OPPRESSORS TURN PEOPLE OF COLOUR AGAINST EACH OTHER

For centuries, imperialists have sought ways of turning oppressed people against each other. This not only makes the oppressed forget who the actual enemy is, but it also turns us into cannon folder during wars of imperialist aggression.

In this 1993 clip, renowned singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008) explained how the US military-industrial complex fomented hatred between US-based African communities and other Global South people to attract Black people into the US military to fight wars in countries such as Iraq, Vietnam and Korea.

Kitt highlights how, after our people returned to the US, they were provided with no financial support, while forced to live under discriminatory Jim Crow laws that prevailed up until the mid-20th century.

This makes it clear why the likes of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted to fight in Vietnam. When questioned, Ali famously declared, ‘I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong. No Vietcong ever called me n*gg*r.’ He added, ‘No. I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over.’ Over five decades later, his words ring true, as some African people continue to see each other and other people of colour as the ‘enemy,’ perpetuating oppressive structures that only benefit the ruling class.

Video credit: @whoopigoldberg