AfricanStream

A secret language of enslaved Africans in the United States has survived since the 18th century. Tutnese, also known as Tut, was developed in order to teach literacy during the era of chattel slavery. In linguistic genealogy, it is referred to as ‘cant,’ a family of languages designed intentionally to exclude or mislead observers, in this case, White-settler colonialists, enslavers and their acolytes. It was for this reason that the Tut language remained clandestine. Throughout the United States, harshly enforced anti-literacy laws targeting enslaved, and sometimes free, African-descendants remained on the books for well over a century (between 1740 and 1867). Why? Effective, widespread and cohesive communication and literacy skills among African people meant increased chances of organised rebellion against the status quo - precisely what White society feared. In effect, Tutnese was developed as a means of communication and education to ensure the safety of Black people from their enemies (and, hopefully, successful rebellions against tyranny). Even up until the 1970s, many Black families were encouraged to keep the language a secret. Teaching Tutnese publicly is heavily discouraged due to its historical development. It is unknown how many people actually speak the language today. However, researchers have found Tutnese spoken among African-descendant people in Canada, Mexico and even West Asia. When it comes to the traditions of African people, do you believe that more gatekeeping is necessary? Or do you believe in a culture of mass organisation with closed-door secrecy among ourselves to move forward?

The facts are as follows: On 28 September 1958, France held a constitutional referendum in the country and its colonies. The question was as follows: 'Do you approve of the Constitution offered by the Government of the Republic?' Countries that voted 'yes' joined the 'French community,' a status that would come with continued French military and economic domination. Countries that voted no were issued immediate sovereignty from formal French rule. While many African leaders at the time waged national campaigns to join the French community, only Guinea's Ahmed Sékou Touré voted no. He famously declared, 'We prefer liberty in poverty to slavery in riches.' However, it was not his decision alone. Guinean people turned out 85.5 per cent to vote 95 per cent against the constitution. Then France launched Operation Persil to destabilise the country and try to turn citizens against Sékou Touré. Before the campaign, French nationals destroyed much of Guinea's infrastructure on their way out. During the campaign, France deployed spies to counterfeit the new Guinean currency and encourage revolt. At the time, Pan-African leader of Mali, Modibo Keïta, voted to remain a part of the French community. France said those who voted against the constitution would achieve independence separately from the other African states. Keïta identified this as a Balkanisation tactic and attempted to instead form a Pan-African entity with Senegal known as the Mali Federation. Within two years of independence, Keïta would withdraw from the 'French community,' expelling French troops, closing the French military base in 1961, and creating a sovereign currency in 1962. Today, 12 former French colonies in Africa use the CFA franc currency, as does former Portuguese colony Guinea Bissau and former Spanish colony Equatorial Guinea. After a coup overthrew Keïta, Mali re-adopted the CFA franc. Guinea is the only former French colony in West Africa with a sovereign currency. Let us know what you think of Arikana Chihombori-Quao, the African Union's former permanent representative to the United States, breaking it down in this clip.

Dream Betrayed? South Africa's 30 Years of 'Democracy' | Our Doc From S.A On April 27th 1994, there was excitement across South Africa as millions of South Africans queued up outside polling stations to participate in the country’s first democratic election, in which citizens of all races were allowed to participate. It was more than just an election. Many saw it as the final nail into the coffin of a system that had oppressed Black South Africans since 1652 when Dutch colonialist Jan Van Riebeck arrived at the shores of modern-day South Africa. As widely expected, the African National Congress (ANC), the country’s most prominent liberation movement, convincingly won the election. After decades of bloody struggle, the ANC finally transitioned from a liberation movement to the country’s new rulers. Hopefulness was in the air, free at last, or so they thought! Three decades later, many are asking if that transition delivered and met the hopes and aspirations of the masses who stood in the long queues outside voting booths in 1994. African Stream has been on the ground in South Africa, examining the country’s painful past and the long road to freedom and how its indigenous population feel three decades after the end of apartheid. Please watch and give us your thoughts in the comments.

In this video, African Stream’s editor-in-chief Ahmed Kaballo tries to make sense of the indifference shown to the suffering of the Congolese people. He argues that history shapes current perceptions and responses to atrocities. King Leopold's atrocities in Congo in the late 19th century, which k*lled an estimated 10-million people, set a precedent that allowed subsequent mass k*llings in Africa to receive less attention and condemnation. Because Leopold got away with the Congo atrocities, it made it easier for the world to ignore the around 6-million Congolese people k*lled in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Colonial figures responsible for mass African deaths are not properly recognised or condemned - even within Africa - thanks to Western biases regarding how history is framed and taught. Compare, for example, the legacy of brutal figures like H*tler, whom many Africans unhesitatingly recognise as the embodiment of evil, even though he did not commit violence against Africans on the scale seen in the Congo. Do you agree that history has desensitised the former colonial powers to African suffering today?

Israeli historian and political scientist Ilan Pappé expounds in this video clip on the history of Gaza, a melting pot of culture, commerce and religion. Gaza City became prominent because of an ancient coastal trade route—the Via Maris—connecting modern-day Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Turkey. In 1948, settler-colonial forces, backed by the United Kingdom, displaced 750,000 Palestinians the day after the state of Israel was established. Palestinians call that event the 'Nakba' ('catastrophe' in Arabic). While neighbouring countries welcomed Palestinian refugees, Egypt closed its borders. That forced the newly established Israeli state to give back 2 per cent of historic Palestine, dubbing the 41-kilometre enclave the 'Gaza Strip.' Israel has now turned the Gaza Strip into the world's biggest open-air prison, blockading more than 2 million Palestinians since 2007 by cutting power, restricting food intake and imports, and arbitrarily closing borders. Israel declared a total blockade after the 7 October escalation, cutting water, electricity and food supplies to the enclave in violation of the Geneva Conventions that prohibit collective punishment of civilian populations. Since 7 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened a ground invasion of the strip's southern city of Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge on the border with Egypt.

Several hundred protesters gathered on 3 May outside the US embassy in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, expressing anger and discontent with Washington for recently criticising the African state's military leadership. A joint statement by the United States and Britain on 29 April expressed 'grave concern' over a Human Rights Watch report that military forces killed hundreds of civilians in February in the country's north. The government has denied the allegation. Waving Burkinabé, Russian and North Korean flags, protesters accused the US of a double standard, pointing to about 500,000 people killed in the US war on Iraq and US financial and military support for Israel's onslaught in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. Burkina Faso's military government, which seized power in a 2022 coup, has further defied the West by embracing Russia as a partner to secure the border zones where armed militants had controlled territory.

The US has pointed the finger at Rwanda - after two deadly strikes on refugee camps in neighboring DRC. The bombings took place at Mugunga and Lac Vert on Friday, with dozens who’d fled the violence in the war-torn east killed - mostly women and children. Washington alleges Rwanda’s military, in collaboration with the M23 rebel group, committed these atrocities, although Kigali strongly denies this and blames other groups fighting alongside the DRC’s military. The US, and wider West, condemns Rwanda for backing the M23 group, but has taken no significant actions, while US corporations allegedly continue to profit from the illegal mining of Congolese resources, which are laundered through Rwanda. Countries such as the UK continue to provide substantial aid and investment to Rwanda, and there have been few sanctions on Rwandan officials, raising questions about the West’s commitment to addressing the decades-long conflict in Congo. What do you think? Should the West wield its stick or are we actually better off finding an African solution to the murderous campaign in DRC?

Here’s a quick reminder from PLO Lumumba that the abominable European slave trade was perpetrated not just by the dominant states there but even by what he calls “now very quiet” powers - like the Danes and the Norwegians. PLO also makes the point that - while the Europeans may have initially come to Africa in search of trade - they soon realised that, amid a growing need for labour back home, the African human being was the most profitable ‘commodity’.

For centuries, the European mind has perceived Africans and Africa as uncivilised and backward, as expressed in the poem, 'The White Man’s Burden.' White supremacy was used to justify slavery and colonisation. However, much of African culture and history tells a different story. We are a mighty and intelligent people, whether we trace our roots to Egypt, or to the Dogon astral people of Mali or elsewhere on this vast continent. Human rights activist and lawyer Brian Kagoro weighs in during this clip from the 10th National Security Symposium, jointly organized in May by the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College as well as the University of Rwanda. The theme was 'Foreign Interference in Africa: The Enduring Destabilising Factor.' So, let us know: How can we build up Africa, regardless of how others view us? Jot your thoughts below.

In this bizarre and heated interaction, Leanne Manas (@leannemanas), a white South African TV presenter, asked South African-based Zimbabwean political activist Rutendo Matinyarare (@matinyarare) why he does not want to ‘go home.’ The exchange occurred on 19 December 2018 during a live TV programme (@SABCnewsonline) reflecting on the legacy of Zimbabwe’s first post-independence leader, Robert Mugabe. Matinyarare highlighted that, despite the challenges Western sanctions have caused, Zimbabwe was on the rise, owing to its immense natural resources. Manas responded to this by saying that if the country had such great resources, Matinyarare should leave South Africa and return to Zimbabwe, a line that right-wing xenophobes commonly use. However, the Zimbabwean activist was equal to the task and quickly reminded the anchor that her ancestors had migrated from Europe to South Africa. Further, African Stream takes a Pan-Africanist perspective, which acknowledges that European colonisers created the borders of African states and that Matinyarare, as an African, has the right to live in any part of the continent. Matinyarare, leader of the Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Movement, recently posted this video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying five years after this fiery interview, the US lifted two-decade-long sanctions. Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga had said last year that US and EU sanctions have cost the landlocked southern African country more than $150 billion. However, after removing the 2003 sanctions, the US imposed new restrictions on Zimbabwean officials and entities in March. What do you make of this exchange? Let us know in the comments.

In East Africa, locals often refer to White visitors from Europe and the US as ‘mzungu’ - and it occasionally prompts concern among non-Swahili speakers that it could be derogatory. But as our Ethiopian sister Weyni Tesfai here explains, the word is no slur. She says it originated in the 19th century, when European explorers landed on the continent. Among them was Scotsman David Livingstone, who was looking for the source of the river Nile. Locals on the island of Zanzibar wondered about this visitor, who seemed to be ‘spinning’ (Swahili ‘zunguka’), or wandering, around the area in search of something. Hence was formed ‘mzungu’ - meaning one who spins around or wanders. Since then, ‘mzungu’ has evolved to mean any White person. Do you know any interesting African word etymologies? Please share in the comments.

Cost of living-hit Nigerians have been facing petrol-price hikes amid widespread fuel shortages in the country, which have led to long queues at gas stations. And yet Nigeria’s got oodles of oil. An attempt by the Tinubu government to stimulate the private-sector oil market by cutting subsidies for state firms has failed, and promises to put the country’s refineries into action are sounding increasingly hollow. African Stream’s Nigeria correspondent Poloum David reports from Abuja.

Palestinian children can be seen playing in the rubble in Gaza. They’ve created a makeshift swing from collapsed power lines. A moment captured by Gaza press photographer Mariam Dagga. Over 13,000 youngsters have been killed by Israel’s bombardment since October. That’s higher than from four years of global conflict, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Images like these vividly remind us of the desperate human cost. Amid the chaos, little boys and girls are finding a semblance of peace and joy. Perhaps a small chance to relive their childhood robbed by war. Back in February, UNICEF estimated the conflict has orphaned 17,000 children. That figure is now likely way higher with the number of Palestinians killed topping 34,000. We’ve noticed some people on social media have questioned this footage, based on the fact some of the children are Black. FYI Afro-Palestinians make up around one per cent of the Gaza Strip’s population. You can read more about their history here: https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/world-news/2024/04/15/afro-palestinians-the-untold-story-of-a-community-caught-in-gazas-crossfire/

Ashanti King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II presided over a colourful ceremony on 1 May to mark the return of looted royal artefacts. One hundred and fifty years after the British colonial war against the Ashanti people in what is now Ghana, 32 royal items of gold and silver have been placed on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region. The return of the treasures is part of two three-year agreements between two British museums and the Asantehene, or king of the Asante kingdom.

George Mpanga, better known by his stage name George the Poet, is a UK-based African spoken-word artist, poet, rapper and podcast host. For @georgethepoet’s achievements, the British Empire chose to award him Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), which the 33-year-old rejected in 2019 because of how the empire treated his homeland, Uganda, and other colonial holdings. In this 30 April interview with the UK’s Channel 4, George the Poet said all Global South people should question what the British Empire stands for and reject such awards. He also spoke about how British politics has morphed into displaying indifference toward the working class, which may have more to do with the evolution of capitalism than a breakdown of ethics.

The word Karen is often used to described self-entitled White women, who abuse Black men. However, the racist phenomenon was around long before it became an internet meme. One such example is the shocking case of 14-year-old Emmett Till who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. He was tortured and killed after being wrongly accused of whistling at White woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family’s grocery store. His case galvanised the rising civil rights movement, but also highlighted the emergence of what we call ‘Karens’ today. It’s deep-rooted behaviour that’s been around for decades.

In this clip from our round table with Congo activist Chakabars, he compares how the West has totally ignored the ongoing genocide in DRC with how it rallied to stump up a billion dollars in just 24 hours after Paris’ iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral burnt down. Obviously cultural preservation is a wonderful and important thing, but you’d have thought human life is - or rather, millions of human lives are - a more urgent priority. If this discussion piques your interest, the full round table is on our YouTube channel. As always, your input in the comments is appreciated.

Throughout the ‘80s, during the height of the AIDS scare, the US banned first Haitians and then Africans from donating blood. Back then, Black immigrants along with gay and bisexual men, haemophiliacs and users of hypodermic needles were all deemed by The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as high risk when it came to transmitting HIV. In response, tens of thousands of Haitian and African immigrants took to the streets in protest - leading, eventually, to the reversal of the FDA’s decision. It’s a reminder of the institutional racism our people have had to combat, but also an inspiration - collective action works. In what struggle today do you want to see more collective action?

It’s been revealed the UK has sent its first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda. He voluntarily agreed to leave after being offered £3,000 by the British government. And Kigali has opened itself up to receive many more. From the summer, illegal migrants in Britain will be FORCIBLY deported to the East African country. It will happen under the UK’s controversial The Safety of Rwanda Bill which became law at the end of April. The scheme will see Rwanda process asylum claims on the UK’s behalf and could deport applicants back to their country of origin. It’s thought the deal will cost the UK government around £1.8-million per asylum seeker, although it’s not clear how much Rwanda will receive. But whatever the financial benefits, the scheme’s faced a barrage of criticism from human rights experts. Rwanda’s opposition parties have also been vocal, claiming the scheme does nothing to address the root cause of the UK’s migration ‘problem’. Migrants are fleeing wars, famine and economic catastrophe.

George Mpanga, better known by his stage name, George the Poet (@georgethepoet), breaks down how European colonisers introduced capitalism in Africa against the will of our ancestors. The Ugandan spoken-word artist describes how our land was ruthlessly appropriated from its rightful owners and converted into an asset for the sole benefit of colonisers. Thus were the livelihoods of Africans destroyed, and the exploitation continues today despite the attainment of 'flag independence.' George admits his rise to fame was enabled by the British capitalist system. He was offered an MBE before turning 30, and was invited to read a love poem at the 2018 royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But he is now heading in another direction. He turned down the MBE because of what he called the 'pure evil' of the British Empire and is using his talent to take on the establishment and its ‘war on Blackness,’ which he defines as "a range of disconnected but related assaults on people of African descent by the global power structure." He's just published a memoir, "Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness." What are your thoughts on George's take on capitalism's origin in Africa? Let us know in the comments.

Washington University typifies what students across the U.S. are protesting about. The institution has a long history with weapons manufacturer Boeing, which arms Israel. It has a research partnership with the aerospace firm which recruits WU graduates and donates millions to the college. Students now want these ties cut, following Tel Aviv’s destruction of Gaza that’s killed 34,000 Palestinians. Police arrested around 100 demonstrators who’d set up encampments on campus at the weekend. It’s a picture repeated across the U.S. where similar protests are taking place at dozens of universities. While it’s hard to know precisely how colleges manage their finances, one database from the U.S. Department of Education shows American colleges and universities reported about $342 million in gifts and contracts from Israel from 2014 to 2024.

Do you know where the world’s top mathematician comes from? Well, he’s a 38-year-old Cameroonian, Abdon Atangana. Inspired by the lack of references to African people in scientific literature or mathematics, he challenged the field’s Eurocentrism with his mathematical theorems. Now at the top of his field, his formulas are essential in their real-life application in science, technology and engineering. Here’s more from tech entrepreneur Sandra Babu-Boateng. Tell us which other ground-breaking African mathematician you want to see on our page.

The global student movement in solidarity with Palestine has received a boost. On Monday, 29 April, Tunisian students answered the call for demonstrations. Engaging in sit-ins at the French embassy in Tunis and the capital's municipal theatre, they condemned the French and US role in aiding Israel to k*ll more than 34,000 Palestinians, most of whom have been women and children. They further called for criminalising the normalisation of ties with Israel. So far, Tunisia has not recognised Israel, unlike a few of its North African neighbours, Egypt and Morocco. The student protests are most visible in the US, where universities have called for police and military crackdowns in response to demands that US universities divest millions of dollars from Israel.

The global student movement in solidarity with Palestine has received a boost. On Monday, 29 April, Tunisian students answered the call for demonstrations. Engaging in sit-ins at the French embassy in Tunis and the capital's municipal theatre, they condemned the French and US role in aiding Israel to k*ll more than 34,000 Palestinians, most of whom have been women and children. They further called for criminalising the normalisation of ties with Israel. So far, Tunisia has not recognised Israel, unlike a few of its North African neighbours, Egypt and Morocco. The student protests are most visible in the US, where universities have called for police and military crackdowns in response to demands that US universities divest millions of dollars from Israel.

We hear Black people in the United States uttering with more frequency, 'Not all skin folk are kinfolk' and 'Black faces in high spaces won't save us.' In 2020, many people celebrated the election of Ritchie Torres, the first openly gay Afro-Latinx elected from the south Bronx to the US Congress. Yet, Torres chooses to side with the imperialist system for his gain. He once stated, 'There are few people in American politics who have been as visibly and vocally supportive of Israel as I've been.' As pointed out in this @codepink video, the pro-Israel lobby generously funds Torres. Not only does Torres consider pro-Palestine protests anti-Semitic, he opposes a ceasefire, disputes the EU's foreign policy chief's opinion that Israel is starving Gaza, and denies the International Court of Justice ruled Israel is 'plausibly' violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. We should have known that identity does not determine ideology.