Caribbean country. They expressed grave concern about the plight of the people of Venezuela and the increasing volatility of the situation brought about by recent developments which could lead to further violence, confrontation, breakdown of law and order and greater suffering for the people of the country.

Heads of Government reaffirmed their guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy.

Heads of Government reiterated that the long-standing political crisis, which has been exacerbated by recent events, can only be resolved peacefully through meaningful dialogue and diplomacy.

In this regard, Heads of Government offered their good offices to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis.

Reaffirming their commitment to the tenets of Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter which calls for Members States to refrain from the threat or the use of force and Article 21 of the Charter of the Organization of American States which refers to territorial inviolability, the Heads of Government emphasized the importance of the Caribbean remaining a Zone of Peace.

Heads of Government called on external forces to refrain from doing anything to destabilize the situation and underscored the need to step back from the brink and called on all actors, internal and external, to avoid actions which would escalate an already explosive situation to the detriment of the people of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and which could have far-reaching negative consequences for the wider region.

Heads of Government agreed that the Chairman of Conference, Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis would seek an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General to request the U.N’s assistance in resolving the issue.”

Friday, 25 January 2019: Carla Bridglal

An article on Telesur English (https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/500-Public-Figures-Sign-Letter-Supporting-Peace-in-Venezuela-20190207-0002.html) tells about a letter signed by 500 public figures from 27 Latin American and European countries, including former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, that was sent to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Uraguayan President Tabare Vasquez, both of whom were scheduled to attend the first meeting of the International Contact Group on Venezuela in Montivideo, Uraguay on February 7. For more on that letter, check the link above.

Other organizations which perhaps have not received the acknowledgement of the international diplomatic community and whose statements are thus often ignored by the “mainstream media” also made statements, from a letter by an organization called the Jamaica Peace Council (https://jamaicapeacecouncil.wordpress.com/2019/01/29/letter-get-out-of-venezuelas-internal-affairs/) to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Israel, which released this statement on January 25:

The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) strongly condemns the blatant intervention of US imperialism and its allies in the internal affairs of Venezuela aiming to remove the elected President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro.

It is clear that the United States is seeking to take advantage of Venezuela’s economic problems, which were essentially also caused by its embargo policy, to roll back into the age of right wing and fascist puppet regimes. As in the past, Latin America, which the USA regards as its backyard, is to be turned into a haven of reaction and fascism in the service of US corporations. The immediate recognition of the self-proclaimed “interim president” by the USA and other right wing governments is contrary to any international law and proves the directing of this coup attempt by the imperialists.

The plan of regime changes in Venezuela is going for a long time. The present US move to recognize the opposition leader Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez as interim President and to call upon other Latin American countries to follow USA is a new pattern of regime change which will jeopardize the peace and stability in the entire Latin America and particularly can pushing Venezuela into a civil war.

The imperialist design of creating dual powers in Venezuela will deepen the social divide and undermine the authority of the State thereby endangering its sovereignty. Moreover, the US military intervention is looming large over Venezuela. However, the Armed forces in Venezuela expressed their resolve to meet any such challenge.

The Communist Party of Israel hopes that with the popular support of Venezuelan people, President Maduro will be able to defeat all imperialist machinations. The CPI urges upon the governments of Israel and other Middle East countries not to support any effort of Trump administration to destabilize the elected governments in Latin America especially in Venezuela against the will of the people.

The Communist Party of Pakistan also expressed its concern:

Communist Party of Pakistan is profoundly concerned about the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The recent rogue attempts to oust the legitimate President Nicolas Maduro from power is against all the international norms.

President Nicolas Maduro is elected through an election, testified by, a contingent of international observers. to be fair and free.

The consistent covert and overt attempts of the Trump administration to destabilize the democratically elected government of Venezuela and illegitimately endorsing the presidency of self proclaimed undemocratic [Juan] Guaido is an act of cowardice and unprecedented breach of the diplomatic norms, as well as a clear violation of UN charter.

Communist party of Pakistan strongly condemns this wicked behavior of the imperialist United States of America.

It is highly encouraging that the brave people of Venezuela, the Army and Judiciary stand by the democratically elected government.

Communist Party of Pakistan solutes the struggle and resolute standing of the people of Venezuela. We are confident that the people of Venezuela be victorious through its unity and the shenanigan forces of imperialism and capitalist barbarism will be defeated for all times to come.

In profound solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

Politbureau
CP Pakistan 🇵🇰

The Activist Left Responds

The Web site Breaking News reported that former United Nations rapporteur Alfred de Zayas stated that the actions of the US amounted to “economic warfare” against Venezuela in the article “Former UN Rapporteur Denounces US ‘Economic Warfare’ against Venezuela”, https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/former-un-rapporteur-us-sanctions-against-venezuela-causing-economic-and-humanitarian-crisis-900603.html:

A former United Nations rapporteur has criticised the US for engaging in “economic warfare” against Venezuela which he claimed was the real reason for the economic and humanitarian crisis facing the country.

Alfred de Zayas, who last year became the first UN rapporteur to visit Venezuela for 21 years, also suggested in his recently published UN report, that US sanctions on the country are illegal and could amount to “crimes against humanity” under international law.

Mr de Zayas, an American lawyer, writer, historian and former secretary of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), presented his Venezuela report to the HRC in September.

In the report, Mr De Zayas recommended, among other actions, that the International Criminal Court investigate economic sanctions against Venezuela as possible crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. …

Speaking to The Independent yesterday Mr de Zayas also suggested his research into the causes of the country’s economic crisis has so far largely been ignored.

“When I come and I say the emigration is partly attributable to the economic war waged against Venezuela and is partly attributable to the sanctions, people don’t like to hear that. They just want the simple narrative that socialism failed and it failed the Venezuelan people,” Mr de Zayas told The Independent.

Mr de Zayas went on to suggest that sanctions are part of a US effort to overthrow the Venezuelan government and install a friendlier regime.

“I’ve seen that happen in the Human Rights Council, how the United States twists arms and convinces countries to vote the way they want them to vote, or there will be economic consequences, and these things are not reflected in the press,” he told The Independent.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and other abundant natural resources including gold, bauxite and coltan.

“If you crush this government and you bring in a neoliberal government that is going to privatise everything and is going to sell out, a lot of transitional corporations stand to gain enormous profits and the United States is driven by the transnational corporations,” the former UN special rapporteur told The Independent. …

In his report, Mr de Zayas expressed concern that those calling the situation a “humanitarian crisis” are being “weaponised” to discredit the government and make violent overthrow more “palatable”. …

“Only the Venezuelans have a right to decide, not the United States, not the United Kingdom … What is urgent is to help the Venezuelan people through international solidarity – genuine humanitarian aid and a lifting of the financial blockade so that Venezuela can buy and sell like any other country in the world – the problems can be solved with good faith and common sense.”

Mr de Zayas is one of 70 signatories of an open letter, along with Noam Chomsky and over 70 other academics and experts, who have condemned what they described as a US-backed coup attempt against the Venezuelan government.

Open Letter to the US: Stop Interfering in Venezuela’s Internal Politics

The Web site Common Dreams (https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/01/24/open-letter-united-states-stop-interfering-venezuelas-internal-politics) posted an open letter to the United States urging it to “stop interfering in Venezuela’s internal politics, a letter which was signed by 70 activists, journalists and academics, including Mr. de Zayas and professor Norm Chomsky. We include the letter in its entirety below, and the full list of signatories can be reviewed on the Common Dreams Web site.

Thursday, January 24, 2019 by Common Dreams

An Open Letter to the United States: Stop Interfering in Venezuela’s Internal Politics
If the Trump administration and its allies continue to pursue their reckless course in Venezuela, the most likely result will be bloodshed, chaos, and instability.

by Noam Chomsky, Laura Carlsen, Miguel Tinker Salas, Greg Grandin

The following open letter—signed by 70 scholars on Latin America, political science, and history as well as filmmakers, civil society leaders, and other experts—was issued on Thursday, January 24, 2019 in opposition to ongoing intervention by the United States in Venezuela.

The United States government must cease interfering in Venezuela’s internal politics, especially for the purpose of overthrowing the country’s government. Actions by the Trump administration and its allies in the hemisphere are almost certain to make the situation in Venezuela worse, leading to unnecessary human suffering, violence, and instability.

Venezuela’s political polarization is not new; the country has long been divided along racial and socioeconomic lines. But the polarization has deepened in recent years. This is partly due to US support for an opposition strategy aimed at removing the government of Nicolás Maduro through extra-electoral means. While the opposition has been divided on this strategy, US support has backed hardline opposition sectors in their goal of ousting the Maduro government through often violent protests, a military coup d’etat, or other avenues that sidestep the ballot box.

“Actions by the Trump administration and its allies in the hemisphere are almost certain to make the situation in Venezuela worse, leading to unnecessary human suffering, violence, and instability.”

Under the Trump administration, aggressive rhetoric against the Venezuelan government has ratcheted up to a more extreme and threatening level, with Trump administration officials talking of “military action” and condemning Venezuela, along with Cuba and Nicaragua, as part of a “troika of tyranny.” Problems resulting from Venezuelan government policy have been worsened by US economic sanctions, illegal under the Organization of American States and the United Nations ― as well as US law and other international treaties and conventions. These sanctions have cut off the means by which the Venezuelan government could escape from its economic recession, while causing a dramatic falloff in oil production and worsening the economic crisis, and causing many people to die because they can’t get access to life-saving medicines. Meanwhile, the US and other governments continue to blame the Venezuelan government ― solely ― for the economic damage, even that caused by the US sanctions.

Now the US and its allies, including OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, have pushed Venezuela to the precipice. By recognizing National Assembly President Juan Guaido as the new president of Venezuela ― something illegal under the OAS Charter ― the Trump administration has sharply accelerated Venezuela’s political crisis in the hopes of dividing the Venezuelan military and further polarizing the populace, forcing them to choose sides. The obvious, and sometimes stated goal, is to force Maduro out via a coup d’etat.

The reality is that despite hyperinflation, shortages, and a deep depression, Venezuela remains a politically polarized country. The US and its allies must cease encouraging violence by pushing for violent, extralegal regime change. If the Trump administration and its allies continue to pursue their reckless course in Venezuela, the most likely result will be bloodshed, chaos, and instability. The US should have learned something from its regime change ventures in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and its long, violent history of sponsoring regime change in Latin America.

“The US should have learned something from its regime change ventures in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and its long, violent history of sponsoring regime change in Latin America.”

Neither side in Venezuela can simply vanquish the other. The military, for example, has at least 235,000 frontline members, and there are at least 1.6 million in militias. Many of these people will fight, not only on the basis of a belief in national sovereignty that is widely held in Latin America ― in the face of what increasingly appears to be a US-led intervention ― but also to protect themselves from likely repression if the opposition topples the government by force.

In such situations, the only solution is a negotiated settlement, as has happened in the past in Latin American countries when politically polarized societies were unable to resolve their differences through elections. There have been efforts, such as those led by the Vatican in the fall of 2016, that had potential, but they received no support from Washington and its allies who favored regime change. This strategy must change if there is to be any viable solution to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.

For the sake of the Venezuelan people, the region, and for the principle of national sovereignty, these international actors should instead support negotiations between the Venezuelan government and its opponents that will allow the country to finally emerge from its political and economic crisis.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

Related posts will share information from Justice Initiative on the crisis in Venezuela, including a commentary by Greg Palast on the influence of White Supremacy as a driver of the efforts to unseat Maduro and destabilize Venezuela, and an Open Letter written by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to the people of the United States. Look for these posts in the next few days.