A tribute to our friend Tortmaster from Black Kos editor JoanMar

Tortmaster’s presence on this site was a precious gift. Those of us who had the privilege of getting to know the man behind the avatar—especially those of us who worked with him behind the scenes of his many groups— know of his tireless advocacy on behalf of the vulnerable, his razor sharp wit, his sheer brilliance, and his unshakeable integrity. What many may not have realized, however, is just how much he contributed to the richness and depth of this our online home.

Yes, I've been talking about my dear friend in the past tense. Greg died of an acute illness two weeks ago. Help me honor the legacy of this uniquely honorable, gifted and beautiful man.

Our Tortmaster didn’t just write diaries — he produced masterpieces. He poured his heart into everything he did. Whether it was his Art Mysteries series, The Kos Art series, the many Support the Dream Defenders’ campaigns, or his scathing takedowns of  the scums of the earth. Each bit of work showcased his passion, his keen intellect, and unwavering commitment to justice. It was no coincidence that his favorite author was Charles Dickens. 

Tortmaster understood the assignment of being an ally. On this site, he showed unshakeable loyalty to groups dedicated to advocating for marginalized & demonized communities. He led by example and those of us in the Support the Dream Defenders group group witnessed first hand his personal and financial sacrifices as he fought for communities under siege.

When teenage Michael Brown was publicly executed for Walking While Black, we relied on Tortmaster’s legal expertise to draft the Michael Brown Over-Policed Rights Act which aimed to empower ordinary citizens to police the police. With the enthusiastic support of the broader Daily Kos community, we were able to produce a proposal that garnered the support of members of the NAACP and supportive responses from members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

When stories and videos surfaced of cops willfully leaving people to bleed out, Tortmaster again came to the rescue as we worked on the Good Samaritan Act which sought to force cops to render aid to people they had wounded in the course of their duties. The Law Enforcement Documentation Act tackled police reporting of encounters with the general public. When 19 Republican Governors rejected Obama’s Medicaid Expansion Program, under the leadership of Tortmaster, we crafted the Medicaid Expansion FOIA requests campaign.

Tortmaster neither sought nor desired recognition for his hard work. He was perfectly content to have the spotlight shine on me, on our brilliant polymath 2thanks, and the other members of our group while he assumed a supportive role in the background. Such was the nature of his humility, generosity, and dedication to the causes he believed in.

Tortmaster loved deeply and passionately. He loved justice and fairness, he loved the Democratic Party, and he loved Obama & baby pics. He loved Charles Dickens, and wrestling, and art mysteries, and writing, and playing pranks, and Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Marley.

No sun will shine in my day today
(No sun will shine)
The high yellow moon won't come out to play
(Won't come out to play)
Darkness has covered my light
(And has changed) and has changed my day into night, ooh
Now, where is this love to be found? (Bob Marley)

Tortmaster may have had his doubts about some things, but one thing I knew he knew for sure was that I always had his back—just as I knew he had mine, and those of members of the Black Kos community.

How do you say goodbye to a friend? How does one say goodbye to such a vibrant, indomitable spirit? TM and I often referred to ourselves as “twinnies,” but there was one major difference between us: TM was an avowed atheist, while I am a believer. We respected each other’s beliefs, and so I don’t think he’d be offended if I said I believe I’ll see him in the next lifetime. 

To his loved ones — his children and his beloved “little” Sisters (as he introduced us to them) — we send our deepest sympathies on this incalculable loss. Thank you for sharing this phenomenal man with us for all the years we had him. His online family sends you all comforting energy during your time of grief. I know his memory will be a blessing for you, as it will be for us.

"Never, never, before Heaven, have I thought of you but as the single, bright, pure, blessed recollection of my boyhood and my youth. Never have I from the first, and never shall I to the last, regard your part in my life, but as something sacred, never to be lightly thought of, never to be esteemed enough,
never, until death, to be forgotten."
Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

Cheers, my wonderful Friend.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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This Texas ICE Attorney Allegedly Tweeted 'America is a White Country,' and That's Not All… Texas Observer: ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account

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Fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids began to spread the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time. Posts on social media and Reddit claimed that ICE had already been spotted in the Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff, where Latino immigrants began to settle in large numbers in the 1970s and have profoundly shaped the culture of the vibrant community.

That same Tuesday morning, an X account with over 17,000 followers named GlomarResponder made an ominous post. “Yeah, I’m in a courthouse wating [sic] on warrants,” GlomarResponder wrote. “Turns out there’s a lot of bitch work to be done to make mass deportations happen.” One day prior, GlomarResponder had posted that he “Can confirm all of those,” regarding a list of cities where ICE was expected to begin deportation operations the next day. “May have a betting pool to see who can guess which one I’m at on any particular day, based on the news,” GlomarResponder wrote.

These were but the latest posts that GlomarResponder has made over the years that suggest the operator of the account is an ICE employee. GlomarResponder has also routinely expressed blatantly racist and anti-immigrant views. Through an extensive review of GlomarResponder’s X posts, publicly available documents, and other social media profiles and posts, the Texas Observer has identified the operator of GlomarResponder as James “Jim” Joseph Rodden, a 44-year-old who works as an assistant chief counsel for ICE in the Dallas area. Rodden represents the agency in immigration court hearings where judges decide whether an individual is removed from the country.

Since GlomarResponder was first created in 2012, the account has posted hateful, xenophobic, and pro-fascist content. “America is a White nation, founded by Whites. … Our country should favor us,” GlomarResponder wrote last month. “All blacks are foreign to my people, dumb fuck,” the account posted in September of last year. “Freedom of association hasn’t existed in this country since 1964 at the absolute latest,” GlomarResponder wrote four months prior, further clarifying the post was referring to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in a reply to a comment. “I’m not a commie, I’m a fascist,” GlomarResponder posted a couple weeks later. “Fascists solve communist problems. Get your insults right, retard.”

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Focusing foreign aid on infectious diseases has allowed a rise in cancer and diabetes that African governments don’t have resources to fight, says Dr Githinji Gitahi. The Guardian: Africa’s medical system risks ‘collapse in next few years’, warns health leader

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Health services in Africa are at risk of “collapse in the next few years” due to soaring chronic diseases, a senior public health leader has warned.

Foreign aid to Africa has been focused on infectious diseases, leaving conditions such as cancer and diabetes to escalate, said Dr Githinji Gitahi, group CEO of Amref Health Africa.

In sub-Saharan Africa, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes and heart disease accounted for 37% of deaths in 2019, up from 24% in 2000. They are forecast to become the leading cause of death in the region by 2030 – driven by factors such as unhealthy western-style diets, less active lifestyles and air pollution.

“Aid is not charity” and will inevitably follow donor countries’ own interests such as stopping infectious diseases that could spread overseas, said Gitahi, who called for Africa’s leaders to step up their own work on controlling NCDs.

Gitahi spoke to the Guardian at the Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month, a gathering of more than 700 delegates from 89 countries.

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The election exposed divisions within POC and the challenges of allyship. Black women must lead again, but not without accountability from allies. NewsOne: Beyond Betrayal: Black Women’s Fight For Equity In The Time Of Trump

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The 2024 presidential election has left Black Americans, particularly Black women, with a deep sense of betrayal. For decades, we have been the backbone of this country’s democratic efforts, mobilizing voters, advocating for justice, standing on the front lines of every political fight, and showing up and out on Election Day. Yet, this election served as a sobering reminder of the limits of our labor. Even if every Black woman and man voted for Kamala Harris, it wouldn’t have sent her to the White House. This truth is frustrating and painful, but it also challenges us to reflect on how we move forward—together.

The data is stark and revealing. According to CNN’s exit poll, Donald Trump made notable gains among Latino men, with 54% of their votes—a significant jump that surprised many analysts. Among Black men under 45, nearly 30% cast their ballots for Trump, roughly doubling his support in this demographic since 2020. Asian and Native American voters also showed increased support for him, highlighting a broader trend of shifting allegiances. These numbers don’t just tell a story of changing political dynamics; they highlight fractures in what we assumed were unified goals among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

For Black women, who have long been at the forefront of progressive movements, these shifts in voter support feel deeply unsettling. Trump’s rhetoric throughout his campaign and presidency repeatedly insulted and demeaned marginalized communities. He referred to immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists,” allowed a rally comedian to describe Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” in the wake of hurricane devastation, and continuously perpetuated harmful stereotypes about Latino communities. His comments about women were equally troubling, claiming he would protect them “whether they like it or not,” a remark that undermines their autonomy and dignity. These were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of disregard for marginalized groups. That so many voters from these very communities chose to support him raises critical questions we cannot afford to ignore.

It’s tempting to retreat into frustration, to look at these numbers and feel that our efforts were in vain. After all, how do we build coalitions when those who share our struggles don’t seem to see us—or themselves—in the fight for equity? But retreating is not the answer. Now, more than ever, we need to double down on solidarity, even when it seems impossible.

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A network of Black educators, experts and content creators came together to form HillmanTok University, for courses on more than 400 subjects. NBC: HillmanTok, TikTok's accidental university taught by Black educators, is a hit with students

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Class is in session at HillmanTok University, a virtual and symbolic online institution that’s bringing together millions of curious learners and academics.

But this university is unlike any other: It fully exists on TikTok.

And it was created by accident.

In late January, Leah Barlow posted a welcome message to her real Intro to African American Studies class at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on TikTok. In about a week, the video mapping out her course for her 36 students reached almost 4 million people.

“I was just looking for a way to engage, but this launched something that is much bigger than me,” Barlow said.

Thousands of commenters jumped at the idea of attending class, joking that they somehow “automatically enrolled” in the course.

“Homeworks due tomorrow?? Wait hold on!” one person replied.

“Dr. Barlow, are there any extra credit opportunities?” another wrote.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Remember when everyone Barack Obama assigned a task was called a czar? Republicans were apoplectic. Now, a real unaccountable czar is running roughshod over Republican phony outrage. The GOP accused Obama of subverting the American way, former House Speaker Paul Ryan said ofObama [his] executive orders, calling a handful he issued a year ago aimed at reducing gun violence “a dangerous level of executive overreach.” The flip-flop crested like a wave with the critique of Obama’s czars. Maine Senator Susan Collins, in a letter,identified 18 positions created by Obama that “may be undermining the constitutional oversight responsibilities of Congress.” The letter asks for information about each position, including the vetting process and whether the officials can appear before Congress.

As usual, Senator Collins’ warning meter has risen to “concerned,”just as it did with the confirmation for Supreme Court Associate Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett— this time regarding the antics of the head of a made-up [DOGE] department. Elon Musk told members of the Trump Cabinet on Tuesday that he had made mistakes. So far, Musk has spent more time explaining those mistakes than presenting receipts of his unverifiable savings. A short list of his Keystone cops-like antics could be catastrophic: and is the American public willing to continue to roll the dice? From the almost hilarious incompetence of accusing the Biden administration of shipping 50 million dollars of condoms to Gaza, the firing gaffes have become increasingly more serious. On February 19, the Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the firings the day before had to be reversed because they were key jobs in the Department.

Snafus at the National Nuclear Security Administration preceded. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, "When we made mistakes on layoffs at NNSA, we reversed them immediately, less than 24 hours. But the security of our country, our nuclear deterrence, our nuclear weapons, is critical, and we ... don't take that lightly,"Wright said. Maybe Secretary Wright is not taking it lightly, but it sure appears that Mr. Musk did. As is customary, when things go wrong around Donald Trump, the buck is passed to a subordinate, in this case, a woman named Amy Gleason. When the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked who was in charge of DOGE, Amy Gleason’s name, who served in the first Trump administration, miraculously materialized. Hopefully, Gleason’s acting appointment will be more successful than her previous job in Trump 1.0, in which she said she “spearheaded technology efforts for the federal COVID-19 response.” 

Ms. Gleason, when reached for comment, was reportedly away on leave. The New York Times reported that Gleason “was scheduled to be on vacation in Mexico on Tuesday and told associates that she was not aware ahead of time that the White House planned to make public her role.” Unfortunately, Musk is not alone in his flailing. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr told the first meeting of Trump’s Cabinet and the media that measles outbreaks are not uncommon, ignoring the fact that no measles death has been reported in a decade and no child has died in 22 years. Still, he refuses to encourage vaccination for a disease we felt was eradicated. The title Czar has become political ammunition, but people pay the consequences.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

About a week before the President of the United States capitulated to Russia in the most embarrassing of ways—with Trump’s Oval Office meeting with the President of Ukraine—it was forewarned in the United Nations. A European resolution condemning Russia’s incursion on Ukraine's territorial integrity was voted down by the U.S., joining Belarus and North Korea. The U.S. then offered up its own resolution for a vote, but the United Kingdom and France abstained from voting because its tepid language failed to condemn Russia's unprovoked aggression. In one of the greatest demonstrations of hypocrisy in the history of public diplomacy, two weeks ago, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham  said to the Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “You’re the ally I have been hoping for all my life.” Following President Donald Trump’s attempt to publicly scold Zelenskyy, Graham, in his latest performance of Camille, again showed his ability to fawn—calling on Zelenskyy to resign. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,”Graham said.

The specter of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s boyfriend (Brian Glenn) berating President Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit—to the Vice President’s insulting suggestion that he prostrate himself in thanks to a President who is in Putin’s galliffet pocket was appalling. Vance, who voted against giving his country aid, should make every decent person feel creepy. The fact that the President of the United States is so mentally fragile that he needs a ‘love letter’ from a despot or submissive and effusive praise from other world leaders is a problem of immense proportions.

The goal of Mr. Trump is to withdraw the United States from NATO because Vladimir Putin has convinced him it is in his financial interest. The Russians have been courting Donald Trump, reportedly, for nearly 40 years. Yuri Shvets, a former Russian KGB agent, told the Guardian following the 2016 election, “This is an example where people were recruited when they were just students, and then they rose to important positions; something like that was happening with Trump,”Shvets said via phone. Fearfully, the former Soviet Union, now Russia, and the United States may be forming a new axis of evil. Until now, former Republican presidents and candidates have over and over condemned Russian aggression.  In the [Dwight] Eisenhower Doctrine of 1957, he was eerily clairvoyant, writing,

…a country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another state. Eisenhower singled out the Soviet threat in his doctrine by authorizing the commitment of U.S. forces “to secure and protect the territorial integrity and political independence of such nations, requesting such aid against overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by international communism.”

Democratic and Republican presidents maintained that posture of loyalty to democracies worldwide, especially with our NATO allies, until the emergence of Donald Trump. President Trump, who famously sided with Mr. Putin against American intelligence agencies in Helsinki, has been at the heel of Vladimir Putin throughout both his administrations. Tomorrow night, Mr. Trump will address a joint session of Congress. Between the embarrassing rising, bowing, and scraping from the right, I hope the American people listen carefully and take note of a fascist at work.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice  

Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) are facing challenges from the new anti Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) forces in the racist Administration of the white supremacist in the White House and his appointed minions.  

Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez

I realized some time ago, that though I grew up knowing what HBCU’s were and are that many of my white friends didn’t. Both my parents graduated from one, as did my aunts and uncles, and I attended Howard University in my undergraduate years.

I’ve written about them here in the past, multiple times — as recently as mid February in Black Kos: Black history and education are under attack, and we are fighting back.

I wanted to also highlight the other institutions that serve student populations from minority constituencies here today as well. 

First, some demographics. According to 2022 government data, HBCUs were serving 290,000 students. For Hispanics, “In 2024, about 1.4 million Hispanic undergraduates were enrolled in Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which is roughly 60% of all Hispanic undergraduates.”For Native Americans, “In fall 2022, 17,294 students were enrolled in Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), including 17,037 undergraduates and 257 graduate students”

So far, the Democratic resistance to President Donald Trump has mainly consisted of trying to embarrass the GOP into doing the right thing. That ship sailed a long time ago. The Grand Old Party wholeheartedly back a man effectively adjudicated as a rapist, a thief, and a philanderer. If that was not enough to get Republicans to lift the blinders on moral clarity, what makes Democrats think that people’s pain will work? Believing the loss of jobs—destroying careers and livelihoods, eliminating the funding for cancer research, or bringing us closer to that one-hundred seconds to midnight will affect them; think again.

Watching the President’s Cabinet enter the room last night was like watching a Post Office bulletin board rogue’s gallery of criminality. Men and women accused of alcoholism, sexual assault, and ignoring the molestation of children marched in ahead of Mr. Trump. In American history, we have had presidents carry us through world wars, depression, virulent diseases, and enslavement. Yet Donald Trump intimated last night that he may have been a better president than all of them, including George Washington. In a shout-out to the racist, bigots, and small-minded members of society who support him, he called out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a bad thing. Ironically, he has staffed his cabinet with underachieving ne’er-do-wells, proving that the only real diversity he wants is white men lacking skills.

What Donald Trump proved last night was that Republicans would rather be entertained than governed, lied to rather than accept the truth, and slide giddily the country into fascism over democracy. Mr. Trump read off a litany of programs that he said were waste, but the American people have yet to see these receipts. On March 14, the federal credit card bill is due, and the Republicans are laying the groundwork to shut down the government. So, the offices and federal parks that are not yet closed will be. Earlier, I talked about the shamelessness of the GOP, and I was reminded of that last night when Donald Trump spoke about “unelected bureaucrats” after repeatedly lionizing Elon Musk—who no one elected.

Kudos to Representative Al Green (D-TX), who refused to sit quietly and be lied to without recrimination from his literal right. Of course, Mr. Trump took pleasure in having Rep. Green escorted from the chamber and minutes later talked about free speech. There is something sad about the cheering and seal-like claps of Republicans in the Congressional chamber who live their lives by bumper sticker cruelty as opposed to doing the actual work with policy. Giving Mr. Trump credit, he knows how to orchestrate and produce a television show. As he said at the near conclusion of last week’s Oval Office meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “This is going to be great television.”

Unfortunately for Mr. Trump, the star of his extravaganzas is himself, which guarantees it will devolve into embarrassing insults, demonstrations of ignorance, and overall laugh-inducing lies bringing about scorn from around the world. As you read this, you have probably already heard fact-checkers, pundits, and even some sycophants start revealing the truth about most of his statements. So, in the coming days, conservative media will triumph over Trump’s speech, but I implore us all to look behind the curtain. So, with the cowardly Vance and the heartless Speaker Johnson behind him, remember that the Wizard only has the power we give him.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice        

Congressman Joe Neguse was elected to Colorado's 2nd Congressional District in 2018.He is the first and only Black Member of Congress from Colorado. During his tenure, Rep. Neguse has been the primary sponsor of THIRTY bills enacted into law. That is an astounding number and in 2021, the Center for Effective Lawmaking identified Congressman Joe Neguse as the most effective freshman lawmaker of the 116th Congress and the most effective Democratic Congressman as to Public Lands legislation in that Congress (the linked article includes an excellent interview). Already in the 119th Congress, Congressman Neguse has sponsored or cosponsored 63 bills.

Denise Oliver-Velez wrote a portrait of Congressman Joe Neguse, published on May 7, 2024 —  Black Kos: Asst. Democratic Leader Rep. Joe Neguse makes mincemeat out of Rep. Tim Duncan (R-SC). It’s a must-read, so don’t miss out on reading it, and also be encouraged to follow Black Kos if you aren’t already.

Congressman Joe Neguse’s leadership in the House Democratic Caucus has also been phenomenal. In December 2022 he was elected by the caucus to be the Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). In 2021 Congressman Neguse served as one of the 9 Impeachment Managers in the mfg’s 2nd impeachment trial. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Neguse serves on the House Judiciary Committee and Natural Resources Committee (where he’s Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Public Lands). He was appointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be one of the 4 Democrats on the Rules Committee. On November 19, 2024 Rep. Neguse was reelected as Assistant Democratic Leader and on February 10, 2025 he was asked by Leader Hakeem Jeffries to chair the House Democrats’ Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group.

Friday (Feb 28) Congressman Neguse, in this later role, appeared on The Last Word with Jonathan Capehart substituting for Lawrence O’Donnell.

Congressman Neguse at 32:07 (audio only).

Here are a couple of media appearances by Congressman Neguse from February 25 when the Republicans were busy pushing through their House Budget Reconciliation.

On MSNBC:

On the Get More Smarter Podcast:

I highly recommend watching this podcast as Congressman Neguse explains about the Rapid Response task force and talks about ways House Democrats are fighting back and about what we can do (for example to use our voices to influence the WH and the R’s in Congress, stay informed and engaged, attend and demand town halls, prepare for special elections and for 2026). (The podcast was recorded sometime in the week before Feb. 25 but was posted Feb. 25). The task force is working an a web site to keep people informed about their actions.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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In 2020, the two-block stretch of 16th Street NW north of the White House was designated as Black Lives Matter Plaza after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked protests nationwide, including in the District. NBC: DC mayor to remove Black Lives Matter Plaza amid pressure from White House

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A spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed to NBC Washington that Bowser will remove Black Lives Matter Plaza and the "Black Lives Matter" ground mural will be painted over. There's no timeline yet for the changes, but the street art will be replaced with a design created by D.C. schoolchildren.

Bowser said she made the decision several days ago. When pressed about why, she said it was fair to say the White House didn’t like it.

In 2020, the two-block stretch of 16th Street NW north of the White House was designated as Black Lives Matter Plaza after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked protests nationwide, including in the District.

Bowser unveiled the ground mural on June 5 of that year. It was paved over about a year later, but the mural was replaced, and Bowser announced the new mural would be a permanent installation in October 2021.

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Turner’s death came just months after he won Texas’ 18th Congressional District race. He served eight years as Houston’s mayor after 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives. Houston Public Media: Longtime Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner dies at age 70

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U.S. Congressman and longtime Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died from enduring health complications. He was 70.

Turner died in his Washington D.C. home at 5:45 a.m. after attending President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, his family said in a statement.

Turner’s death came just months after he won Texas' 18th Congressional District race. He stood as a pillar in the history of the state’s largest municipality, serving eight years as Houston’s mayor after 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives. He represented Texas District 139 from 1989 until 2016.

“We’ve lost an outstanding public official,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Wednesday at City Hall. “Experience matters folks. No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.”

A native Houstonian, Turner was born in 1954 and grew up in Acres Homes, a predominantly Black suburb.

He graduated as valedictorian from Klein High School in 1973 and earned a political science degree from the University of Houston in 1977. He attended Harvard Law School and started a career as an attorney specializing in corporate and commercial law.

In the final stretch of his mayoral tenure in 2022, Turner announced he had been quietly battling bone cancer. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after doctors discovered a tumor on his jaw during a dental visit when he complained of a toothache.

Turner declared himself cancer free at the end of 2022.

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Speaking Truth to power NewsOne: US Rep. Al Green Has Always Been A Gangsta

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By now you’ve seen the video of the lone, defiant, Black man holding his walking stick in the direction of President Trump during his joint session of Congress address. It’s a powerful image shared around social media showing Texas Rep. Al Green standing up for all who are set to be victims of cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

It was a moment that defined the long-winded speech of lies a glitch in the Republican matrix in which someone from the Democratic party actually stood and said something. Before the 77-year-old congressman was escorted out of the Capitol, he took a moment to turn his attention to the Republican side of the aisle to mutter “Shame on you.”

And just like that, Green was gone, but the moment became the talk of the presidential address to Congress. Because Al Green believes, like most of us who voted for anything other than a fascist regime, that this presidency is a sham and deserves the same respect one would give a scammer.

And here’s the thing: Al Green has been a gangsta. If you were to look up “truth to power” it would be a photo of Al Green. And honestly, the Democratic party should be embarrassed. Green is in the twilight of his career and shouldn’t have to stand with a cane to yell at the president; another younger Democrat could’ve done that, but some didn’t show up and others were busy posting dance challenges and social media videos.

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The series is a modern-day reimagining of Judy Blume’s 1975 book “Forever…” centering two Black teenagers set in Los Angeles in 2018. The Grio: Netflix sets premiere date for teen rom-com series from Mara Brock Akil, ‘Forever’

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Netflix has set a May 8 date for the premiere of “Forever,” a Black teen-centered rom-com series created, executive produced, and written by Mara Brock Akil. The series is a modern-day reimagining of Judy Blume’s 1975 book, “Forever…,” a title that has been the subject of constant scrutiny over the years due to its themes of teenage intimacy. According to the American Library Association, Judy Blume’s novel is number 7 on their list of the “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 to 1999.”

The series will update and modernize the original plot. For instance, “Forever,” the series, is set in Los Angeles in 2018, whereas the book was set in New Jersey, presumably in 1975, where the main characters, Michael Wagner and Katherine Danzinger, were white teenagers.

Showrunner and executive producer Brock Akil spoke with Netflix about why Los Angeles was chosen as the backdrop for the series adaptation.

“What better metaphor for this love story than what LA represents, for not only me, but for a lot of people. You’re looking for a place to follow your dreams, and love is a part of that,” said Brock Akil. Brock Akil is known for creating other romantic comedies that became part of the Black cultural conversation about on-screen love in UPN’s “Girlfriends” and BET’s “Being Mary Jane.”

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A former lawyer who revived her family’s crumbling estate into a thriving Black-owned agricultural and ecotourism hub wants more Black Americans to experience Grenada’s history and culture. The Grio: From plantation to Black-owned legacy: How Shadel Nyack Compton transformed Grenada’s Belmont Estate into a must-visit destination

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When Shadel Compton Nyack left her native country of Grenada for Howard University decades ago, her life plan was pretty clearly mapped out– graduate college from the storied HBCU, go on to law school, and pursue a career as an attorney.

But life has a funny way of shaking up the best-laid plans.

“I really… was not an entrepreneur at heart, was not a farmer, and not an agronomist,” Compton Nyack told theGrio in an interview on the island. “I went to law school. I did not anticipate that I would be doing this business, that I would have left my life in the U.S. to come back and work on a farm to try to transform this farm.”

She’d grown up on a farm named Belmont Estate that had a dark past– it formerly served as a profitable plantation on the island of Grenada — until her Indo-Grenadan ancestors bought it back. Despite their positive intention, through old age they’d let the grounds fall into disrepair. Compton Nyack saw an opportunity.

“I had the passion and knew that I wanted to preserve this business that was so important in Grenada for many decades. And that provided economic stability, that provided jobs.”

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King Okpabi, ruler of Ogale, says Shell has caused chronic pollution, while oil firm argues it is not responsible. The Guardian: Nigerian king faces Shell in London high court over decades of oil spills

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His Royal Highness King Godwin Bebe Okpabi has carried bottles of water drawn from the wells of his homeland in the Niger delta to the high court in London.

It stinks. “This is the water that Shell has left for my people,” said the ruler of the Ogale community in Ogoniland, Nigeria. “This is poison, and they are spending millions of dollars to pay the best lawyers in the world so that they will not clean my land.”

For the past three and a half weeks, lawyers for Shell have argued at the high court that their client cannot be held responsible for an environmental catastrophe in Ogale, which has suffered from decades of spills and pollution from oil extraction.

For most of that time, Okpabi was there too, watching proceedings in court 63, a nondescript room lined with empty bookcases. Between hearings, he met journalists and activists to spread word of the health crisis his people face.

“A people have been completely destroyed: people’s way of life destroyed; people’s only drinking water, which is the underground water aquifer, has been poisoned; people’s farmland has been completely poisoned; people’s streams that they use [for] their normal livelihood have been completely destroyed,” he said.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

I spent the weekend reading what seemed like article after article about disgruntled Democrats tossing lawn darts at former President Biden, the Democratic hierarchy, and former VP Kamala Harris. Everything from the donkeys are not kicking hard enough to them needing to be funnier. One writer [Joe Jacobson] suggested that Trump’s frat-boy humor was the deciding factor. The consensus from most of the arguments is that liberals need to ‘Meet them where they are.’ I guess as one of the so-called marginalized groups in America, I find that strategy hard to swallow. Black Americans have done everything from straightening our hair to labeling cultural colloquialisms as Ebonics to soothe white America’s sensibilities. When Tony Soprano says to another gangster, “fuhgeddaboudit,” it is looked upon with quaint acceptance. Still, two black men greeting each other with “How you be?” is considered crass or ignorant.

Most ethnic groups have shorthanded language, but somehow, black people are judged by how well we imitate others. Straightening combs, conks, Jheri curls, and permanents were all attempts to fit in. Now, I, as a black man, am being told I need to meet people—who are working to erase any evidence of my people’s contributions to this country out of existence—where they are. Where do I meet them? Is it at the Bigot Bistro for Dogs and Cats Under Glass? Appeasing the ‘real patriots’ who rooted for the people who rioted at the nation’s citadel is not a train I want to ride. Exactly how does that Liberal/MAGA conversation go:

Liberal: Can we talk?

MAGA” Are you gay?

Liberal: No.

MAGA: OK, do you believe everyone deserves an equal shot at life, books should not be banned, and climate change is real?

Liberal: Yes.

MAGA: Sorry, Trump says you are a DEI lover.

Sure, the above conversation was written for laughs, but the truth is stranger than fiction and, in this case, worse. I, for one, refuse to sacrifice governing for laughs or policy for a better slogan. For some, it may be funny to have elected a President whose idea of connecting with black Americans was gold sneakers and a mugshot, but that only distracts from his grift and criminality. Over the last four days, the Defense Department has threatened to remove the photo of the fighter bomber Enola Gay because the pilot, Paul Tibbets, who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in World War II, named the plane after his mother, whose real name was Enola Gay Tibbets. If her name were Enola “Hetero” Tibbets,  would it have mattered?

The Defense Department’s instruction 5400.17 orders the elimination of any mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the armed forces.  In 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 mandating racial integration. I had two great uncles who served in WWII, one of whom raised me. Both served in segregated units. So, the natural assumption is that erasing their history for the current administration will whitewash what they had to overcome. Blacks, Latins, Transgender men and women, and CIS women’s unique places in history, instead of being celebrated, are being systematically wiped from the annals of military history. Whenever I meet them where they are, dinner takes place, make my order vegetarian; I have lost my taste for dogs or cats.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Lorraine Hansberry’s “Raisin In The Sun” debuted on Broadway, March 11, 1959

Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez

I was delighted to see playwright, and activist Lorraine Hansberry getting her props today, during this “Women’s History Month.”

However I think it is important to note that the subject matter, housing discrimination and segregation is an issue that still exists today. 

What now seems like ancient history, former President Joseph R. Biden fought battles with Republicans in Congress to pass budgets and Continuing Resolutions to keep the government open, veterans' checks and services on track, and National Parks operating. The objections were always that Mr. Biden and the Democrats refused to go line by line on the budget and not pass an all-inclusive bill. Biden warned of a disastrous economic blow with a shutdown in December 2024. Republicans stood up in the stirrups of their moral high horse and issued words of ridicule if Democrats passed the bill. Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican, called the process “a total dumpster fire.” Other members, like Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), dubbed the bill the “Cramnibus.” Rep. Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican, said the measure was "a band-aid that is laced with fentanyl.”Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) chimed in, "There's a certain sandwich that's made of feces, and that's what I would compare this to.”

Except for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Trump insulted throughout the week, the rest of the Republicans in the House took a big bite of that sandwich last evening. While all this was melding into shape, Donald Trump turned the South Lawn of the White House into a car lot. Vowing to punish those opposed to his Czar, Elon Musk, by protesting against Tesla, Trump fell back on one of his character flaws…retribution. "I will do that. I'm going to stop them,"Trump said.“Let me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, we're going to catch you, and ... you're going to go through hell,”said Trump. Decent Americans agree that the recent vandalism against Tesla products cannot and should not be condoned. The Trump administration seems to relish putting a taint on every position using bullying tactics. Trump’s pledge to buy a Tesla to support Mr. Musk was followed by a White House spokesperson, Harrison Fields, who said, “ongoing and heinous acts of violence against Tesla by radical Leftist activists are nothing short of domestic terror.” Maybe the Tesla protest should be confined to Jan 6 (or is that date taken).

The unwarranted and unchecked hyperbole from Donald Trump and his minions is expected, and less and less official Republican opposition is fleeting at best and cowardly at worst. One constantly hears that Democrats cannot find their footing or are on their heels. There is a Democratic message. The problem is that Democrats are too shy to use the bullhorn. When the GOP calls efforts by Democrats to save the planet “the green new scam,” party leaders shy away, giving the appearance that it is a scam. When Democrats full-throatily stood for the rights of a woman’s body autonomy, they were cowed by the slogan “Your body my choice” from slow-brained Neanderthal incels. Stick-to-itiveness and patients is not a strength for Democrats. Republicans plotted for 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade, and since the election, I cannot remember the last time it was mentioned in authoritative Democratic circles. The arrest and punitive and petty potential deportation of Israel-Gaza war protestor Mahmoud Khalil was the first time in weeks I had been reminded of the campus protest that punched holes in Kamala Harris’ message.

President Trump is creating chaos because it is easier to steal within chaos. So, while Trump acted as Elon Musk’s slick salesman and the House Speaker lied about the funding bill being a clean bill, the GOP Congress took its first steps to cut health care for the poor, food supplements, and relief to cities—including the funding of police (my hometown of DC, for example). While Trump was looking under the Tesla hood, he was pulling the wool over our eyes.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice   

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan was elected from Virginia's 4th Congressional District in March 2023, as the 4th Black Member and the 1st Black woman ever elected to the US Congress from Virginia. She was elected to succeed Congressman Donald McEachin (served Jan. 3, 2017 — Nov. 28, 2022), who died in office and who was the 3rd Black member of the US Congress, elected from Virginia. (Congressman Bobby Scott is the 2nd Black Member of the US Congress from VA, serving from1993 — present) (The 1st Black Member of the US Congress from VA was John Mercer Langston (served 1890-1891) . 

For a more comprehensive profile of Rep. Jennifer McClellan, please see New Faces in Congress: Rep. Jennifer McClellan. an Example of Virginia Black Excellence by bilboteach.

During her tenure, Congresswoman McClellan has been the sponsor of 1 and the co-sponsor of 12 bills enacted into law. During the 119th Congress, she has already sponsored 26 bills. She currently serves on the House Committee of Energy and Commerce. 

What particularly impresses me about Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and why I am featuring her now, is her approach to informing not only her constituents, but everyone, about their rights and about facts as to issues of the day, and her daily documentation of what she’s doing in Congress and back home in her district, not only in Tweets or on Bluesky, but in her linked YouTube channel. She also appears regularly on local and national TV.

This is what’s utmost on Congresswoman McClellan’s mind, since her election.

Unlike many other members of Congress, Congresswoman McClellan posts full videos of all of her questioning in House hearings. Here’s one example.

Congresswoman McClellan appeared on Bloomberg and BBC last week, and on WAVY TV this week.

In the video below, Congresswoman McClellan does a good job of explaining the House Continuing Resolution, in less than a minute’s time.

1:05

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan co-sponsored legislation last week that will likely not be enacted. Nevertheless  submitting legislation to protect our rights is essential. We have to continue the fight and Congresswoman McClellan s in the fray. 

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan always posts a video re-cap of work in Congress:

mcclellan.house.gov/...

In the comments, I’ll post more examples of Congresswoman McClellan’s Bluesky feed (it’s the same as on Twitter & that is also unlike many other members of Congress who mostly post to Twitter) to show just how she  documents her daily work and keeps her constituents and all of us up to date on what she and her Democratic Party colleagues are doing to defend our Constitutional rights and exactly what our rights are.

Commentary by Black Kos editor JoanMar

Let me be clear: when it comes to what Rachel Maddow does best, she is simply the best at it.

I imagine it’s not easy for allies to get it right every time. Heck, as a Black woman, and despite my best intentions, I don’t always get it right as an ally to other marginalized communities. This shit is not easy. That’s why, when allies mess up, I tend to critique their actions or words while leaving room for some grace — provided they are genuine allies and not merely fellow travelers on the right side of the partisan divide, that is.

Which brings me to Rachel Maddow’s response to MSNBC firing Joy Reid.

But before I go there, let’s clarify something: for us in the Black community, it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that the terms “progressives,”“liberals,” and “allies” are synonymous and interchangeable. They are not. Liberals and progressives will fight and sacrifice for change even while resisting structural realignment. The women’s suffrage movement made that clear. Progressive white women back then were fighting for white women, not for any other shade on the continuum. Progressive Democrats even now will parrot hateful MAGA rhetoric about the danger of  “being too woke.” Allies, on the other hand, are willing to sacrifice lives, limbs, freedom, privilege, status, and comfort in the fight for justice for others. See John Brown. See Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. See our own Tortmaster.

MSNBC is seen as the liberal counter to the Republican propaganda arm Fox News. But liberal MSNBC has a long history of not valuing Black talent. And when they’re pressured into hiring one or two, it’s painfully obvious that they do not see them as individuals with unique talents, perspectives, and experiences. Some may have forgotten that Joy Reid was used as a replacement for Melissa Harris-Perry—because there wasn’t room at liberal MSNBC for two educated, opinionated, knowledgeable, badass Black women. Compared to other on-air talent (Katy Tur anyone?), both Melissa and Joy were/are more than qualified in every way to anchor their own shows.

Which brings us back to Rachel Maddow—the $25 million -a-year anchor with the power to demand a one-day workweek while maintaining her status as MSNBC’s chief on-air personality. Rachel was sad that Joy “was leaving.” Sad that she was being deprived of whatever it is Joy brought to her table. But Joy didn’t just get up and leave. She was fired. And if Rachel had been a true ally, she could have done something about it. After all, she had the power to block Keith Olbermann’s return to the network — and didn’t shy away from exercising it —despite the fact that he’s definitely the person most responsible for her current success. He built MSNBC into a viable network that she then inherited. He also fought like hell to get her on air. Remember that, Rachel?

“In all of the jobs I have had in all of the years I have been alive there is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid. I love everything about her. I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door. It is not my call and I understand that, but that’s what I think.” (my bold)

Rachel minimizes the fact that Joy was fired and then managed to make it about her supposed loss. In stark contrast to how Rachel viewed her value to the network, here’s how Joy described her show and what she brought to the table:

“My show had value… what I was doing had value… And that it mattered…. I went hard on so many issues, whether it was the Black Lives Matter issues of a young baby or mom or a dad that was killed, or when we opened up people’s eyes to the fact that Asian Americans were being targeted and not just Black folks… or when we went hard for immigrants who’ve done nothing but come to this country like my parents did… I’m just proud of my show.”

Iyanla Vanzant to Oprah Winfrey: “I thought you wanted the work. I didn’t think you wanted me.”

MSNBC fired Joy—not Katy Tur, not Andrea Mitchell, not Ari Melber. I didn’t love that Joy allowed herself to be used as Melissa’s replacement, but at least that was a lateral move. Despite the racism underlying Melissa’s firing, MSNBC lucked out: both women are super intelligent and super capable presenters. But this latest move—plucking off the only Black prime-time anchor despite her increasing ratings—is different. MSNBC, in their infinite racist wisdom, is replacing one Joy with three people who I am sure may be talented in some areas, but first-class TV presenters they most definitely are not.

When it came down to brass tacks, as my grandmother was fond of saying, Rachel, even had she considered doing otherwise, ultimately chose not to alienate her powerful bosses or the institution that pays her $25 million annual salary. “It is not my call,” she said. She chose not even to threaten to sacrifice status or privilege for the greater good of Joy and the community she represents.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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Afro-textured hair in animation has long been oversimplified, but new algorithms now capture its true form.  The Guardian: ‘This is Black hair’: technological advances are making waves in animation

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For decades, afro-textured hair animation has lagged behind illustrations of straight hairstyles. Renderings of Black characters do not typically represent the plethora of Black hair styles or specific attributes of Black hair: the kink in their strands, the spring in their curls. But now, for the first time ever, researchers have developed algorithms to depict coily, Black hair in computer graphics, a huge step for the portrayal of Black characters.

The findings have been published in a new study, which will be available to animators worldwide. The study is a collaboration between researchers at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Research papers are typically the first step for film studios to gain new techniques for animation, said Theodore Kim, a co-author on the study and a professor of computer science at Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science. “Almost every computer graphics technique that you see on the screen was first published as a research paper,” Kim said, adding that the papers allow scientists at film and game studios to sort through the available research and “[set] the agenda for what they do next year”.

Having codified formulas designed to create coily hair textures is thus historic, with the potential to improve inclusivity in animation. “There’s all these papers on computer graphics algorithms that have been published in the last 50 years, especially on hair,” Kim said. “Nothing has ever tried to get this type of hair before”.

In recent years, the number of Black characters featured in animation has increased: Tiana Rogers in the Disney picture The Princess and the Frog and Joe Gardner in the Pixar movie Soul are some examples of growing diversity. But despite the increase in representation, illustrations of Black hair have remained relatively stagnant. Kim said that animators have failed to capture textures such as type 4C hair, which features tightly wound curls, because they lacked the formulas to do so, and instead replicated a limited range of styles that have been done before. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” he said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then lost.”

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Racist, Sexist, Homophobic Los Angeles Police Recordings Just Went Public...They’re Worse Than You Can Imagine. LA Times: Secret recordings LAPD racist, sexist and homophobic comments

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For the better part of a year, a Los Angeles police officer working in the department’s recruitment office secretly recorded dozens of conversations in which fellow cops hurled racist, sexist and homophobic comments, complaint alleges racist and derogatory comments against Black police applicants, female colleagues, and lesbian and gay co-workers, according to a complaint filed with the LAPD.

In one conversation, a Latina LAPD officer offered this advice on how to fight African Americans: “You hit black people in the liver; I heard they got weak livers,” according to the complaint filed Jan. 5 with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Professional Standards Bureau and the inspector general’s office. The same officer allegedly described a Latina janitor to her colleagues as a “wetback” after the janitor complained about the officer.

Little, it seems, was out of bounds for the accused officers, who referred to a female supervisor as a “gay ass bitch,” according to the complaint. After one female officer suggested “black people enjoy grape soda,” another Latino officer chimed in, “black people enjoy watermelon in between basketball,” according to the complaint.

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Robert F. Smith and other leaders are finding ways to diversify the workforce despite federal mandates. The Root:2nd Richest Black Man On Why Folks Shouldn't Be Scared Of Trump's Banning of DEI

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The founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners has a net worth of $10.8 billion, and recently, he sat down for an interview at the 788th Meeting of the Economic Club of New York to talk about why diversity is key to America’s success. To him, the diverse nature of the U.S. population is what makes us so great.

“Diversity in America is absolutely our unfair advantage in the world,” he began. “And we need to lean into that unfair advantage.” Although DEI was the government’s latest attempt to address the clear need for variety across the workforce, Smith, who was named the country’s second richest Black man, said Trump’s decision to roll back DEI doesn’t necessarily mean the end of diversity like so many fear.

“We need to engage all of our citizenry,” the billionaire continued. “You’re not going to get that if you don’t have a broad coalition of people at the table.” Smith continued clarifying this doesn’t mean picking folks just because of their race. That’s literally not what DEI is all about. “America should be a place of meritocracy, but not just meritocracy in race, but meritocracy in an opportunity set,” he said.

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The franchisee and sports-team owner made a fortune by successfully investing in various entities and interests. The Grio: 5 things to know about Junior Bridgeman—the former NBA player turned billionaire businessman—who died at age 71

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On March 11, 2025, while at an event in downtown Louisville, Ky., billionaire businessman and philanthropist Ulysses L. “Junior” Bridgemen suffered a medical emergency; he later died. He was 71. While Junior Bridgeman is probably well known to the University of Louisville community and to the fans of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks franchise, where he played for 10 seasons, others might not be as aware of the many facets of his life and career that have impacted various communities in Louisville and Milwaukee, but also worldwide.

1. At the time of his death, Bridgeman’s net worth was reportedly $1.4 billion.

In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise he played for from 1975 to 1984. His jersey number—No. 2—has been retired by the franchise since 1988. That stake in the franchise pushed his net worth into billionaire status.

2. Post-NBA playing days, Bridgeman became a very, very successful fast-food franchisee.

At one point, Bridgeman reportedly owned nearly 500 Wendy’s, Chili’s and Pizza Hut locations around the country.

3. He was the owner of legacy publications, “Ebony” and “Jet.”

In 2020, Bridgeman purchased “Ebony” and “Jet” magazines from previous owner, Clear View Group. He was the owner of both publications at the time of his death.

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Trump continues to create chaos around the world JAMAICAN OBSERVER: Mottley prepared to have US visa revoked over Cuba health programme
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Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley says she is prepared to have her United States (US) visa revoked as she urged Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries to ensure they are able to explain “what the Cubans have been able to do for us” as they seek to defend the Cuban health brigade programme.

“This matter, with the Cubans and the nurses, should tell us everything that we need to know. Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff or Cuban nurses, but I will be the first to go to the line and to tell you that we could not get through the (COVID-19) pandemic without the Cuban nurses and the Cuban doctors,” Mottley said in a statement in Parliament.

The United States has raised questions about the programme that Caricom countries have insisted has benefitted the region significantly.

US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio announced recently that Washington would be expanding an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Black Lives Matter: More Than a Slogan—A Movement That Cannot Be Erased, and We Will Be Alright

Wouldn't you know
We been hurt, been down before, nigga
When our pride was low
Lookin' at the world like, 'Where do we go?' Nigga
And we hate po-po
Wanna kill us dead in the street for sure, nigga
I'm at the preacher's door
My knees gettin' weak, and my gun might blow
But we gon' be alright.

You can paint over Black Lives Matter Plaza, but you can never erase the ideals that fuel the movement for justice, equality, and liberation—ideals that stand as a cornerstone of American democracy. And as Kendrick Lamar tells us, we gon’ be alright.

Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan—it is a declaration, a rallying cry, a force that has shaken the very foundations of injustice. It is not merely a collection of words but a revolution, a fire that has united people of every background and creed in an unyielding fight for justice. It has birthed chapters nationwide, becoming an unstoppable force for advocacy and systemic change.

Black Lives Matter embodies the relentless pursuit of justice, the demand for true equality, and the unwavering fight for Black freedom in every aspect of life. From the streets to the halls of power, it has confronted and dismantled oppressive systems, forcing a reckoning with the deep-seated racism, segregation, and injustice that have plagued this nation for generations. It has demanded bold policy and legislative reforms, reimagining law enforcement and reshaping the very structure of justice itself.

But this movement was never just about protest—it was, and is, about progress. It is about uplifting Black communities, building futures, and ensuring that justice is not just an aspiration but a reality. Black Lives Matter is a revolution that has transformed not just minds but institutions, policies, and the very fabric of society. Its impact has rippled far beyond borders, fueling a global struggle against racism and inequality.

This movement is history in motion. It is a reckoning, a demand, an unbreakable truth. It is the fight for a world where justice is not selective and Black lives are recognized, celebrated, uplifted, and protected. The struggle is intergenerational—each step forward powered by the sacrifices and resilience of those who came before.

Kendrick Lamar’s Alrightbecame the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement because of its powerful message of resilience, hope, and resistance against systemic racism and police brutality. Its themes align with the very heart of Black Lives Matter. The chorus—"We gon’ be alright"—became the rallying cry of protestors, offering a sense of optimism and perseverance in the face of injustice. The song does not just acknowledge pain—it transforms it into power, a reminder that change and justice are not only necessary but possible.

Alright was not just a song—Its lyrics gave the movement a sense of history, connecting today’s fight to the long struggle for civil rights and reminding protestors that despite the pain and struggle, they would persevere. Alright was not just a song—it was an anthem of resistance. Its lyrics gave the movement a sense of history, connecting today’s fight to the long struggle for civil rights and reminding protestors that despite the pain, despite the struggle, they would persevere. Alright tells us that painting over Black Lives Matter Plaza is not an erasure of the movement but rather another chapter in the ongoing fight for justice. It is a reminder that oppression has always sought to silence voices demanding change, yet those voices continue to rise—louder, stronger, and more united with each attempt to suppress them. The struggle is not over, but neither is the movement. Each setback catalyzes renewed resistance, a testament to the unbreakable spirit of those who fight for justice, equality, and liberation.

The movement does not fade—it evolves. The fight does not end—it strengthens. No matter how many times history tries to erase the struggle for Black lives, the voices demanding justice will never be silenced. As Kendrick Lamar reminds us, we’ll be alright.

Nigga, we gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
We gon' be alright
Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
Huh? We gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright.

You can try to silence it. History has shown that every movement for Black liberation has faced attempts to be muted—whether through laws, violence, or misinformation. Yet, time and time again, those voices have risen stronger. From the abolition of slavery to the civil rights movement, from the protests against police brutality to the global call for justice, Black voices have persisted against every attempt at suppression.

You can try to erase it. Monuments to justice have been defaced, movements have been misrepresented, and history books have attempted to rewrite the truth. But the struggle for Black lives is woven into the very fabric of American history, and no amount of whitewashing can remove its significance. The erasure of Black voices has always been met with resistance, with new generations stepping up to continue the fight.

You can try to paint over it. The removal of Black Lives Matter murals and the suppression of its message are symbolic of a larger effort to ignore the demands for racial justice. But painting is superficial—the movement is not. Covering the words does not erase the ideals. The principles of justice, equality, and liberation are not confined to the streets they are painted on; they live in the hearts and actions of those who refuse to be silenced.

But you will never stop it. Black Lives Matter is more than a slogan, an initiative—a promise of American democracy, a justice movement that is here to stay. Every attempt to suppress it only strengthens its resolve. The voices of Black activists, leaders, and everyday people will not be drowned out. Their stories will be told. Their demands will be heard. Their fight will continue because justice is not optional, and equality cannot be postponed.

Black voices will continue to be heard because history has proven that no attempt to silence truth, justice, and liberation has ever succeeded--it never will, and that is why we will be Alright.

Weaponizing Racial Fear: Trump, Musk, and the Politics of White Panic

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have repeatedly claimed that Black South Africans engage in systematic discrimination and violence against white citizens, warning that similar dynamics could unfold in the United States if diversity efforts are not curtailed. These assertions, widely debunked by experts, reflect a long history of racial fear-mongering designed to mobilize white anxieties and resist racial progress. Trump’s rhetoric fits within a broader tradition of racial panic—one that historian Ronald Segal critically examined in The Race War: The Worldwide Clash of White and Non-White (1966).

Segal, a Jewish South African-born writer and fervent anti-apartheid activist, analyzed how racial fears are manufactured, exploited, and used to sustain white dominance. His work pays particular attention to South Africa, highlighting apartheid as a stark example of institutionalized racial segregation and oppression. Segal critiques the apartheid system for its dehumanizing policies and underscores the broader implications of systemic racism on global racial relations. His insights provide a crucial framework for understanding how Trump and Musk’s rhetoric echoes historical patterns of racial paranoia and political manipulation.

Manufacturing Racial Panic: Trump’s South Africa Narrative

Trump’s claims about South Africa gained international attention in 2018 when he directed then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate the supposed “large-scale killing” of white South African farmers. Based on debunked right-wing conspiracy theories, this assertion led to diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and South Africa, culminating in the expulsion of the South African ambassador. This incident illustrates how racial panic—even when unfounded—can influence international relations and reinforce narratives of white victimhood.

Racial Panic as a Political Tool

John Eligon of the Johannesburg Bureau Chief, in his New York Times article “Trump Tries to Use White South Africans as Cautionary Tale” (March 15, 2025), explores how Trump’s rhetoric about South Africa was not just an international concern but a strategic domestic maneuver. By amplifying fears of white victimization abroad, Trump signaled to his base that racial justice efforts in the United States—whether in policing, immigration, or affirmative action—could lead to similar “persecutions” of white people. Eligon notes that Trump’s framing of South Africa as a cautionary tale aligns with longstanding white nationalist narratives that depict any erosion of white dominance as a prelude to violence and chaos.

This narrative is not new. Trump’s claims mirror apartheid-era propaganda that framed Black rule as a threat to white survival. Similarly, in post-Reconstruction America, white leaders—the self-proclaimed “Redeemers”—warned that Black political and economic empowerment would lead to the victimization of white people. This ideology justified segregation, lynching, and violent suppression of civil rights, fueling the Redemption Era, the rise of white Christian nationalism, and the Ku Klux Klan. By invoking South Africa, Trump modernized these historical fears, suggesting that demographic change in the U.S. could lead to an apocalyptic racial reckoning.

Segal’s Analysis of Global Racial Conflicts and Trump’s Fear-Mongering

Ronald Segal’s The Race War provides a critical framework for understanding how these racial anxieties are constructed. Segal argued that racial conflict is not an inevitable global clash between white and nonwhite people but a crisis manufactured by colonial legacies, economic exploitation, and white resistance to social change. He examined how European colonial rulers and apartheid leaders in South Africa deliberately framed racial justice movements as existential threats to white survival—a tactic that Trump repurposed in his claims about South Africa.

Segal’s insights help contextualize Trump’s rhetoric, particularly his reliance on the myth of white genocide. The claim that Black-led governments inevitably target white citizens was historically used to justify colonial rule and apartheid, despite the reality that post-colonial nations faced far more urgent challenges related to economic redistribution and governance. Trump’s exaggeration of farm attacks in South Africa mirrors these historical fear tactics, ignoring broader patterns of crime and violence affecting all racial groups in the country.

Diplomatic Fallout: The Expulsion of the South African Ambassador

Trump’s inflammatory claims had real-world consequences. Following his remarks, the South African government pushed back, denouncing his statements as misinformed and inflammatory. The diplomatic standoff escalated when the U.S. expelled South Africa’s Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool in response, marking a rare and significant deterioration in relations between the two nations. This incident highlights how racial panic, even when based on conspiracy theories, can have tangible effects on international diplomacy.

The rift further alienated the U.S. from key African allies when China expanded its economic and political influence. China, which has steadily strengthened ties with African nations, capitalized on Trump’s racialized rhetoric by promoting its non-interventionist approach to African affairs. This shift positioned China as a more favorable economic partner for South Africa and other nations, reducing U.S. influence in the region.

Meanwhile, Trump’s rhetoric reinforced his appeal to his predominantly white nationalist base in the U.S. while further isolating him from Black voters and international allies. His disparaging comments about African nations as “shithole countries” on January 11, 2018, during an Oval Office meeting, had already damaged relations with several African governments. The South African controversy only deepened the perception that Trump’s foreign policy was driven by racial grievances rather than strategic diplomacy.

The Enduring Influence of Fear-Based Narratives in Contemporary Politics

Trump’s rhetoric exemplifies how racial panic remains a potent political tool. By invoking South Africa as a warning, he played into deep-seated fears about demographic change, white displacement, and the perceived loss of racial privilege. This fear-mongering is not limited to South Africa; similar arguments are frequently used in the U.S. to oppose immigration, affirmative action, and police reform.

Segal’s analysis remains crucial in understanding these dynamics. He warned that as racial hierarchies faced increasing challenges, reactionary forces would double down on narratives of white victimization. The rise of right-wing populism, which amplifies white grievances under the guise of protecting “Western civilization,” aligns with Segal’s predictions about how racial fear would be strategically deployed to maintain power structures. Trump’s use of South Africa as a cautionary tale is just one example of how these narratives persist in shaping contemporary political discourse.

Conclusion

Trump’s accusations about South Africa are not isolated claims but part of a long-standing tradition of racial paranoia used to justify white resistance to racial progress. Ronald Segal’s The Race War provides a crucial lens for understanding these tactics, showing how racial conflicts are not inevitable but are manufactured to serve political ends. The expulsion of the South African ambassador and John Eligon’s analysis highlight how these fear-based narratives continue to shape domestic and international politics.

Trump and Musk's use of South Africa as a racialized political tool suggests that their primary motive isn’t genuine concern but rather an opportunistic strategy to stoke white grievance politics for personal and political gain. Their willingness to amplify debunked conspiracy theories and fuel racial paranoia, despite the real-world consequences, underscores a lack of scruples in their approach.

For Trump, weaponizing white fear has been a longstanding tactic to mobilize his base, whether through anti-immigrant rhetoric, opposition to diversity initiatives, or claims of a so-called “war on white people.” Musk, meanwhile, has increasingly aligned himself with right-wing ideologies, using his platform to promote narratives that appeal to reactionary audiences and deflect from more substantive critiques of economic inequality and corporate power.

By invoking South Africa as a “cautionary tale,” they’re not just engaging in historical revisionism—they're actively distorting reality to justify regressive policies and maintain their influence. It’s a classic move: frame racial justice as a threat, position themselves as the defenders of civilization, and manipulate public discourse to serve their ambitions.

With Trump overwhelming the public discourse with a constant barrage of stuff, it is crucial to take the time to examine the historical patterns of racial and colonial fear-mongering. By doing so, we can more effectively identify and challenge how racial fear is weaponized—whether in U.S. policy, global diplomacy, or the ongoing fight for racial justice.

A Theological Blueprint for White Supremacy and Antisemitism: How the Dutch Reformed Church and the New Apostolic Reformation Shaped Political Thought

This essay is a rant I posted to the following comment:

All that talk about universities ‘supporting antisemitism’ is so much projection:  Trump is also highly mobbed-up with New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).  NAR is the big scary thing that underpins most of the religious right.  For NAR, Israel is the most important country on Earth because Israel is central to NAR’s endtimes beliefs, in which, among other things, unconverted Jews are cast en masse into ‘the lake of fire.’ Speaking of Holocausts.

So, Apartheid 2.0 and Holocaust 2.0.

The comment struck a nerve—

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) are not just religious institutions—they are engines of political power, factories of ideology that have justified oppression, racial supremacy, and authoritarian rule.

Though separated by time and geography, they are bound by a common thread: the use of theology as a weapon, the distortion of faith to serve power, and the relentless drive to dominate.

The DRC did not merely tolerate apartheid—it designed it. It was not a passive bystander but the spiritual architect of Afrikaner nationalism, providing the moral justification for racial segregation and White supremacy in South Africa. It declared Afrikaners to be God’s chosen people and cast Black South Africans as lesser beings—meant to serve, meant to be controlled, meant to be permanently beneath White rule.

And this wasn’t some fringe interpretation—it was official doctrine. A theology crafted to entrench power, silence dissent, and maintain total control.

Now, look at the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

It may not wear the exact same mask, but it speaks the same authoritarian language. The NAR’s dominionist agenda insists that Christians—specifically, their brand of White conservative evangelicals—must seize control over government, law, education, and society.

Does that sound familiar?

It should.

Because it is the same blueprint the DRC used to justify White rule in South Africa, and today, it fuels Trump’s Christian nationalism, Musk’s tech authoritarianism, and the broader right-wing crusade to remake the world in their image.

The DRC and the Trump-Musk Administration: A Shared Legacy of Antisemitism and Racial Supremacy

The Dutch Reformed Church’s past is steeped in antisemitism. Before World War II, Afrikaner nationalist factions—including elements within the DRC—were openly sympathetic to Nazi ideology. Many Afrikaner leaders saw Hitler’s movement as aligned with their struggle for racial purity and political dominance.

• They opposed Jewish immigration to South Africa, fearing that Jews would disrupt their control of business and politics.
• They echoed Nazi rhetoric, portraying Jews as outsiders, as manipulators, as threats to the White Christian order.
• They sought to exclude, control, and dominate—just as they did with Black South Africans.

And while apartheid eventually fell, the DRC didn’t die—it mutated. Today, its ideological descendants live on in the global rise of Christian nationalism, deeply embedded in Trump’s movement, Musk’s worldview, and the broader push for authoritarian dominionism.

And now, they are weaponizing antisemitism once again—but this time, they are twisting it to silence dissent, crush activism, and consolidate power.

Antisemitism on Campus: A Manufactured Crisis

This isn’t just history—it’s happening right now.

I was there.

At Duke University, in the fall of 2023, at a pro-Palestinian rally. And what was the message? A ceasefire. The return of hostages.

Nothing extreme. Nothing radical.

A simple plea for peace—voiced by a diverse group of students: Muslims, Christians, Jews, all standing together. They marched peacefully, gathered before the cathedral, picked up literature, and went home.

And yet, where was the media?

Silent.

Nothing dramatic happened. No violence. No chaos. But still, the Trump-Musk machine twisted the narrative. They took legitimate pro-Palestinian activism—a movement that includes Jewish voices—and recast it as antisemitic terrorism.

They have built an entire political campaign on this manufactured crisis, pretending to protect Jewish students while ignoring, amplifying, and enabling real antisemitism.

The Hypocrisy of the Trump-Musk Axis

The real antisemitism? It comes from their circles.

They are not protecting Jews. They are using them.

They exploit antisemitism when it benefits their power, but they have no problem aligning with White nationalist movements that have historically treated Jewish people as the enemy.

At Duke, a new synagogue stands on campus, a powerful symbol of Jewish resilience. But adjacent to it is the Jewish cemetery, a stark reminder of the past—of a time when Christians refused to allow Jews to be buried in "Christian" holy ground.

History recycles.

Today’s exclusion is not about burial sites—it is about who is allowed to speak, who is allowed to resist, and who is allowed to exist in political conversation.

The Trump-Musk administration is not fighting antisemitism—it is censoring opposition, crushing dissent, and manufacturing a crisis to justify repression.

History Is Watching

This is not about Jewish safety.

This is not about stopping antisemitism.

This is about censorship, control, and weaponizing identity to silence resistance.

And we’ve seen this before.

The DRC laid the foundation, the NAR built the scaffolding, and Trump and Musk are now using it to cement their grip on power.

And history is watching.

Because this time, we know exactly how the story ends.

Before the 2024 election, when Kamala Harris seemed promised, the Democratic party was thumping its chest and bragging about the bench behind her. As heartbroken as I was, like most of my fellow Democrats, I immediately thought of 2026 for the midterms and 2028 to signal in the designated hitter. The conventional wisdom has always been Republicans fall in line, and Democrats fall in love. It was easy to fall in love with former Vice President Harris. She had a long list of public service as a prosecutor, Senator, and Vice President. She fought for the rights of battered women, homeowners, and civil rights. The bonus would have been her continued historical reign as the first female black and south-Asian Vice President melded into a historic presidency. As quickly as the furtherance of hope and change faded, like the recent 401K profits in the stock market—the Democratic bench is still present, but the team is lacking a power hitter.

Just when a setup batter seemed to have emerged when Senator Chuck Schumer vowed last Wednesday to vote against the Republican unilateral budget, he bunted on Thursday and changed his mind. Admittedly, there were no good choices for Senator Schumer, but the party faithful at least wanted an opportunity to swing at the fences. The superpower for Democrats must be eternal optimism. The defeat of Kamala Harris is not the first woe-is-me moment that I have seen as a liberal Democrat. When former President Lyndon Baines Johnson stated at the end of a long-forgotten speech, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President,”in March of 1968, the same glum feeling with the reelection of Donald Trump was present when Richard Nixon was sworn on January 20 of 1969. Nixon's reelection landslide was touted as the death knell of the Democratic party.  

Similarly, the all-out conservative attacks on the Clinton administration, which they characterized as the fall of decency, and the Democrats were accused of leaning into the country’s moral decay. The administration of the first black President, Barack Obama, was followed by the 2016 election of Mr. Trump in what Van Jones called “White-lash.” So, I guess some of my optimism about surviving America descending into fascism comes from my experiences with the Nixon attempt at destroying the Department of Justice, the Reagan administration making racism acceptable, and the economic crashes of both Bush II and Donald Trump 1.0.  With the Democratic superpower being eternal optimism, the superpower of Republicans is eternal selfishness. They have successfully disguised their governing failures using the strategy pioneered by George W. Bush’s chief strategist, Karl Rove: Accuse your opponent of your weakness.

What was once a party of the loyal opposition, the GOP became a party that has indeed embraced the moral decay of America. The party that sent GOP representatives to the White House to extricate Richard Nixon is now willing to accept or excuse rape, thievery, fascism, and the destruction of lives in exchange for power. Journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher gives the most precise definition of conservative superpowers I have heard in years when she paraphrased the quote, “They are frequently wrong but never in doubt.” 

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Denise Oliver Velez’s article, “Caribbean Matters: Trump Stigmatized Haitians—and now he's deporting them,” highlights how little Haiti’s critical role in America's fight for independence is acknowledged—not just by President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, but by the American public as a whole.  As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the Semiquincentennial will serve as a moment of national reflection—a time to honor the bravery of those who defied an empire in 1776. It will be the most significant celebration since the Bicentennial in 1976, a testament to the resilience of the American experiment. However, Haiti’s contribution to that fight—both militarily and financially—must be part of that story.

The Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue: Forgotten Heroes of the American Revolution

One of the most overlooked aspects of America’s war for independence is the role played by the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue, a regiment of free men of color from Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti) who fought under the French Expeditionary forces. They were the largest Black military unit in the war, playing a crucial role in the Siege of Savannah (1779).

The Siege of Savannah: A Costly Battle

By December 1778, the British had shifted their focus from the northern colonies to the South, capturing Savannah, Georgia. The battle to retake Savannah between September 16 and October 18, 1779, became one of the war's bloodiest battles. British forces, numbering 3,200 troops, occupied Savannah for a year before being challenged by 600 Continental Army soldiers under General Benjamin Lincoln, supported by 3,500 French troops led by First Lieutenant Count d’Estaing. Among these were 800 Chasseurs-Volontaires from Saint-Domingue and other French Caribbean colonies, outnumbering the American forces.

The Chasseurs-Volontaires played a pivotal role, conducting reconnaissance missions before the battle and serving as the rear guard during the retreat—sustaining heavy casualties. They fought with determination and boldness, gaining recognition as one of the most cohesive and disciplined Allied units in the fight. However, a leak from American deserters sabotaged the Allied attack, preventing victory. Despite the siege's failure, their commitment to the American cause remained steadfast.

Haiti’s Economic & Military Contribution to American Independence

Beyond their direct military service, Haiti—then known as Saint-Domingue—was the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean, producing vast amounts of sugar and coffee for France. This wealth helped finance France’s military operations, which provided crucial support for the Continental Army. The French navy and troops deployed from Saint-Domingue played a decisive role in disrupting British supply lines and bolstering American forces at critical moments.

Key Contributions of the Chasseurs-Volontaires & Saint-Domingue

1. Military Strategy & Training
   • The Chasseurs-Volontaires played a major role in the Siege of Savannah (1779) and later used their battlefield experience to lead Haiti’s own revolution against France.
   • Saint-Domingue also served as a key French military base, deploying troops and naval support that helped tip the war in favor of the American colonies.
2. A Symbol of Black Military Service
   • The regiment demonstrated that Black soldiers could fight with discipline, strategy, and valor despite enduring racism from both the American and French forces.
3. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804): A Legacy of Resistance
   • Many veterans of the Siege of Savannah became leaders in the Haitian Revolution, including figures like Jean-Baptiste Mars Belley, Henri Christophe, etc.
   • Fighting alongside the American revolutionaries, they witnessed the ideals of liberty and equality—but also saw the hypocrisy of a nation fighting for freedom while upholding slavery.
   • They overthrew their French oppressors and built a nation, only to be shackled by a legacy of punishment and stigmatization. Both France and the United States made Haiti pay a devastating price for its freedom, ensuring that its independence came with relentless economic and political burdens.
4. Haiti & Latin American Independence Movements
   • Haiti’s revolution shattered the American colonial system and inspired movements in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and beyond.
   • Simón Bolívar found refuge in Haiti in 1815, where Haitian President Alexandre Pétion provided him with weapons, troops, and support—on the condition that he abolish slavery in newly liberated nations.

Honoring the Chasseurs-Volontaires Today

The legacy of the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue has finally received recognition. A monument in Benjamin Franklin Square in Savannah, Georgia, commemorates their sacrifice and contribution to American independence.

Historian Phillip Thomas Tucker’s book Brothers in Liberty: The Forgotten Story of the Free Black Haitians Who Fought for American Independence also sheds light on their overlooked heroism.

Conclusion: A Story That Must Be Told

As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, Haiti’s role in the American Revolution must be acknowledged. Without the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue, Saint-Domingue's economic wealth, which funded France’s war efforts, and the broader contributions of Black soldiers, America’s path to independence might have been far more uncertain.

The Haitian people—who fought and died in Savannah for an American cause—deserve to be remembered as an integral part of the fight for freedom, not only in the U.S. but across the entire hemisphere. The Caribbean does matter.

While reading Bill Addis’ article, “A Black Hero’s History Erased and Restored by Anti-DEI Bigots,” I couldn’t help but think about the broader assault on military inclusivity. From Arlington Cemetery being stripped of content on Black and female veterans to the firing of Gen. CQ Brown and everything else Trump has done to undermine service members and veterans, it all points toward a deliberate effort to erase the progress of desegregation. And how tomorrow’s executive order or tweet could bring another devastating blow—rolling back President Harry Truman’s Executive Order 9981, which integrated the armed forces.

This would not just be an attack on diversity—it would undermine decades of progress and dishonor the sacrifices of those who fought for equality in the military. But let’s be clear: Truman, like Trump, also used the military to practice his version of racial politics.

Truman’s Racial Politics: A Pragmatic Shift

Truman was no racial progressive. He was a product of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, raised in Missouri’s Ku Klux Klan stronghold by parents who embraced white supremacy. His mother despised Abraham Lincoln so much that she refused to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House. Truman himself used racial slurs, once referring to White House waiters as an “army of coons.”

Yet, despite his prejudices, he could no longer ignore the horrors of racial violence, especially against Black veterans. Men who had risked their lives for their country were being lynched, gunned down, blinded, and even mutilated with meat cleavers and blowtorches while still in uniform.

He underwent a racial awakening and, under pressure from the Civil Rights Committee he had commissioned, responded to its groundbreaking report, which called for sweeping reforms:

• Abolition of poll taxes
• Anti-lynching legislation
• Ending segregation in the military and beyond

But Congress blocked anti-lynching laws and dismissed the poll tax issue as a constitutional matter. That left one area where Truman could act alone—integrating the armed forces.

Executive Order 9981: The Integration of the U.S. Military

On July 26, 1948, Truman overruled the Pentagon and issued Executive Order 9981, mandating the desegregation of the U.S. military:

"There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin."

This order set up the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, which oversaw the implementation of military desegregation. By 1950, the military had begun integrating in earnest, and by 1954, the last segregated units were dissolved.

While EO 9981 was never explicitly codified into federal law, it became de facto policy, reinforced by:

1. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (1950)– Strengthened desegregation efforts.
2. The Civil Rights Act of 1964– Banned discrimination in federally controlled institutions, including the military.
3. Department of Defense policies– By the 1960s, military integration was fully institutionalized.

But de facto policies are fragile—they can disappear like the dodo bird or become entangled in a quagmire of court cases.

Trump’s Systematic Dismantling of Military Inclusivity

Trump hasn’t explicitly overturnedExecutive Order 9981—yet. Recent executive orders have targeted DEI programs within the military. One such order mandates the termination of all DEI initiatives within the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard, banning race- and sex-based preferences in hiring, training, and military education. Additionally, the reinstatement of a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military has been implemented, effectively reversing previous policies that promoted inclusivity. His actions show a clear pattern of undermining the spirit of Executive Order 9981and pushing the armed forces toward a white patriarchal vision:

1. Banning Transgender Service Members (2017)– A blatant rollback of inclusivity in the military.
2. Rescinding Diversity Orders (2025)– Eliminated DEI programs that protected federal employees and contractors from discrimination.
3. Dismantling Civil Rights Protections– Revoked executive orders on policing reforms and voting rights that disproportionately affect communities of color.
4. Redefining Sex and Gender in Federal Law– Weakened legal protections for trans, nonbinary, and intersex people, affecting their status in the military.

Each action represents a step backward, chipping away at the principles of equality and inclusion that Truman’s order helped establish.

Tomorrow’s Tweet Could Change Everything

Trump has always ruled by impulse and grievance politics. It wouldn’t take much—a tweet, an executive order, or a backroom deal—for him to undo the last remnants of military integration and civil rights protections.

The question isn’t if he will try—it’s when. And what will we do about it? What’s the plan?

Thanking you for your service!

Commentary by Chitown Kev

Honestly, I’ve never been so...parochial is the proper word for me to use here...that I've felt that I could usefully describe myself as being an American. I embraced myself as being a cosmopolitan sort guy even before I learned the etymology  of that word; learning that etymology only made me embrace the cosmopolitan identity even more. In fact, one of my missions now at Daily Kos is to reclaim that identity from the knuckle-dragging white christian nationalist MAGA folks that have deigned to use that word as both a pejorative and an air-raid siren for antisemitism.

I say that because I’ve never been the military type, even though I tried to entry the military once (to escape from a bad intimate relationship) and was (rightly) kick out of boot camp. I am one of the few males in my immediate family that has not gone into the military; my grandfather, stepfather, brother, both of my nephews, many second cousins, uncles; many of my relatives have served their time giving service back to their country. Some (two of my second cousins) even made careers out of the military.

They all had their varied reasons for going into the military. Some had mouths to feed. My nephew said that he wanted to travel. Nevertheless, they all did their time and served honorably. including in the wars that this nation was involved in just before and after the turn of the millennium.

They have the scars to prove it; the scars that can and cannot be seen. I’ve learned over time to honor that service and to honor them for being of service to their country. 

So when this country’s commander-in chief is no more than a bone-spurs-having tacky-ass shoe salesman...well, I don’t know what to say.

When I see stories like this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

/smdh

Black people and other people of color were fighting for this nation even before this nation was a nation and even when they came back home in order to be disrespected, disregarded, cheated, and were even killed in uniform by MAGA’s ancestors.

I have half a mind simply to say “well, fu*k you too, America” about this utter disrespect but on second thought…

I’ll simply say, “thank you for your service” to all of my relatives and to all of the Black people and people of color that served this country honorably and (in the case of a couple of my relatives) with true distinction.

American doesn’t deserve you.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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This ones for you Kev. Newsone: History Of The ‘Freedom’s Journal’ The 1st African American Newspaper

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The struggle for equality and civil rights has been a long and hard-fought battle in the United States. However, one of the most powerful tools used to amplify the voices of African Americans in the early 19th century was the press. Among the first and most influential publications dedicated to giving voice to the African American experience was Freedom’s Journal, founded on March 16, 1827. It was the first newspaper owned and operated by African Americans. Its creation and impact marked a pivotal moment in the history of Black journalism and civil rights.

Established following the end of slavery in New York State, the Freedom’s Journal was founded in NYC by a group of free African American men. Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm played an instrumental role in the publication’s success and served as its senior and junior editors, according to PBS. The historic news source came at a time when African Americans were fighting against oppression, marginalization, and the growing racial tensions of the era across the country as a number of states were still entrenched in slavery. Having no outlet to express themselves, learn about Black history, or to protest for civil rights, the Freedom’s Journal provided African Americans with a platform to document and talk about their experiences. It also served as a soundboard, providing a platform to form calls for social justice.

At its inception, Freedom’s Journal was a subscription-based publication that aimed to address issues of slavery, racism, and civil rights. It was created to combat the rampant negative stereotyping and misrepresentation of African Americans in the mainstream press, which was often hostile to their rights and humanity. Cornish and Russwurm, both well-educated and deeply committed to their cause, envisioned the paper as a means to inform, educate, and inspire Black people to fight for their rights and for an end to slavery.

PBS highlighted that the groundbreaking publication shared similarities with other antebellum reform papers in that it featured news of current events, editorials, and anecdotes while addressing critical issues of the time such as slavery and “colonization.” The concept of colonization was promoted by The American Colonization Society, a predominantly white pro-emigration group founded in 1816 with the goal of sending free Black individuals back to Africa. Although initially opposed to colonization, Freedom’s Journal strongly condemned slavery, advocated for political rights for Black people, and called for the right to vote.

Per Black Past, the newspaper provided its readers with a mix of regional, national, and international news, combining both informative and entertaining content. It aimed to improve the lives of the over 300,000 newly freed Black men and women living in the North. Over 800 copies were distributed throughout 11 states and the District of Columbia. It reached as far as Canada, Haiti, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom. Users paid an annual subscription cost of $3 per year.

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The secretary of state called Ebrahim Rasool “a race-baiting politician who hates America” and declared him persona non grata. The Independent: South African ambassador expelled from US called a ‘race-baiting politician’ by Marco Rubio
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The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador after accusing him of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates America and president Donald Trump.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday that the envoy was “no longer welcome in our great country”.

“Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

Mr Rubio reposted an article from the right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy saying in a webinar that Mr Trump was leading a white “supremacist” movement.

Since Mr Trump returned to the White House, ties between the two countries have reached their “lowest point”, according to Patrick Gaspard, former US ambassador to South Africa.

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ecuador’s Fierce and brave first black Attorney General Time: Diana Salazar Méndez

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Diana Salazar Méndez—the youngest person, at 42, and the first Black woman to serve as Ecuador’s top law-enforcement official—has one of the hardest and most dangerous jobs in the western hemisphere. While she has pursued challenging cases before—not every prosecutor can say they have successfully secured convictions of a top football executive and a former President—Ecuador’s Attorney General is now spearheading the effort to prevent violent and well-connected drug traffickers from ruining her beloved country.

As she prosecutes embedded webs of powerful political, judicial, police, and economic players allied with the drug traffickers, she and her family have been subjected to a stream of threats, rendered credible by gangs that have a history of targeting with guns those who have targeted them with the law. In a country where trust in institutions has been low, Salazar has earned the respect and support of a population desperate for calm and safety. As she puts it, “It’s time to tell all of Ecuador that justice will not kneel down.”

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The spill could potentially affect millions of people. Politico: A river ‘died’ overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine

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Authorities and environmentalists in Zambia fear the long-term impact of an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine that contaminated a major river and could potentially affect millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream.

The spill happened on Feb. 18 when a tailings dam that holds acidic waste from a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed, according to investigators from the Engineering Institution of Zambia.

“It is an environmental disaster really of catastrophic consequences,” said Chilekwa Mumba, an environmental activist who works in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province.

China is the dominant player in copper mining in Zambia, a southern African nation which is among the world’s top 10 producers of copper, a key component in smartphones and other technology.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema called for help from experts and said the leak is a crisis that threatens people and wildlife along the Kafue, which runs for more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) through the heart of Zambia.

Authorities are still investigating the extent of the environmental damage.

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Treatment of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been suspended from senate, shines light on women’s rights. The Guardian: ‘We are all Natasha’: senator’s sexual harassment claims roil Nigeria

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Last July, Nigeria’s third-most powerful man gave a rare apology on the floor of the senate which he heads.

Godswill Akpabio had chastised his colleague Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for speaking out of turn, saying: “We are not in a nightclub”. But after receiving what he said was a deluge of insulting text messages from Nigerians, he apologised publicly a few days later.

In recent weeks, the two have been at the centre of a political row that has gripped the country, after an interview that Akpoti-Uduaghan gave to the broadcaster Arise TV in late February in which she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.

She alleged that in one incident Akpabio had told her that a motion she was trying to advance could be put to the senate if she “took care” of him. In another, she said that on a tour of his house he had told her – while holding her hand –“I’m going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it.”

Akpabio has denied the allegations.

Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a petition to the senate alleging sexual harassment, but on 6 March the ethics committee struck it out on procedural grounds. It also handed her a six-month suspension without pay, citing her “unruly and disruptive” behaviour during an unrelated argument in the senate about seating arrangements.

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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Even the most ardent Trump supporter has to admit the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is his intellectual superior. While then-tv host Donald Trump was yelling “You’re fired” at a handful of B-level celebrities on a reality show, Vladimir Putin was shaping Russia into his own reality. Mr. Putin has unequivocally murdered and jailed his opponents made himself a dictator for life and found a willing partner in Donald Trump to advance his dream of reconstituting the Soviet Union. The newly minted American president has teased subverting the Constitution by running for a third term. In the last few days, he has told the Judicial Branch it has no power over him and threatened his former Joint Chief of Staff, General Milley,--because he chose loyalty to the Constitution over him—with death.

Milley had a come to Jesus’ moment—despite Trump supporters having a come to Trump moment—while marching in uniform through the streets of DC with President Trump on his way to a photo op after threatening legal protesters. Milley said later, after the June 2020 debacle, “Because I went out there in that uniform, that was a terrible moment for the U.S. military, and it gave the perception of politicization. It wasn't intentional; it was done by accident on my part. As soon as I realized it was a political event, I walked away from it. But I got to tell you, that photo is out there...and that did a lot of damage to the military, which I will always regret,”Milley said to Mark Alford (R-Mo.). Quietly, while the country is distracted by talk of invading Panama, annexing Canada, and buying Greenland, DOGE flexed its muscle with a potentially illegal act at the office of the US African Development Foundation.

About 30 workers were in the building when Peter Marocco, a state department official, arrived with a Doge team – described as young men wearing backpacks – intent on carrying out firings based on an executive order issued by Trump on February 19, according to a report by The Washington Post. The director of the small agency, which has about 50 employees, has challenged the legality of the firings and closure. There is also a question about the legitimate use of the federal US Marshals who accompanied Marocco.

This is not the first time Mr. Trump has used shadowy methods to achieve a goal. During the 2020 unrest in Portland, Oregon, President Trump deployed federal agents in green camouflage uniforms without agency insignia. Some of the violence perpetrated by these mysterious forces was shooting an unarmed protester in the face with a crowd control weapon and beating and pepper spraying Navy veteran Christopher David for asking the federal agents whether they had forgotten their constitutional oaths. Even the conservative-leaning publication The Hill labeled the actions as Putin-like behavior, reporting,

That’s what happens in Russia when you ask a question like that. Indeed, the federal agents in Portland are reminiscent of the professional-looking soldiers in Russian-style combat uniforms who appeared in the Crimea in the Ukraine in February 2014. They carried Russian weapons but had no identifying insignia. Ukrainians called them the “little green men.” 

Putin has his sights set on Ukraine, but maybe the bigger prize is the United States: Vodka for everyone. Dasvidaniya.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Afro-Caribbean Religions (Santeria, Lukumi, Palo Mayombe, Vodou, Rastafari, and Poko)

By dopper0189, Black Kos, Managing Editor

Religion is one of the most important cultural markers that links Afro-Caribbean people to their African ancestors. Scattered over a 3,000 mile long archipelago, the Caribbean basin was from the 15th through 19th centuries, the site of an extended historical encounter between Europe, Africa, and the Americas with Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and the Britain competing with each other for control of the Caribbean islands (as well as nearby Central and South American coasts). Over the years I’ve written about many Afro-Caribbean religions, but I decided to tie them together into one story. 

Major European colonies in the Caribbean basin included Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, as well as mainland colonies such as Belize, Honduras, Suriname, French Guiana, and Guyana. In addition to enslaving the Native American populations, the colonizers brought Africans from Central and Western Africa as slaves to the region to provide labor on tobacco and sugar plantations and sought to convert them to Christianity.

The vast majority of people in the Caribbean are part of a “creole culture” an intersection of African, European, and Native American cultures. The religions I will explore in this diary are Afro-Caribbean in nature, forged by the powerful force of countless multitudes of Africa’s children forced to work on plantations “remixing” how their religion was and is practiced. Outside of the Caribbean ideas and stereotypes of Caribbean religions and its people run wild. When European (and later American) in the 1700’s began writing about the religion practiced around the Caribbean, their writing reflected their strong anti-African biases, their own ignorance of African culture, and their intolerance of non-Christian beliefs.  

Today most Caribbean people consider themselves to be Christians (as well as large numbers of Muslims, Hindu, and Buddhist) this is true even in Haiti (the country with the strongest Afro-Caribbean religious tradition Vodou) and Cuba (where Santeria is very widely practiced). Until recently “cultured” Caribbean elites were taught to look down upon these native religions. But beginning in the 1960’s, a combination of independence movements and cultural awakenings lead Caribbean people to show renewed pride in their African origins, and with it their African derived religions.

Beginning with Columbus’ 1492 conquest, throughout the colonies of the Caribbean basin, Christian religions (such as the Anglican and Dutch Reformed churches or the national Catholic churches of France, Portugal, and Spain) became the state religions. Christian sects other than these state churches suffered persecution and non-Christian religions such as Islam, American Indian religions, and traditional African religions were actively suppressed. Nevertheless, some indigenous Caribbean and African populations resisted conversion and held onto their own religious beliefs while incorporating elements of Christianity. This process resulted in the creation of a variety of religious forms that incorporate elements from indigenous Caribbean beliefs and West and Central African religions, as well as institutional and popular forms of Christianity and even folk religious traditions practiced in Europe.

One example of this form of integration involves the role of Catholic saints in Afro-Caribbean religious traditions. In some instances, slaves from Africa would continue to worship their own spirits or deities, called lwa (also called Loa) by connecting them to Catholic saints, using the saints to hide the continuation of their religious practices in plain site. In other instances, Catholic saints were truly integrated into Afro-Caribbean religious traditions and given the status of lwa.  

According to the US Census’ American Community Survey, as of 2016, about 4,000,000 people residing in the United States are direct Caribbean immigrants (Caribbean Immigrants in the United State) importantly this number excludes their children born in the US. Additionally according to PEW and additional  4.9 million Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin resided in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (remember this only a count of Puerto Ricans on the mainland), according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The Afro-Caribbean population is most prominent in Miami, New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Boston. Of these, it is extremely difficult to determine how many actively practice Afro-Caribbean religions, also known as African Diasporic Religious Traditions. Furthermore, it is important to note that individuals who do not self-identify as Afro-Carribbean may practice African Diasporic Religious Traditions.

BASIC BELIEFS

Although there are specific beliefs unique to each Afro-Caribbean religious tradition, they overwhelmingly share a common worldview. Afro-Caribbean religions generally teach that the Supreme Being and spirits are interdependent and do not live in a world apart from humanity (famously sung by Bob Marley as heaven is a place on Earth).

In Afro-Caribbean religions, the material and spiritual worlds are inseparable from one another. Humans and other natural objects are believed to be both natural and divine—participating in and influencing the spiritual world. As a result, a major focus of concern for many believers is how to access various kinds of spiritual power in order to wake up to one’s divinity in order to manifest one’s destiny and live with purpose.

Many of these religions accept the world as it is, though they believe that the world can be made better and that the situations of individual people and groups can be improved (religions with different overall philosophies include Rastafari and Revivalism, among others). Although most Afro-Caribbean religions believe in reincarnation, the emphasis is not on future lives but rather on personal and communal fulfillment in the present life. For their adherents, then, religion is the resource for dealing successfully with the physical, social, psychological, familial, spiritual, and financial obstacles they experience in life. These problems may be overcome through rituals that make use of the powers that are available in the natural world and in the various spirits they worship.

Major Afro-Caribbean traditions include Candomblé (many Caribbean slaves were brought from North East Brazil), Santeria, and Lukumi (collectively referred to as the Orisa or Orisha traditions), Palo Mayombe, , Vodoun, Rastafarianism, and Revivalism.

In the Afro-Caribbean religious groups with the strongest Christian influence, such as Revivalism and Rastafari, the Bible is a central sacred text. Rastafari in particular view the Bible as a sacred text that Christians in general and the colonizing European churches in particular have willfully misinterpreted and misunderstood in order to oppress and exploit people of African descent.

In these traditions the Bible also plays additional roles that are unknown to most North American Christians. For example, some Revivalist churches view the Bible not only as a source of doctrine, salvation, and divine revelation, but also as a book of magic, with the Books of Psalms and Revelation being especially potent sources of magical power for the person who knows how to use them correctly.

Some traditions also venerate the writings of key leaders. Rastafariani utilizes the writings of Marcus Garvey as sacred texts, while Caribbean Spiritists sometimes use the works of Spiritism’s French founder, Allan Kardec (aka Hyppolite Rivail), as sacred texts, including his Selected Prayers, Book of the Medium, and Book of Spirits.

Santería, Candomblé, Palo Mayombe, and Vodoun, although influenced by Catholicism and incorporating some Christian concepts and symbols, do not utilize the Bible as a sacred text. The most important sacred texts in these traditions are orally transmitted songs, stories, and prayers.

PRACTICES

Although the particulars of practice vary among traditions, the main ways in which believers practice fall into a few broad categories. Many Afro-Caribbean religious traditions have no central religious authorities. However, some religions such as Ifa (from which Candomble, Santeria, and Lukumi originate) has a world spokesperson.

Historically, there has not been religious literature available for most Afro-Caribbean religious traditions because information was passed down orally. Over the last 40 years both scholars and practitioners have produced literature on Afro-Caribbean religious traditions that is widely available to others. Examples include African Religions: A Very Short Introduction by Jacob Olupona; Black Religion and Aesthetics: Religious Thought and Life in Africa and the African Diaspora by Anthony B. Pinn; and Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practice Rituals by Luisah Teish.

Because of their histories of persecution during the Colonial period and afterward, and because contemporary society and media continue to demonize them, there is a high level of secrecy around Afro-Caribbean beliefs and practices. Traditionally, only priests, other initiates, and active devotees in a tradition take part in rituals and worship.

The daily routines of members include devotions practiced at altars in their homes. Adherents pray before an altar dedicated to one or more of the deities they worship and leave offerings of flowers, incense, water, or alcoholic beverages, and occasionally small sacrificial animals consecrated by a priest.

Afro-Caribbean religious practitioners are often protective of their rituals, highlighting the need to offer privacy for prayer and ritual observances whenever possible, especially in the workplace. Employees may bring in special food, icons, candles, or natural objects (e.g., rocks, sticks, etc.), though it is unlikely “outsiders” will be aware of their hidden purpose. If an employee brings these devotional objects in for prayer, they will likely want that object for symbolic protection and will keep that object on their person or within their personal space.

Some Afro-Caribbean religious practitioners may want to engage in prayer rituals during the day. If available, quiet rooms or interfaith prayer rooms will be appropriate for many of these prayers. In traditions such as Candomble, Santeria, Palo Monte, and Vodoun observers may perform acts of libation by pouring small amounts of water in a bowl, plant, or outside in nature while speaking the names of deities or loves ones who are deceased. As a result, some practitioners may need to pray in the open air or find a space where they can perform acts of libation.

Divination, a ritual process of using ancient oracle systems to connect with the unseen or spiritual realm for guidance, is a core practice in Santería, Candomblé, and in some varieties of Palo Mayombe. The purpose of divination is to gain guidance that will help devotees become conscious, self-actualize and co-create their destiny with the Divine. Devotees approach priests with a problem, and divination allows the priest to diagnose its causes. Although Vodoun does not make use of divination techniques of this sort, initiation into the highest ranks of the Vodoun priesthood is believed to grant the power of clairvoyance.

While Santería, Candomblé, Palo Mayombe, and Vodoun are generally not congregational religions, there are certain traditions throughout the United States where it is common for priests and priestesses to lead spiritual communities which serve as places for worship on a regular basis. Some of these communities have open services, and offer  occasional ceremonies that bring large numbers of worshipers together. In the United States, traditions such as Candomble, Santeria, and Lukumi  – known collectively as Orisa (or Orisha) traditions – have spiritual communities referred to as iles (houses) that are led by priests and priestesses. Some of these communities have open services and/or annual celebrations in honor of orisha which are called bembes. Orisha are spirits and deities that act as intermediaries between the Supreme Being and human beings.

At typically religious services, the main activities are singing religious songs accompanied by drumming and dancing. In certain ceremonies the practices of singing, dancing, and drumming together call upon the religion’s deities and invite them to visit the ceremony by taking over the body of one or more of the priests. Once possession occurs, the deity is dressed in special clothes and interacts with worshipers before departing. These ceremonies usually end with a closing ritual followed by a communal meal, which is shared with the deities by placing food in front of their altars.

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Healing constitutes a major focus of these religions. Whether a problem is social, psychological, or physical, devotees make use of herbal medicine, ritual healing, and counseling provided by their spiritual leaders. The healing process is meant to explore what an individual needs to align with physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and identify any blocks or obstacles to be addressed. In some traditions, problems may also be believed to be the result of  malevolence (sometimes referred to as “sorcery”), and a portion of any healer’s work is dedicated to combating the effects of such  malevolence.

Vodou (Voodou) is arguably both the most famous and most misunderstood Afro-Caribbean religion. Since Vodou emergence in the Caribbean during the era of the slave trade, the Haitian religion has been the subject of great controversy.  As a result, Vodou has been suppressed, misinterpreted and misrepresented over many centuries, and the practitioners of Vodou have long been subjected to religious persecution because of this.  Not surprisingly, mainstream media also portrays Vodou in manner that is problematic and lacks historical context.

Historians have long recognized that Vodou played an important ideological role during the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804).  Yet, as incredulous as it may seem, there are those even today who argue that the ceremony at Bois Caiman, which sparked the Haitian Revolution, should be understood as a “deal made with Satan.” The most notable of these was the very influential religious leader Pat Robertson who made this claim in 2010 during one of his televised fundraisers.  It is interesting to note, however, that the Haitian Catholic church has accepted Vodou for over thirty years.  

Yet for many non-Haitians, the religion is something to be feared and is also to be seen as an explanation for all that has gone wrong in Haiti.  While the views of Pat Robertson and other religious leaders such as Tom Barrett have been widely criticized, and their views can be easily dismissed by those who have studied the Haitian Revolution, their strong following guarantees that they have the power to influence perceptions about Vodou, Haiti, and Haitians.

After slaves started a massive revolt in 1791 on the island of St. Domingue, where present-day Haiti is, the assortment of beliefs and practices brought over from different parts of Western Africa coalesced into New Orleans voodoo. Both white and black residents of St. Domingue, also colonized by the French, fled to New Orleans which was attractive to them for its similar French heritage. Residents of St. Domingue already followed developed voodoo practices (in fact, an intense, well-attended voodoo ceremony inspired the slave revolt), and the refugees brought these traditions with them.

However, voodoo wouldn’t have penetrated into New Orleans culture as much as it did without the unifying force of the infamous Marie Laveau, who codified practices locally and gave the religion a beautiful but mysterious public face. Laveau is believed to have been the daughter of a white planter and a black Creole woman. For a while, she earned a living as a hairdresser, catering to a wealthy white clientele and learning their secrets through gossip, giving her insight into their affairs. Laveau bridged the world of white and black, with clients and followers of all walks of life who asked her to bring them luck, to cure ailments, to procure them their desired lovers, and to exact revenge on enemies. Another important figure of New Orleans voodoo was Dr. John, a dark-skinned, stately man with a tattooed face whose alleged powers brought him thousands of clients.

Voodoo both fascinated and repelled the white New Orleanians who came to watch the public rites that were held in Congo Square until 1857, where Armstrong Park is today. (More secretive, nocturnal rites were held elsewhere.) Rumors of spirit possessions, snake worship, zombies, and animal sacrifices scandalized them. But in private, they would consult voodoo priests and priestesses. Modern scholars argue that voodoo was a way for African-Americans to exert influence over the white ruling establishment, a manifestation of suppressed power.

Popular conceptions about Vodou have also been informed by the film industry.  For decades, many Hollywood productions have capitalized on stereotypes about Vodou. While it is clear to any historian that these films and television episodes are highly inaccurate, for many, the distinction between historical fact and sensationalized Hollywood fabrications and exaggerations is not all that clear. For example, movies such as Live and Let Die (1973) from the James Bond series, The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), and Child’s Play (1988), all present Vodou in a negative light, emphasizing zombies, possession and Vodou dolls, which in reality have very little to do with the religion.  More recently, television shows such as True Blood and Bones have had Vodou featured prominently in their respective series.  In such representations, Vodou is not represented as a spiritual practice but is instead depicted as an evil cult.  Nor do such media productions emphasize the many similarities that Vodou shares with Christianity or its roots in Catholicism.

For hundreds of years Jamaicans have been prevented by law from practising Obeah, a belief system with similarities to Haiti's Voodoo. Until recently, the practice of Obeah was punishable by flogging or imprisonment, among other penalties. The government recently abolished such colonial-era punishments, prompting calls for a decriminalisation of Obeah to follow.

Obeah thrived during the era of slavery, but it virtually died out in urban centers, where over half the Jamaican population now lives. But It has survived in rural communities. Obeah's history is similar to that of Voodoo in Haiti and Santeria in Cuba. Enslaved Africans brought spiritual practices to the Caribbean that included folk healing and a belief in magic like powers for good and for evil.

Palo, also known as Las Reglas de Congo, is a religion with various denominations which developed in Cuba among Central African slaves and their descendants who originated in the Congo Basin. It is secondary to Lucumi ( also known as Santeria), among practitioners of African-derived religions in Cuba. Denominations often referred to as "branches" of Palo include Mayombe  (or Mallombe), Monte, Briyumba (or Brillumba), and Kimbisa.

The Spanish word palo "stick" was applied to the religion in Cuba due to the use of wooden sticks in the preparation of altars, which were also called la Nganga, el caldero, nkisi or la prenda. Priests of Palo are known as Paleros, Tatas (men), Yayas (women) or Nganguleros. Initiates are known as ngueyos or pino nuevo.

Diet

Santería, Candomblé, Vodoun, and Palo Mayombe have no explicit, universal dietary restrictions, although some individuals may adopt dietary restrictions through practices of divination.

Many Rastafari eschew pork and salt and follow Ethiopian Jewish dietary laws (Beta Israel) as well as a modified vegan diet called ital  (“I” is important in rasta chants and the word “vital”). The general principle of ital is that food should be eaten in its natural state. Thus, some Rastafari avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g., color and preservatives); strict interpretations prohibit foods produced using chemical pesticides and fertilizer. Most Rastafari avoid all red meat, many do not eat fish (or at least fish that are over 12 inches in length), and some are strict vegetarians. Some also avoid shellfish and alcohol consumption.

Santeria devotees who have been initiated into the priesthood of Obatala also avoid alcohol consumption. Some Afro-Christian churches also have fasting requirements.

Adherents of Afro-Christian churches also may ascribe healing properties to cer­tain foods and may wish to maintain a diet that they believe provides spiritual balance. These dietary restrictions exist in Santería, Candomblé, Vodoun, and Palo Mayombe and stem from one’s relationships with the specific spirits or deities one serves. For example, in Santería, the orisha Oshún is believed to keep all her magic herbs and sacred objects inside a pumpkin; she is also associated with the patron saint of Cuba, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre. Therefore, those who worship Oshún are barred from eating pumpkins, which are a special food reserved for the orisha. This dietary restriction is especially important on Oshún’s/La Virgen’s Feast Day, which falls on September 8.

If providing a meal for an individual who ascribes to an Afro-Caribbean tradition, find out whether the individual abstains from meat, fish, chemically modified foods, artificial additives, or other ritually significant foods. Some individuals will prefer to eat food they have prepared themselves, which should be accommodated in the event of a catered social gathering or meeting in the workplace.

Attire

Generally, there is no religious dress that is worn on a daily basis, although special outfits may accompany rituals. Some Afro-Caribbean individuals may choose to wear charms or amulets that are believed to ward off evil spirits. Santería and Candomblé devotees may, however, wear distinctive bead necklaces and bracelets (including ankle bracelets), which act as both a distinctive badge of membership and spiritual protection. In the Orisa traditions of Ifa, Lukumi, Santeria the distinctive bead necklaces are known as ilekes and the bracelets are known as ides. They symbolize that someone has gone through a specific ritual and offer spiritual protection. The color of the beads correlate to particular deities invoked during the ritual.

There is one instance during which both Santería and Candomblé require particular religious garb. During the period of a year or more following a novice’s initiation into the priesthood, the person is expected to dress entirely in white clothes and to wear head coverings (a hat for men or a white cloth tied around their head for women). Women may wear long white dresses, coats, jackets, and stockings that cover most of their bodies. Both men and women in this situation are viewed as especially vulnerable, and white is seen as a spiritually pure color that protects that vulnerability. It is important that people in this situation continue to be dressed only in white clothes and be allowed some form of white head covering if at all possible.

Among the Rastafari, most wear their hair in dreadlocks, in which the hair is worn in long, ropelike locks, as an expression of their faith (if invokes the imagery of a lion’s mane). Dreadlocks are associated closely with the practice of Rastafari, but are not universal among, or exclusive to, adherents of the Rastafari. Rastafari can actually shave all their head and facial hair to be in religious compliance (Nazarene Vow). Although few actually do this, because the term “bald head” often has a negative connotation among the Rastafari.

CALENDAR & HOLIDAYS

Since there are links between many Afro-Caribbean religious traditions and Catholic saints, many of these traditions celebrate saint dyas. However, these holidays differ somewhat by country, because some saints are the patron saints of particular countries and therefore holidays have both religious and nationalist significance. For example, the Catholic celebration of Our Lady of Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba, corresponds with the celebration and recognition of the Santería deity Oshún.

Some American holidays, like Halloween, have been treated in the same way. For many Vodoun worshippers in the United States, Halloween is an occasion for ceremonies directed at spirits associated with the dead and graveyards.

The more public celebrations on saints’ days tend to incorporate drumming, dancing and possession feasts while private observances related to an individual’s relationship to a particular deity are generally celebrated at home with sacrifices, offerings, and divination. Different people interpret offerings and sacrifies in different ways—for example, a sacrifice could include surrending or releasing a limiting view of a situation, and an offering could be a prayer, meditation or song.

MAJOR LIFE EVENTS

Birth: It is common for Afro-Caribbean mothers to have a great deal of support from older women in their families during childbirth. Traditionally, new mothers rest for anywhere from two weeks to 1½ months after childbirth. During this time, female relatives or neighbors help care for the mother and newborn.  In addition, pregnant and postnatal women are thought to be especially vulnerable to supernaturally influenced health problems. Thus, many choose to stay inside and avoid strenuous activities. Amulets or charms may be placed around the baby’s wrist to ward off evil spirits. These rituals are not specific to Afro-Caribbean religious traditions and are common practices in Caribbean culture generally.

Death: Given the importance of extended family and faith communities, an Afro-Caribbean individual is likely to receive a large number of visitors near the end of life.  If an Afro-Caribbean employee has an extended family member who is sick or nearing death, they may request time off to visit their loved one.  Some employees may also need to travel to the Caribbean to attend a loved one’s funeral. In some Afro-Christian churches, this can include a wake lasting three or more days in addition to the funeral itself. Many families will delay a funeral for as long as two weeks to allow relatives to come from other countries. Afro-Caribbean employees may therefore need to take off about a week of work when a loved one has passed away.

Funeral Rites and Post Death Practices: There are extensive rituals in Afro-Caribbean religions surrounding death, many of which are not shared openly. One example of a private practice that has been made public is the Haitian Vodoun death ritual. Practitioners of Haitian Vodoun believe that the dead body can be separated from the various spiritual entities that animate it. Haitian Vodoun teaches that each human has both a gwo bonanj (big guardian angel) and a lwa (spirit). Shortly after death, the gwo bonanj must be removed from the person through the death ritual. During this ritual, the dead also speak to the living through spirit possession. The spirits of deceased ancestors often inquire about living family members, and raise problems that they are able to observe within the community.

This is only one of the many rituals that may take place post death. Many are unknown to those who are not initiates of the particular tradition.

Marriage: Marriage customs among Afro-Caribbeans are usually governed more by culture than by religious dictates. In many Afro-Caribbean cultures guests are invited to the wedding through word-of-mouth while handwritten notes are rare. One common aspect of Afro-Caribbean weddings is black cake, a cake made with dried fruit that has been soaked in rum.

People in Afro-Caribbean households generally choose who to marry, although parental approval, especially from the mother, is still valued. Afro-Caribbeans today are likely to marry at a later age than their parents did, and increasingly have smaller families with one or two children instead of larger families that include many children and extended family who play a prominent role in the family structure.

Practitioners of Santeria may have wedding ceremonies that include rituals, prayers, and offerings to orishas (spirits). Some practitioners of Santeria may be licensed by the state to perform marriages, but this is not common, and in most cases a couple has a civil ceremony or a Catholic ceremony in church.

In Haitian Vodoun, practitioners may choose to marry a spirit (lwa) instead of, or in addition to, another person. Marriages to spirits involve rituals such as singing, dancing, and praying in order to coax the spirit to materialize.

Divorce/Other Marriage-Related Practices:

Although legal marriages between two people are becoming increasingly common among Afro-Caribbean families, traditionally other marriage structures have been more common. These structures include common-law unions, where couples live together but are not legally married; visiting unions, where the wife lives in her parents’ house instead of her husband’s; and single parent families. In addition, Afro-Caribbean families are often matricentric (centered around the mother), and it is common for the maternal grandmother to play a prominent role in raising children.

Divorce is infrequent among Afro-Caribbean families, although it is not unusual for common-law unions to dissolve. This can lead to the practice of child-shifting, where children are sent to live with relatives because their parents have ended their relationship or started relationships with other people. Rastafarians are particularly opposed to divorce and remarriage, which are regarded as abominations to Jah (God).

MAJOR DENOMINATIONS

Major Afro-Caribbean traditions include Candomblé, Palo Mayombe, Santería, Vodoun, spiritism, Rastafarianism, and Revivalism. Many of these traditions are strongly associated with a national identity—Candomble with Brazil, Vodoun with Haiti, Santeria and Palo Monte with Cuba, and Rastafarianism, Obeah, and Revivalism with Jamaica.

Though Santería, Candomblé, Vodoun, and Palo Mayombe are diverse and members can and do differentiate between varying forms of practice among them, there are no prominent, formalized divisions.  However, some Afro-Christian churches have a history of conflict with Rastafarianism, and the Catholic Church has historically had conflicts with Santeria, Palo Monte, and Vodoun. These conflicts continue to influence practitioners of Afro-Caribbean religions today, and are part of the reason why these practitioners may choose to keep their faith private in the workplace. In addition, American pop culture has presented, and continues to present, followers of Afro-Caribbean religions in a derogatory light through negative stereotyping. This history may also contribute to Afro-Caribbean practitioners’ wish to be private about their religious beliefs and practices.

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As Caribbean immigration to the United States continues to add the melting pot that is America, understanding the religions that originated there, goes along way to keeping America as a “welcoming culture”. The religious diversity of the Caribbean one of the world’s most diverse regions continues to add to the diversity of the world’s most diverse country the United States.

Sources:

• African Religions: A Very Short Introduction by Jacob Olupona
• Black Religion and Aesthetics: Religious Thought and Life in Africa and the African Diaspora by Anthony B. Pinn
• Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practice Rituals by Luisah Teish
• Ital Foods — Annemarie Troeder.
• Wikipedia
• Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions - Nathaniel Samuel Murrell
• Voodoo: Myths and Misconceptions

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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Created by Jasmine Sessoms in Pennsylvania, the center aims to place more Black women in positions of influence in public policy. The Grio: Center 1968 is on a mission to train and elect more Black women in politics and policy

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When Jasmine Sessoms observed the political landscape, she was disheartened to see that practically no Black women worked in public policy. After successfully training Black women to run for political office in her home state of Pennsylvania through her “She Can Run” program—resulting in graduates like Cherelle Parker, who went on to be elected Philadelphia’s first female mayor—Sessoms decided she needed to go a step further.

“Without training us, investing in us, and connecting us, we really are struggling,” said Sessoms, a longtime political fundraiser who has served in various roles in government relations and higher education. “I was like, ‘You know what? I want to do something bigger than just training women to run for office because there are so many other facets.”

That’s where Center 1968 comes in. The center, named after the year Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress, builds on the work of “She Can Run,” expanding beyond getting Black women to run for office to include training in policy to become staffers in political offices. The center even honors iconic Black women in politics with a fellowship named after former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and a staffer program named after Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to President Barack Obama. To date, 13 women have graduated from the center, and a handful of them have been placed in jobs as policy experts.

Sessoms told theGrio that the center primarily seeks out women who are not necessarily politically connected. “We look for the community leader, the single mom that just is a block captain or a ward leader or a committee person…we put them into the system that was not designed for them.” She continued, “There’s a lot of nervousness and trepidation because everything they know about politics is just scary, bad…we make it more friendly.”

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In 2025, Black Voters Matter (BVM) will push for legislative change through its annual BVM Day at the Capitol across nine states. NEWSONE: Black Voters Matter Fight For Policy Change Through ‘BVM Days At The Capitol’ Tour

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In 2025, Black Voters Matter (BVM) will focus on local politics by hosting its annual BVM Days at the Capitol across nine states—Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—to push for impactful legislative changes on issues that directly affect the Black community. Beginning Feb. 25 and continuing through May, these critical events will unite state and local partners, community leaders, stakeholders, and concerned citizens to engage with policymakers and advocate for critical policy shifts at the state level to protect voting rights, access to quality healthcare, and discuss issues such as combatting climate change, DEI policy protection, HBCU funding, and so much more.

In the face of a turbulent political climate, BVM remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and fight for the rights of Black and marginalized voters. Amid the chaos stirred by the new administration’s tactics to distract voters, BVM is doubling down on grassroots organizing and holding lawmakers accountable to their communities, demanding they stand up to President Donald Trump and Washington’s elite. The organization showcased its power and strength yet again, on March 19, when it made a stop at the Texas State Capitol, to focus on and highlight issues involving education, voter suppression, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and reproductive justice.

“We know the issues that Black communities face don’t start or stop on Election Day. Our work to build power in communities across the country continues 365 days a year,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of BVM, according to a press release. “BVM Days at the Capitol is another opportunity to show our collective power to shape local policies that influence policy decisions on the federal level.  We’re here to remind Black voters that while we are living in unprecedented times, we’ve seen this type of fascism before. White supremacy isn’t new; we know how to FIGHT BACK because we’ve done it before. It’s time for us to organize and hold local leaders accountable.”

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The abrupt halt to US funding threatens to undo decades of advances, dramatically increasing infections and deaths. The Guardian: ‘It’s back to drug rationing’: the end of HIV was in sight. Then came the cuts

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This year the world should have been “talking about the virtual elimination of HIV” in the near future. “Within five years,” says Prof Sharon Lewin, a leading researcher in the field. “Now that’s all very uncertain.”

Scientific advances had allowed doctors and campaigners to feel optimistic that the end of HIV as a public health threat was just around the corner.

Then came the Trump administration’s abrupt cuts to US aid funding. Now the picture is one of a return to the drugs rationing of decades ago, and of rising infections and deaths.

But experts are also talking about building a new approach that would make health services, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, less vulnerable to the whims of a foreign power.

The US has cancelled 83% of its foreign aid contracts and dismantled USAid, the agency responsible for coordinating most of them.

Many fell under the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) programme, which has been the backbone of global efforts to tackle HIV and Aids, investing more than $110bn (£85bn) since it was founded in 2003 and credited with saving 26 million lives and preventing millions more new infections. In some African countries it covered almost all HIV spending.

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The MAGA crowd isn’t satisfied with banning books anymore. NEWSONE: They Blinded A Black Soldier—Now They’re Blinding America

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When Sergeant Isaac Woodard was riding the Greyhound home to Winnsboro, S.C., on Feb. 12, 1946, I’m sure there was a lot on his mind. After all, at 26 years old, he’d just finished serving four long years with distinction in the Pacific theater of World War II where he’d seen some of the worst and some of the best humanity had to offer. The America he’d left to fight in that great crusade had only just begun to emerge from the Great Depression and the rural South was still very much in its grip. But it had been four years. He’d seen the world change and his constant diet of patriotism and possibility had fed an idealism that carried him through the worst of the war and felt that hope stirring in his chest as he rode the bus home.

He’d see the world change for the better. No doubt America would have changed too.

But that hope was dashed when the driver stopped in Batesburg, S.C., when Batesburg Police Chief Lynwood Shull arrested, beat and blinded Woodard, still in his Army uniform, simply for asking to use the restroom. One of the officers had even asked him if he was still in the Army or had been discharged first.

It turns out that assaulting a soldier was and is a felony. But beating a Black man, as far as the officers were concerned, was downright encouraged.

Two years later, on July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman desegregated the United States armed services by signing Executive Order 9981 officially declaring “there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”

In 2023, President Joe Biden celebrated the 75th Anniversary of that historic moment recognizing the countless stories of men and women like Sergeant Woodard who stepped up to defend liberty and freedom overseas only to face discrimination, oppression and violence when they returned home.

Two years ago, President Biden honored that history. Today, President Trump is trying to erase it.

Medgar Evers was an American hero. He fought in the Normandy landings during his time in uniform and he kept fighting for freedom when he came home to Jim Crow Mississippi. He went on to become one of the most remarkable and recognized civil rights leaders in America whose unflinching commitment and sacrifice inspired a generation. He was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, which used to feature information about Evers on its website. Not any more though.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

How much Black Women’s History do you know?

Every year, when we move from Black History Month into Women’s History Month I’ve been aware, as a Black woman that fairly often our history falls through the cracks. There is no longer an excuse for the misogynoir that has erased us, since there are hundreds of valuable resources available online these days, thanks to the efforts of activists, journalists and historians. We all have to make an effort to share what is readily available. 

I grew up in the ‘60’s when the women’s suffrage movement was taught in my High School history classes and there was no mention of the racism endorsed by “important” figures in women’s history: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. I’ve been writing about this here at Daily Kos for years (as have other DKos bloggers) Example:

Women’s History Month: Black feminism, misogynoir, and attempts to erase black women’s voices

The ballot and black women

With all the current resources available online, I often wonder how many young folks, and white folks, especially white feminist women, are utilizing them? When “Women’s History Month” rolls around what Black women in history do you think of? Do you ever make a decision to look for and learn more? If so, do you share what is out there with your kids, your family and friends?  With your book clubs? If not — why not? If so, I’d like to hear about it. We will not be erased, if we each make a commitment to learn, share, and teach.

I’m posting a few video’s and book links here today, which I hope you will watch and pass on.

Congressman Henry C. "Hank" Johnson was elected to Georgia's 4th Congressional District  in  2006. He’s a powerful constitutional/civil rights advocate and a proponent of judiciary reform. During his tenure, Congressman Hank Johnson has been the primary sponsor of 9 bills enacted into law. He is the primary sponsor of 3 bills to date in the 119th Congress.

In 2009, Congressman Hank Johnson was the impeachment manager for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas Samuel B. Kent and in 2010, he was a member of the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of New Orleans U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee he was involved in the impeachment inquiries in Trump’s impeachments.

Rep. Hank Johnson serves on the House Judiciary Committee where he is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet. He also serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He’s a member of the House Democrats Litigation Task Force. 

The reason for my focusing on Congressman Hank Johnson in today’s CBC Roundup, is that I’ve always found his soft-spoken questioning in hearings hard hitting and deserving of attention.

Here are some examples of Congressman Hank Johnson in action in hearings from the past month.

This past week, Congressman Hank Johnson held a Medicaid Round Table and a Tele Town Hall. He also appeared on the Dean Obeidallah show.

by Justice Putnam, Black Kos Editor

I was thinking about Kurt Vonnegut the other day. I was thinking about the firebombing of Dresden and the burning of Beatles albums in the South. I was thinking about the destruction of the Library in Alexandria and the cannonading of the Buddhas of Bamyan. I was thinking of laws that prevented Blacks from reading and if there were no laws, the local Citizens Council made sure no reading occurred, by any means necessary.

Vonnegut was not the only one to call the bombing of Dresden an act of terror. Even British Air Commodore Colin McKay Grierson, a confidant of Churchill, admitted to AP war correspondent Howard Cowan, that the raid also helped destroy...

“ ... what is left of German morale… “

Cowan then filed a report that the allies had resorted to terror bombing.

The firebombing of Dresden, a center for Art and Literature, was a strategic act of terror. The burning of Beatles albums was a conscious act by white supremacists and one meant to intimidate. The murder of Trayvon Martin and the gaslighting about his brutal murder, like the removal of the Tuskagee Airmen from the military record, did not happen in a vacuum devoid of racist intent. It is one thing to admit the virulent resurgence of laws to enforce only a “white” education, but we are in a full-blown Rawanda Radio ethnic cleansing with masked government hit squads renditioning professors and scientists right off the street in broad daylight, we are witnessing a wholesale blitzkrieg to re-write history, to erase anything or anyone from the annals who fought long and hard so that democracy would not perish from the face of the Earth.

In the historic center of Baghdad, on a street named after the tenth century classical poet, Al-Mutannabi, a street filled with bookstores and outdoor book stalls, an area often referred to as the heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community, a car bomb exploded and killed 26 people on 5 March 2007.

did you notice
how quickly the open sky
folded in upon itself

the flaking burnt pages
like torn moth wings
flying up the fetid smoke
then drifting
down

the broken teacups
and coffee stained saucers
the splintered chairs
empty shoe
splattered blood

and
just before
that moment

did you hear the
euphony of the street
as men wrangled
and summoned
swore and cajoled
addressed
if not solved
defined
if not created
the problems
and the promise
of their country's
tomorrow

did you even know
of the dreams imploded
inside the molten iron
across the narrow
book lined street
as debate turned
to barbed screeches
philosophy
into choked smoke
and a thousand
years of history
was buried in the rubble

or was there

nothing
except an inexorable
deadly silence

- devorah major
”on the day Al-Mutanabbi street was bombed"

With Republicans enjoying a prolonged victory lap on Sunday talk shows, cable gab, and infuriatingly nightly with CNN’s Abby Phillip, one would believe that no legitimate liberal perspective exists. Watching the smug, self-assured smile of CNN’s GOP contributor Scott Jennings reset every argument with the words “in the eyes of a lot of working-class voters...” I suppose—in his mind, excludes the slackers who support Democrats. Republicans are good at speaking as if the only perspective that matters is the conservative one. The likes of former RNC chair Reince Priebus and his ilk will bring up that President Donald Trump got over 77 million votes but ignore the fact that Kamala Harris got nearly 75 million votes. Harris's loss to Trump was by a margin narrower than Trump’s loss to former President Joe Biden, who garnered 81 million votes.

Because one party overexcites the vagaries of their party into action does not mean the apathy of the other means they also support conservatives. Democrats, who support LGBTQIA+ rights, climate change, abortion rights, universal healthcare, or minimum wage increases, are not suddenly against all those things. Republicans, I agree, were successful in this cycle of convincing Democrats to stay home because their morality was less critical than their pocketbook. For the Republicans who are gleefully throwing dirt into the premature grave of Democrats, I suggest they remember when they were contemplating their death with the Republican 2012-13 autopsy. Democrats walked around with the Jennings smirk, thinking America would coast into its version of the unchallenged future. The GOP thought a kinder, gentler party toward women and minorities was the answer.

Donald Trump upended that thinking with a more callous attitude toward women, minorities, the gay community, and civil rights. He guessed right that the undercurrent of racism bubbling below the feet of America’s first black president was palpable and insidious enough to win. The fear for liberals is that the Democratic party does not adopt the same strategy of thinking that cruelty is the point.

Democrats have been successful since the Kennedy era because policy morality inspires further morality. The burr in the saddle of the high horse the GOP currently rides is that cruelty can only be exceeded by more cruelty. The concentration on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a perfect example. Once Trump conditioned the people (white people) to accept that black people are the recipients of special treatment to their detriment, the next step was to remove black people’s accomplishments from public record, such as the Tuskegee Airmen, Medgar Evers, and Jackie Robinson, whose name was returned after a public outcry. The collateral damage to the Native population, women, and the gay community is just a bonus.

The tide of cruelty is washing up on the shore, and the people who voted for Trump because he hates the people they hate are caught up in the tsunami. Now that grandma’s check is on the line and veterans who may not get their benefits are at risk, the cruelty seems misplaced.  One Trump Cabinet official, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is so mesmerized by the cruelty that he publicly said, “Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month.” My mother-in-law, who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain. She just wouldn’t. She’d think something got messed up and she’ll get it next month,” Lutnick, who has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion, said on the “All-In” podcast. For those of us in the real world, our morality would not allow us to risk our ninety-four-year-old mother-in-law surviving with no means to pay for heating, medicine, or food for a month.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Flowers for Lonnie Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

Commentary by Chitown Kev

The current occupant of the Oval Office, along with his sidekick, seems determined to turn these United States into...I don’t know, reflections of their conscious and unconscious mind, and with results that the entire world can see. These feats of dark metamorphosis and projection are taking place right before our very eyes and includes not only America's present but its past, as well.

Take, for instance, the recent executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”

Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.  This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.  For example, the Smithsonian American Art Museum today features “The Shape of Power:  Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” an exhibit representing that “[s]ocieties including the United States have used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.” The exhibit further claims that “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and promotes the view that race is not a biological reality but a social construct, stating “Race is a human invention.”

Fortunately, I don’t have to concerned about where to begin with all of that hot mess, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie g. Bunch III does a better, more diplomatic job of that than I ever could, in a internal memo to Smithsonian staff in response to Trump’s executive order.

Fortunately, the executive branch does not (solely) hire or appoint leaders of the Smithsonian Institution; that is the job of the 17-member Board of Regents. 

Nor is the Smithsonian Institution funded solely by the federal government; about 62% of the Smithsonian’s budget is funded though congressionally authorized appropriations.

So while the political heat will be turned up, Mr. Bunch’s job is safe, For now.

Besides, looking at Mr. Bunch’s bio, something tells me he can take the heat. He may even be the most qualified director that the Smithsonian has ever had.

A widely published author, Bunch has written on topics ranging from the Black military experience, the American presidency and African American History in California, diversity in museum management and the impact of funding and politics on American museums. His most recent book, A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump, chronicles the making of the museum that would become one of the most popular destinations in Washington.

Bunch has worked at the Smithsonian in the past, holding several positions at its National Museum of American History from 1989 through 2000. As the museum’s associate director for curatorial affairs for six years (1994–2000), he oversaw the curatorial and collections management staff and led the team that developed a major permanent exhibition on the American presidency. He also led the team that developed “Smithsonian’s America” for the American Festival Japan 1994; this exhibition, which was presented in Japan, explored the history, culture and diversity of the United States.

Bunch served as the curator of history for the California African American Museum in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1989. While there, he organized several award-winning exhibitions, including “The Black Olympians, 1904–1950” and “Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850–1950.” He also produced several historical documentaries for public television. Bunch is also a frequent guest on TV news programs such as Face the Nation, Meet the Press, 60 Minutes, CNN and PBS Newshour.

Mr. Bunch is a person who chose well-qualified mentors and has received great advice from the greats, as he explained during a panel discussion at Duke University’s School of Law last week.

Decades before, Bunch discovered the “holy grail” at the foundation of his philosophy of history when he met Princey Jenkins, a 90-year-old man who lived in a cabin on a rice plantation in Georgetown, S.C.where his enslaved grandmother once lived.

“(Princey) said to me, ‘I’m not sure what a historian does, but if you’re a good historian, isn’t your job to help people remember, not just what they want to remember, but what they need to remember?’” Bunch said. “And that changed everything. That’s really the subtext of the museum.”

Bunch also heeded the advice of the late, celebrated Duke historian John Hope Franklin, who chaired the museum’s advisory committee.

“John Hope Franklin used to say to me that you’ve got to do two things. One, you’ve got to tell the unvarnished truth, and that means there’s going to be pain, there’s going to be violence, there’s going to be issues,” Bunch said. “But on the other hand, you’ve got to make sure that when people go through the museum, they’re changed.”

Earlier this year, Smithsonian Magazine published a long interview with Mr. Bunch where he spoke most eloquently on the need and place for expertise in civic life and the relationship of professional expertise to the general public.

Research has found that Americans have little trust in their institutions and government. The Pew Research Center did a survey that found only 22 percent of U.S. adults said that they trust the federal government to do the right thing always or most of the time. So, with the Smithsonian having the word “institution” literally in its name and being a representation of the country, how does it reckon with that?

In some ways we already have. When people look at this, when you look at those surveys, I read them very carefully. It’s cultural institutions and the Smithsonian [that] are still the most trusted. What happens, though, is there’s always a debate about what does it mean to be “federal,” right? When I was building the African American Museum, there was a lot of chatter that you couldn't build a museum that told the truth if you’re part of the federal government, but I think I demonstrated you can do that. It’s really incumbent upon us to demonstrate that we listen and learn, [and] that we really do also believe in the kind of expertise that comes from these institutions. Almost every day, you have to prove your worth.

When I was a curator at the American History Museum, we always recognized that our job was to challenge ourselves, to learn more from our audiences, to make sure that the work we do matters not just to us. In essence, I would argue that what’s important for the Smithsonian is to remember that science, art, history, culture are too important just to be in the hands of those that are experts, that it really has to be shared and made better by the interaction with a variety of people. That’s the wonderful tension of working in a place like the Smithsonian, that you have the expertise, but that expertise has to be shared, and you have to be made better by the response to that expertise.

I don’t know whether it is the editorial policy of Black Kos to “give people their flowers while they’re alive” (I think that such a policy unofficially exists!) but I will say that Lonnie Bunch III deserve those flowers as much as anyone and for many reasons.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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There is still a sense of a broken allyship as Black folks on social are warning Black Americans not to participate in protests against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. Newsone: Social Media Calls For Black People To Stay Home On National Day Of Action April 5

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Black folks on social media are warning Black Americans not to participate in an upcoming global protest against the Trump administration and Elon Musk.

On Saturday, April 5, thousands of people in the U.S. and around the world are preparing to protest  Trump in what they are calling “Hands Off! National Day of Action.”

According to Third Act, one of the organizations that helped put together this massive protest said the event is meant to stand up against those who believe they can take whatever they want—our democracy, our future, our rights. So far, more than 600 events have been planned across all 50 states. Events have also been planned in Europe and Canada.

Indivisible, another organization helping to mobilize, prompted the protest on BlueSky, writing, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They’re taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. On April 5, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against the protest, saying they will never work to deter the president from further pushing his agenda.

“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” Leavitt said in a statement to USA Today. “President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly reelected him.”
Black voices on social media took these words to heart and warned Black people of the dangers they could face if they participated in the upcoming protests. YouTube channel Twinshangout Kenya put together a montage video of the warnings from Black social to share the sentiment with other Black folks.

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Keni Arts shares his latest work capturing Altadena after the deadly fire as he reflects on what this community means to him. Newsone: Altadena Artist Paints ‘Beauty For Ashes’ After Eaton Fire

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Through watercolor, artist Keni Davis—known as Keni Arts—has been documenting the impact of the Eaton Fire across Altadena. Like thousands of his neighbors, the artist lost his home in the deadly January wildfire, the place where he and his wife raised three daughters. By painting the charred landscape left in the community, he uses art to cope and find beauty amid profound loss.

Despite the wreckage, the artist continues to paint as he did before the fire, revisiting familiar sites around town and capturing scenes reduced to rubble. Yet Altadena pushes forward—Keni Arts and his family are among those determined to rebuild from the ashes.

These paintings are part of his latest series, Beauty For Ashes, which depicts Altadena after the fire, before the debris is cleared. The title is inspired by the Bible verse Isaiah 61:3: “[God] will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.”

Speaking with NewsOne, Keni Arts shared a selection of paintings from his Beauty For Ashes (BFA) series, along with the stories behind them, pairing each piece with a painting he created before the Eaton Fire.

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The human death toll form this bloody war has been staggering Newsone: Understanding Sudan’s Civil War: Here’s What We Know

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On April 15, 2023, fighting broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF – led by de facto head of state Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known colloquially as “Hemedti.” The RSF emerged out of the feared Janjaweed militia that had terrorized the Darfur region of Sudan.

While the SAF and RSF previously worked together to forcibly remove longtime President Omar al-Bashir from power in 2019, they later split amid a power struggle that turned deadly.

The major point of contention was the disputed timeline for RSF integration into the national military, with the RSF preferring a 10-year process to the SAF’s preferred two-year plan.

By early April 2023, the government deployed SAF troops along the streets of the capital, Khartoum, while RSF forces took up locations throughout the country. Matters came to a head when explosions and gunfire rocked Khartoum on April 15 of that year. The two forces have been in conflict ever since.

The human toll of the civil war has been staggering. As of February 2025, estimates of those killed from the conflict and its related causes, including lack of sufficient medical facilities and hunger, have ranged from 20,000 to 150,000 – a wide gulf that, according to Humanitarian Research Lab executive director Nathaniel Raymond, is partially due to the fact that the dead or displaced are still being counted.

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Kamala Harris would not have done this. The Grio: US Naval Academy ends affirmative action in admissions 

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The U.S. Naval Academy will no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex as a factor for admission to the service institution, a response to an executive order by President Donald Trump, according to federal court documents made public Friday.

The change in policy was made in February by Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the academy’s superintendent, in response to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January, according to a court filing by the U.S. Justice Department in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The president’s order on Jan. 27 said that “every element of the Armed Forces should operate free from any preference based on race or sex.” It also directed the secretary of defense to conduct an internal review with respect to all “activities designed to promote a race- or sex-based preferences system,” including reviews at the service academies.

“Under revised internal guidance issued by the Superintendent on Feb. 14, 2025, neither race, ethnicity, nor sex can be considered as a factor for admission at any point during the admissions process, including qualification and acceptance,” according to the court filing made public Friday.

The decision comes after a federal judge ruled in December that the academy could continue considering race in its admissions process. In that case, the judge found that military cohesion and other national security factors mean the school should not be subjected to the same standards as civilian universities.

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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

It is pretty much inarguable that President Donald Trump is a notorious and inveterate liar. Despite the press’s reluctance to use such a harsh description of the current president, I am not afraid to speak the truth. It is easy to use the old canard that all politicians lie and close one’s ears to reality, but this is different. Listening to nighttime TV hosts and comics make fun of the constant barrage of lies from Mr. Trump and his minions gives us a head-shaking laugh, but America’s future is no longer a laughing matter. Have all the laughs and snickers conditioned us to accept violations of the greatest governing document known to humankind—the Constitution?

As the stories mount about finger-pointing, Bulls jackets, and autism awareness support tattoos being grounds to ignore the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments right to due process, the ho-hum coming from certain circles of the public is disturbing. Mr. Trump has issued Executive Orders questioning the right to counsel and freedom of the press. The highest members of Trump’s Cabinet lied to both the media and Senate and Congressional committees in recent weeks about the sensitivity and classification of military intelligence.  Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fabricated a lie, and Vice President JD Vance lied in his direct response to the question about a Maryland husband and father of two being renditioned to an El Salvador prison without being convicted or even receiving due process.

The Constitution states that ‘persons,’ not citizens of the United States, are afforded due process under the law. The statute is not ambiguous or open to interpretation; it is clearly stated that the Fifth Amendment provides that “no person” shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. If one needs further confirmation, one can turn to the 14th Amendment, which states, 'nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.’ Speaking of the 14^th Amendment, the President has postured about overturning the first part of Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment—rescinding birthright citizenship. Republicans, for the most part, just shrug their shoulders and bow to the master.  

Meanwhile, the public is caught up in chasing the lies and distractions while the government is being destroyed from within. Cuts in Health and Human Services are occurring while a burgeoning measles crisis is unfolding in the Southwestern United States, now spread to seventeen states. Our sons and daughters are in danger not only from the enemy but also from their civilian leadership, as reports of social media apps being used to communicate attack plans have been made. The administration is ceding ground to China with America’s abandonment of USAID. The absence of the US following the earthquake in Myanmar has also invited Russia and India, as well as China, to replace the US on the world stage.  Even efforts to win hearts and minds through Radio Free Europe have been set aside by misguided isolationism, only to be reinstated after a lawsuit was filed. While Republicans giggle and smirk at ‘owning the libs’ President Trump has flirted with a military invasion of Greenland. After you stop laughing, remember that a military incursion would put the U.S. in a direct conflict with NATO—Vladimir Putin’s wet dream.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice      

North Carolina has elected a total of 11 Black Congress Members, with 3 serving now, including Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. Rep. Valerie Foushee made history in 2022 when she was elected as the first Black person and first woman to to represent North Carolina's 4th Congressional District.

During her tenure, Congresswoman Foushee has been the primary sponsor of 9 bills (3 so far in the 119th Congress), her latest bill, the Impact Act, passing the House last week. 

Congresswoman Foushee serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where she is the Ranking Member on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. Rep. Foushee also serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee has been particularly focused on air traffic safety and ensuring that the FAA have adequate staffing.  

Congresswoman Foushee is a staunch supporter of civil rights, especially voting rights. As a former school board member, she’s a defender of public education and as an environmentalist, a supporter of the Green New Deal. 

Here’s Congresswoman Foushee speaking on April 1 on the House floor, defending women’s rights. 

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Foushee hosted a “Know Your Rights” webinar.

For a more comprehensive profile of Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, please see bilboteach’s  New Faces in Congress: Rep. Valerie Foushee, a North Carolina Progressive Voice where you can also see this background video. 

In the above video, Congresswoman Foushee mentions singing in choir, so I looked for videos of her singing. Be inspired and enjoy!

The Battle of Adwa, the battle that kept Ethiopia a free country

By dopper0189, Black Kos, Managing Editor

The Battle of Adwa was fought on March 1st 1896 between the Ethiopian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray. Ethiopia’s victory in this battle sent shock waves around the world (“The pope is greatly disturbed,” reported The New York Times) and turned the narrative of colonialism on its head.

Prior to the 1850s, modern Ethiopia and modern Italy didn’t exist as nation states. But shortly there after, over the course of several decades, the two nations began to take shape on maps and most importantly in the minds of their citizens, as chieftains and princes jostled for power. As the 20th century dawned, Africa had been carved up among the European powers at the Berlin Conference. The only two independent exceptions were the former America colony the Republic of Liberia in West Africa and Ethiopia (then still known as Abyssinia), in the eastern Horn of Africa region.

The newly unified Kingdom of Italy was a relative newcomer to the European imperialist scramble for Africa. Italy had recently obtained two African territories: Eritrea and Italian Somalia. Both were near Ethiopia on the Horn of Africa. Italy sought to increase its territory in Africa by conquering Ethiopia and joining it with its two territories. Menelik II as the contemporary Ethiopian leader pitted Italy against its European rivals while stockpiling weapons to defend Ethiopia against the Italians.

The Italians fortified several bases near the Red Sea and then gradually ventured inland. “Taking a page from the British book of colonial domination,” writes Theodore Vestal in The Battle of Adwa: Reflections on Ethiopia’s Historic Victory Against European Colonialism, they “pursued a policy of divide and conquer,” providing arms to any chiefs hostile to Yohannes IV, Ethiopia’s emperor until he was killed in battle in 1889. It was then that the Italians immediately moved to solidify their foothold by negotiating with the new emperor, Menelik II.

Menelik, from Ethiopia’s historically weaker southern region, owed much to his wife, Taytu. Raymond Jonas, author of The Battle of Adwa: African Victory in the Age of Empire wrote heir marriage was “one of the great political unions of modern times.” She came from a wealthy northern family, which “added geographical balance to the ticket,” and she possessed a cunning political mind and a deep mistrust of Europeans.

The Treaty of Wuchalé, signed in both Italian and Amharic in May 1889, provided the pretext for the Battle of Adwa. Under the treaty, the Italians were given large swaths of land in exchange for a hefty loan of cash, arms and ammunition. “The pièce de résistance for the Italians,” writes Vestal, was the clause obligating Menelik to conduct all foreign affairs via Italy. “The Amharic version made such service by the Italians optional,” notes Vestal. Some have argued that Menelik was aware of the discrepancy, treating it as a convenient fiction that would deliver short-term gains (guns, money) before ultimately disentangling himself from it.

Italy formed its first colony, Eritrea, in 1890; two years later, the Italians persuaded Great Britain to recognize the whole of Ethiopia as a sphere of Italian interest. It all came tumbling down in 1893, however, when Menelik denounced the Wuchalé treaty and any foreign claim to his dominions. Menelik repaid the loan “with three times the stipulated interest,” notes Vestal, but kept the guns.

Italy responded by annexing small territories near the Eritrean border, shipping over tens of thousands of troops and seeking to subvert Menelik’s power base by entering into agreements with provincial leaders.

The Italians believed they had tricked Menelik II into giving his allegiance to Rome in the treaty. Mistakenly, they believed him to be unsophisticated in the way the Europeans believed themselves to be. To the Italians surprise, the treaty was rejected despite their attempt to influence the king with 2 million round of ammunition. He would have none of it and denounced them as liars who had attempted to cheat himself and Ethiopia.

When bribery failed Italy did what so many nations have tried throughout history. They attempted to set up Ras Mangasha of Tigray as rival by promising to support him with money and weapons, and hoped he would overthrow Menelik II who had denounced Italy. Menelik, a “master of the sport of personal advancement through intrigue,” according to Vestal, convinced the provincial rulers that the Italian threat was so grave that they must resist as a united force rather than “seek to exploit it to their own ends.”

When that failed, the Italians turned to the governor of colonial Eritrea, General Oreste Baratieri, who had shown some promise in his handling of government affairs in Eritrea. Baratieri was no stranger to battle and devised a good strategy to lure the Ethiopians into an ambush. There were three main problems with his strategy.

First, he had drastically underestimated the strength and will of the army facing him. Although aware he was outnumbered, the Governor of Eritrea believed the Ethiopians to be undisciplined and unskilled at the art of war negating the advantage in numbers. Certain he would have an advantage over the ‘savages’, he dug in his 20,000 troops and 56 guns at Adawa awaiting the King and his men.

In the meantime, Menelik II had trapped a thousand or so of the Italian army and besieged them. He agreed to allow them safe passage if Italy would reopen negotiations with him concerning a peace treaty. The Italian government refused and in fact did the opposite, authorizing more dollars to pursue the war in Ethiopia. Their Nations’ pride had been hurt by the African King and they sought to restore their ego and influence.

The second error Baratieri made was the assumption he could lure the Ethiopians out into an ambush. He did not think they had the tactics or knowledge of battle he possessed as an important leader in a civilized European nation. After a 3 month standoff his troops were out of basic supplies and he had to move forward or retreat. After a message came from higher up in the government calling him out as ineffective and unsure, he was pushed ahead to attack.

Baratieri’s third mistake of not understanding how poor his battle intelligence was became the most costly of his errors. The strategy he employed was to outflank the Ethiopian army under the cover of darkness and move in on them from the mountains above their camp. While Sun Tzu would have approved, the Italian commander did not account for the extremely harsh terrain nor the lack of direction and difficulty in communicating with his men would have out in the wild country.

After setting out confident in their battle strategy, the officers in charge of implementing the attack learned how poor the rough sketches they had were. It was dark and cold in a high mountain pass in February and it was doomed. Divisions of Italian soldiers became confused, lost, and disorganized. Through the confusion a two mile gap in their battle line was opened and the Ethiopians rushed in cutting the Italian attack in two. Baratieri had failed to claim the high ground and Menelik II hastily moved his artillery in above the attacking soldiers. Able to lob shells down upon the invaders, the Ethiopians raced to seize the advantage but the Italians held their ground and at mid morning it looked as if they may be able to win in spite of all the difficulty they had encountered.

As battle waged around them, the generals of the various armies that had come together as a united Ethiopian force under Emperor Menelik II directed combat. Empress Taytu Betul, Menelik’s formidable wife, was no exception. Not only did she exhort the 5,000 men of her personal army to be more courageous, she also mobilized the 10,000 or so women in the camp to form a supply chain to transport jugs of water from a nearby stream to Ethiopia’s thirsty warriors.

Menelik’s army killed 3,000 Italian troops, captured another 1,900 as prisoners of war and seized an estimated 11,000 rifles, 4 million cartridges and 56 cannons. The emperor’s ability to assemble a force of at least 80,000, says Raymond Jonas, author of The Battle of Adwa: African Victory in the Age of Empire, and to organize and sustain them on a monthslong campaign was “unprecedented in 19th-century Africa.”

Taytu, not surprisingly, proposed harsh punishments for the Italian prisoners: Dismemberment, castration and execution were on her wish list. But her husband adopted a more strategic stance, says Jonas: “He realized the considerable bargaining leverage of the soldiers,” and used it to negotiate a treaty that recognized Ethiopia’s independence and included a considerable cash indemnity from the Italians.

With Taytu (and other Ethiopian generals) urging Menelik to consolidate their victory by advancing into Eritrea and expelling the Italians from the continent, Menelik once again took a more measured response. Jonas argues that here too he got it right: “He’d already done an amazing job of holding together his army over huge distances, but it’s hard to say whether he could have managed all the way to the coast”— especially when more troops would be arriving from Italy. Either way, Menelik’s decision formalized the divide between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The decisive victory at Adwa affirmed Ethiopia’s sovereignty and showed both Africans and Europeans that colonial conquest was not inevitable. In Italy, isolated protests erupted to decry the very idea of colonialism, but these were met by a more widespread desire for revenge. Eventually the Italian government decided to hang on to Eritrea and play at being better neighbors with Menelik. (That said, Italy’s national shame over its defeat had a lot to do with Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia four decades later.)

While Adwa continues as a source of great pride for Ethiopia, it has not brought the kind of prosperity Taytu and Menelik would have hoped for. The country evaded colonization, but it has never achieved democracy, and the current government’s policy of ethnic federalism is the antithesis of Menelik’s vision of strength through unity.

Sources:

Wikipedia, The Battle of Adwa

Encyclopedia Britannica, The Battle of Adwa

Reflections on Ethiopia’s Historic Victory Against European Colonialism by Theodore Vestal

The Battle of Adwa: African Victory in the Age of Empire by Raymond Jonas

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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“That’s Obama!” the Moore family said, realizing that the former president had accidentally made a cameo in their family photoshoot. NBC: Obama photobombs family snapping pics with DC's cherry blossoms on Tidal Basin

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You never know who might end up in your photo at the DC Cherry Blossom Festival. It could be anyone, from a random stranger or even President Barack Obama!

That’s exactly what happened to Portia Moore and her family during their cherry blossom photo session at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The mom of two was deep in mom mode, keeping an eye on her 20-month-old son, Preston, when her husband, Damien, spotted someone familiar in the background.

Her daughter and son were standing under a cherry tree as family photographer Briana Inell snapped her shutter. Moore was focused on keeping her kids safe.

“Of course, I’m paying attention to my son, making sure he doesn’t run into the water. He’s 20 months old,” she said.

What her husband said at the same time didn’t quite register.

“My husband’s like, ‘That’s Obama!’ I didn’t know what he was saying. I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m looking at Preston right now,’” Moore recalled.

As she picked up her son, she asked her husband, “What did you just say?’”

“That’s Obama!” he replied.

“I was like, ‘Well, did we get a picture?!’ We went to the photographer and she scrolled back and were like, ‘We got it!’” Moore said.

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The New Jersey Democrat has held the floor since Monday night in protest of President Donald Trump. Politico: So long, Strom: Cory Booker breaks Thurmond’s Senate record with 25-hour speech

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Cory Booker wrote himself into the Senate annals Tuesday, setting a new record for the chamber’s longest speech when he held the floor for more than 25 hours and surpassed the late Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster against civil rights.

The New Jersey Democrat took the floor at 6:59 p.m. on Monday, saying he was doing so with the “intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” in order to protest the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration.

“Maybe my ego got caught up that maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand,” Booker said. “I’m not here, though, because of his speech; I’m here despite his speech.”

Booker did not indicate before beginning his marathon speech that he intended to set a new record. He suggested he hoped to be able to last as long as he did in 2016, when he and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) held the floor for roughly 15 hours to discuss gun violence.

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Pulling the books off the shelves is another step in the Trump administration’s far-reaching effort to eliminate so-called DEI content from federal agencies. The Grio: Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books from library in new DEI purge ordered by Hegseth’s office

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The U.S. Naval Academy has removed nearly 400 books from its library after being told by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to review and get rid of ones that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, U.S officials said Tuesday.

Academy officials were told to review the library late last week, and an initial search had identified about 900 books for a closer look. They decided on nearly 400 to remove and began doing so Monday, finishing before Hegseth arrived for a visit Tuesday that had already been planned and was not connected to the library purge, officials said. A list of the books has not yet been made available.

Pulling the books off the shelves is another step in the Trump administration’s far-reaching effort to eliminate so-called DEI content from federal agencies, including policies, programs, online and social media postings and curriculum at schools.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said late Tuesday, “All service academies are fully committed to executing and implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders.”

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How has it managed to outshine its peers? The Economist: The success of Ivory Coast is Africa’s best-kept secret

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His parents moved to Ivory Coast in the 1980s, towards the end of a period of exceptional economic growth that economists dubbed the “Ivorian miracle”. They came to work, drawn by the country’s openness and wealth. Bernard Ayitee, a 38-year-old hedge-fund manager who combines Nigerian, Beninois, Togolese and Ghanaian ancestry, grew up there, but later studied and worked in France. A decade ago he returned, along with others who sensed that the country was on the brink of a turnaround. “This country is blessed,” he says. “Anything you try can work.”

Where it is not racked by war, military coups or jihadism, much of Africa is battling economic stagnation and double-digit inflation rates. Ivory Coast, a country of 31m people in the continent’s west, is a rare exception. Devastated by two civil wars, one from 2002 to 2007 and one in 2010-11, it has since undergone a remarkable renaissance. Attaining upper-middle-income status in the next five years, as the government hopes, now seems possible. As its citizens prepare to vote in presidential elections later this year, could a second Ivorian miracle be under way?

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Congressman Troy Carter is one of 2 Black Members of Congress currently serving from Louisiana (and one of 4 elected since Reconstruction), the other being Congressman Cleo Fields of LA-6.  Rep. Carter was elected to Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District on May 11, 2021 to replace Congressman Cedric Richmond, who resigned to become Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden.

During his tenure, Congressman Troy Carter has been the primary sponsor of 2 bills signed into law. He’s the primary sponsor of 3 bills and co-sponsor of 112, to date, in the 119th Congress.

Congressman Troy Carter serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Homeland Security Committee and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He’s Deputy Whip on the House Floor and Vice Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In the past month, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr.:

Held a Medicaid Town Hall on March 20.

Advanced/introduced 3 bills, the Securing the Cities Improvement Act, which passed the House and was referred to the Senate and the Open RAN Outreach Act (both on March 11), and the Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act on April 1.

Participated in the #HandsOff rally in New Orleans on April 5.

1:18

My block finger has been very busy today.

Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver Velez

There was an interesting opinion piece in The New York Times, (gift link) yesterday from political scientist Dr. Christina Greer. She addressed how many of us Black folks are feeling these days:

Black people have seen this America before. We have endured throughout history’s progress and regress, watching the arc of justice bend with the changing winds. Until we reckon with our fellow citizens’ capacity — even hunger — for injustice, we will fail to meet, understand and survive this political moment. What I mean by that is the ability of some Americans (historically, almost all of them white, though increasingly there are multiethnic fellow travelers in MAGA these days) to burn this country to the ground before they share it with those deemed other and unworthy. I also mean how long it takes for almost everyone else to wake up to the danger these people pose not only to Black people but, yes, to everyone else, too.

Again, Black people are not surprised. Far too many well-meaning white Americans have been what I like to call ally ostriches, believing in progress while burying their heads in the sand when discussions around the past become uncomfortable. Or newer Americans, perhaps the children of immigrants of recent decades, who don’t see what business it is of theirs what violence slave owners or Jim Crow enforcers visited on their fellow citizens or the legacy of it. And now some of them are seeing people who look like them summarily deported. How did this happen?

Every day I hear, spoken by these ostriches but also, increasingly, by those who blithely voted for Mr. Trump, thinking he didn’t intend to actually do those things he said he would do, or who just couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a Black woman or who feel some version of disbelief. As if the America of chattel slavery, of Native American expulsion and attempted extermination, of reckless imperial expansion, of Jim Crow, of internment camps was echoed by authoritarian regimes across the globe in the past. I find myself reminding those who are surprised by this moment that my still very spry mother attended legally mandated segregated schools her entire life. The past has somehow turned into prologue, and the head-scratching of many tells me there is a fundamental lack of understanding of this country and what Americans are capable of. No, dear ostriches, not all Americans. But enough and often enough.

And in the midst of this fear and real threats to democracy, most Black people are not only not surprised but also tired out by explaining why all of this is not surprising. (And yes, I am aware there are a few Black ostriches, too.) That is why many of the 92 percent of Black women who have been the keepers of the Democratic Party and democracy writ large have been resoundingly silent. Why did no one listen to us?

Dr. Greer asks an important question here, and frankly, my answer is that for the vast majority of my fellow citizens, deaf ears don’t listen to Black voices. If they did we wouldn’t still be living in a country controlled by systemic racism for 400 years.

This rant today (and yes I’m in rant mode) is directed at a group of mostly white folks who fled TwitX to go to the “progressive non-Muskated safe haven” of Bluesky. It has been touted as a space where folks could avoid right wing trolls and bots and the flood of depredations from MAGAs.  

(FYI, I haven’t left TwitX, since Bluesky doesn’t have accounts from most of the Black /Caribbean/African sources I use in my writing, and the large part of Black Twitter still remains there. I do post and read and repost on Bluesky daily)

Many of the non MAGA mostly white folks on Bluesky, who describe themselves as progressives, have been people who have been writing “Where’s Kamala?” screeds, to accompany  “Where’s Obama?” ones since The Orange Furor’s election. Frankly, a lot of us, (particularly Black women) aren’t buying it. We done tole you, Kamala done tole you, and y’all couldn’t elect the Black lady and now folks are going to have to deal with FAFO.

Former POTUS Obama did open a Bluesky account, and the most recent arrival was MVP Harris. While she was greeted warmly by many Skyer’s, a contingent of account holders went on immediate attack. This morning I posted:

I’m not just talking about bot/troll/MAGA accounts that need blocking — that goes without saying. Many of the vile comments I’m seeing are from folks who claim to be “progressives,” or “activists” many of whom have a singular issue agenda, and frankly were quite willing to throw us all under the bus in pursuit of hyping their pet issue, for which we are now all going to suffer. Some of these folks passionately advocated staying home and not voting (while spreading anti-Demcratic Party vitriol)...often repeating their bullshit mantra that there is zero difference between Democrats and Republicans. Others voted for Steinism.

Here are some samples from posts/posters I blocked this morning. I’m not screenshotting them, simply including their text:

You know that bit in Dune where the guy has a cyanide capsule in his teeth and he tries to take this other guy with him by breathing the gas on him? Might be worth a try, Kamala.

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Not for this corporate shill. Why are people still supporting her after what she caused and hid away from until she smelled money?

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fuck off and go away you abandoned everyone you spineless coward

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Go fuck Trump girl !

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haha you should be tried at the hague you genocidal c*nt (my asterisk)

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"the power of self care" means jacking off right?

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I am a democrat but she is a blue tie wearing republican and people need to wake up and smell her BS.

I’ve said this before, but will repeat it. I don’t call myself a “progressive” because for me that indicates people who are making progress forward, and I don’t see it coming from folks willing to throw me and mine under the bus. I’m a pragmatic radical. Radical because I’ve been one all my life and have receipts to prove it, which sadly include the deaths by cop of many of my closest friends and comrades, or life in prison. I’ve been hunted, busted, almost killed, JEdgarHoovered, RedSquaded, Interpoled for my entire teen-aged and adult life. Pragmatic cause I can and have worked in coalition with a broad group of Black folks, and allies who may not have my history.

I can no longer hit the streets due to health issues, but I have to admit sitting here blocking asshats who have called me, and mine “corporate shill” or “oligarchist” (and worse) when they are barely wet behind the ears, but can type cool slurs from the safety of their keyboards has put me in a better mood.

So, asking those of you who are on Bluesky, who don’t support this bullshit, to come join the Block Party, and leave a warm welcome for MVP.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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As part of its annual report, the ALA unveiled its list of the 10 most “challenged books” of 2024—most of the books listed have LGBTQ+ themes. The Grio: George M. Johnson’s ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ tops 2024 list of most ‘challenged’ US library books

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Removing books from library shelves is no longer just a story of objections from a local community or an individual parent, the American Library Association says.

In its new State of American Libraries Report released Monday, the ALA found more than 70% of attempted bans of a given title or titles come from organized groups and elected officials, and just 16% originated with a parent.

The most commonly criticized books, including Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” and the late Toni Morrison’s“The Bluest Eye,” can be found on such websites as www.ratedbooks.org and through lists compiled by Moms for Liberty and other conservative activists.

“We can trace many of the challenges to lists of books that have been distributed by Moms for Liberty and other groups,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who directs the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

As part of its annual report, the ALA unveiled its list of the 10 most “challenged books” of 2024, starting with George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” and also featuring “Gender Queer,”“The Bluest Eye,” Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and John Green’s “Looking for Alaska.”

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In a letter to the federal Education Department, New York state officials said they do not believe the federal agency has the authority to make such demands. The Grio: NY public schools tell Trump administration they won’t comply with DEI order

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New York state officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with its demands to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public schools, despite the administration’s threats to terminate federal education funding.

Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of the state Department of Education, said in a letter dated Friday to the federal Education Department that state officials do not believe the federal agency has the authority to make such demands.

“We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion,’” he wrote. “But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”

Morton-Bentley also wrote state officials were “unaware” of any authority the federal Department of Education has to demand that states agree with its interpretation of court decisions or to terminate funding without a formal administrative process.

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State department accuses east African country of ‘taking advantage of the United States’. The Guardian: Trump administration revokes all South Sudanese visas in repatriation row

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The US is revoking the visas of all South Sudanese passport-holders and will stop any more of its citizens entering the country.

The Department of State said South Sudan was “taking advantage of the United States” by failing to comply with US efforts to return people to the east African country, adding that the measures would come into effect immediately.

“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” it said.

Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, said the dispute related to one alleged South Sudanese national and claimed efforts to engage diplomatically with the South Sudanese government had been rebuffed.

“All visa appointments are cancelled, no new visas will be issued, no existing visas will be effective, and hence NO ONE from South Sudan will be entering the United States on a visa until this matter is resolved,” he said in a social media post.
 

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Voices & Soul

by Justice Putnam, Black Kos Editor

I never really was intimidated by the death threats over the years, the midnight bomb threats phoned in, the crosses burned our lawn when were kids in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. When I got a little older, I was just big enough, just seemingly dangerous enough that any drunk bigot drunk enough to get a little brave would be held back by others in their group, or warded off by regulars who knew me. Or thought they did. It was easy to be cavalier about it when I was young and beautiful. When I could be a bouncer and just pick someone up and run them into the nearest wall like they were a blocking sled, to shut down any argument or altercation. 

But I’m not picking up anyone, anymore. I’m not running anywhere, not even for a few steps. I might be able to throat punch someone if they let me. But I’m still not backing down. Even though I was informed by friends and family of yet another credible threat lobbed my way, I refuse to let “them” erase our collective memory, I refuse to let them erase the history and accomplishments of our fathers, our grandfathers, our mothers, grandmothers, our brothers and sisters, our aunts and uncles, our neighbors, or our teachers, and I refuse to let them get away with it.

I was enamored with the Edward G Robinson character in Soylent Green. He was a “Book” the police used for their investigations, one of the few who still had tangible volumes of the written word from the time before the great cataclysm that upended society. I was equally enamored with an episode from the old black and white Outer Limits, a tale about a nuke survivor in the far future and the last library on Earth. I always wondered what it would be like. I’m not wondering anymore.

I have a fairly large library and I know how to hide it if need be. So that the names of those sacrificed are not forgotten, that the success and failures of our time on this luminous sphere remain illuminated and so that the record of this experiment in humanity for our neighbors might not perish from the face of the Earth.

Mother

Emanuel African Methodist

Episcopal Church Nine

Senior pastor state senator

Name meaning “merciful”

Church eldress, oldest to be shot

Great grandnephew tries to shield her

       First and youngest shot

College administrator and pastor

       Doctor her last name not a title

Sunday school teacher

Track coach and pastor

Librarian

Church sexton

Seventy-four-year-old pastor

Two played dead

All women except two men

Shot while praying

And being black (and trusting).

Say their names:

Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, forty-five

Susie Jackson, eighty-seven

Myra Thompson, fifty-nine

Daniel Simmons, seventy-four

Ethel Lance, seventy

Cynthia Hurd, fifty-four

DePayne Middleton Doctor, forty-nine

Clementa Pinckney, forty-one

Tywanza Sanders, twenty-six

In one of the oldest black churches (older than the Confederate flag)

Denmark Vesey cofounder

Two hundred and three years old

Mother Emanuel

African

Methodist

Episcopal

Church

Nine

Remember Birmingham Sunday?

This horror unfolded on a Wednesday.

                       Mother Emmanuel

                               African

                       Methodist

                               Episcopal

                       Church

                               Nine

Say their names
 

- Cheryl Clarke
Emanuel Nine: Their Influence Was Wide"

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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was fired yesterday because she had the temerity to give a speech in 2015 for Women’s Equality Day. As the only woman on the NATO military advisory panel, the Trump administration made her the fourth female casualty in the war to rid the United States of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Before the dismissal of Admiral Chatfield, Adm. Linda Fagan, the commandant of the Coast Guard;Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations; Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; and the second black Joints Chief’s chairman, Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. These are not the only firings but they are significant because the reasons given were there race, gender and their goals of inclusivity.  

Enigma…

This war is not just on women and people of color but also the LGBTQIA+ community. Had Donald Trump been President during World War II, would he have prolonged the war by refusing the aid of a British mathematician? The Germans developed a complex code that baffled Allied intelligence until a gay man [Alan Turing] broke the “Enigma” code. Turing was treated as an enigma instead of a hero for his efforts. He was chemically castrated after being convicted of gross indecency in 1952 for having sex with a man. Mr. Turing committed suicide in 1954. The British, realizing the absurdity and obscenity of their mistake in May 2012, put a private member's bill before the House of Lords in the British parliament to grant Turing a statutory pardon, which gained government support in July of that year. Queen Elizabeth posthumously pardoned Turing.    

The Trump administration treats talent as if it is the exclusive innate purview of straight white Christian males. Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense who is spearheading the firings, has been accused of being a drunk by colleagues, an abuser of women by his mother, and an unqualified leader by his former subordinates. The recent efforts to purge historical figures like Jackie Robinson, Harriet Tubman, and The Tuskegee Airmen from the annals of the country’s sorted racist past makes it pretty transparent what Republicans think of black Americans who go against their ideas of a white utopia.

Black Americans since the election of former President Barack Obama have been accused of voting for both him and recently former VP Kamala Harris because they are black. Funny that few, if any, ever say that white people voted twice for the least qualified candidate because he is a white man. It would be hard for anyone to objectively say he was more equipped for the job than Hillary Clinton or more qualified than Kamala Harris. Mr. Obama said it less than a week ago, speaking about the Trump administration suspending security clearances or orders to federal agencies to cancel contracts to firms connected to political rivals. “That kind of behavior is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans. Imagine if I had done any of this,”Obama said during the sit-down conversation with the college's president Steven Tepper.

As someone who lived through the ‘60s, I submit that the bro culture nostalgia that has taken over politics and common sense under the cloak of anti-woke activism is a recipe for disaster. Driving the car backward is no way to win the race.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Commentary by Black Kos editor JoanMar

Throughout history, racists have employed demonizing and dehumanizing language to attribute criminal and violent behavior to Black people. This is no accident. This strategy has been central to justifying the subjugation and brutalization of Black folks. Five hundred years since Christopher Columbus stumbled into the “new world” and still melanated people are portrayed as inherently savage, animalistic, and incapable of self-control. You think this is just hyperbolic language on my part? Check out the racist shithole that is that site formerly known as Twitter and see the responses to the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf.

 FRISCO, Texas  -- A 17-year-old student charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of another student at a track meet allegedly confessed to the killing and officers say he told them he was protecting himself, according to the arrest report.

The incident occurred Wednesday morning at a Frisco Independent School District stadium during a track and field championship involving multiple schools in the district.

Austin Metcalf, 17, an 11th grader at Frisco Memorial High School, died after police said another student stabbed him during an altercation in the bleachers at the meet.

The death of this young man is tragic. One white teen dead and a Black teen behind bars awaiting his fate as it will be decided by others. Despite the fact that Karmelo was arrested at the crime scene, racists are incensed that there is no nationwide protest and no burning down of cities to bring attention to this story. Had this tragedy happened in the 1920s (or even much later), young Karmelo’s remains would already be decorating some hanging tree and bits and pieces of him would already be proudly displayed on various mantelpieces.

MAGA-types getting apoplectic that a 17-year-old Black boy dared to have a knife on his person is next-level hypocrisy — but then, what’s new? Do we even have enough fainting couches and smelling salts? “Oh, my lawds! A knife?! He was armed with a knife! Proof positive that he’s a murderer who was just waiting to murder our poor defenseless white boy.” This from the same people who continue to lionize Kyle Rittenhouse; who give their teenagers semi-automatic weapons for their birthdays, and who proudly pose with their preteens armed to the teeth.

Of course, what MAGAverse conveniently decided to ignore, is that unlike the countless cases where white perpetrators have killed Black people with near total impunity, Karmelo was arrested on the spot and is currently being held on a $1M bond. That is the system working (for them) as it was intended, no? In fact, their willful ignorance only highlights the double standard: when Black people are accused of violence, the justice system (formal or informal) moves swiftly, decisively, and without hesitation. The protests surrounding Black victims of police violence and white vigilantism were never because the accused weren’t punished harshly enough, it was always  because  law-enforcement agencies refused to act at all. It took sustained protests to get the a Florida prosecutor to bring a case against vigilante Zimmerman for stalking and murdering Trayvon.

The performative outrage, fueled by Fox, of course, is not about mourning Austin Metcalf; it is about reasserting a narrative that paints Black people as a threat. It’s about continuing the old lie that Blackness is synonymous with violence. And, most importantly, it is about underscoring that white pain is the only pain worthy of acknowledgement and righteous anger. Karmelo Anthony is not just an accused teen; he is to be remade into the personification of white supremacists’ caricature of Blackness. In this narrative, neither boy truly mattered. Both Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf are victims and pawns of forces who couldn’t give a damn about them personally, except for their usefulness in perpetuating the narrative.

Condolences to the family of Austin Metcalf. Austin’s father has shown nothing but class as he mourns his son’s passing. Strength and fortitude to Karmelo’s family as they embark on  this very challenging journey.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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Its legacy, and its making, are explored in a new Disney+ documentary about the animated film. Slate: Why A Goofy Movie Is So Beloved by Black Fans

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There is a running joke within the Black community that Disney’s first true Black film is, believe it or not, A Goofy Movie. The 1995 animated movie is a coming-of-age story that follows Goofy (Bill Farmer) and his son, Max (Jason Marsden), as they embark on a fishing trip despite having trouble connecting. On its surface, there’s nothing particularly Black about the film—after all, it was directed by a white man (Kevin Lima), written by three white men, and stars an almost entirely white cast. So how did this little Disney picture end up so beloved by Black viewers? After decades of rumination, speculation, and even an Atlanta episode about it, Disney has finally offered some of its own insight, in the form of a Disney+ documentary, Not Just a Goof (available to stream on Disney+), about the making of A Goofy Movie and its legacy 30 years later.

The first thing you need to understand about A Goofy Movie is that Black people don’t play about it. There are dozens of YouTube essays explaining how it is, as one creator put it, the “first Disney movie starring a Black character (unless you count the racist ones)” not only because of the Black music and references used within the film, but also because its depiction of friendship and familial relationships speaks to how Black ’90s kids related to each other and to their parents. TikTokkers have commented on how the film is Black-coded, and there are even academic articles that explore how a widely established “Black reading” of a film such as this came about. There are a number of blog posts and think pieces referring to the film as “the Blackest, most underrated nerd classic of all time.” Hell, VICE even likens it to “August Wilson’s Fences, except with talking dogs and a happy ending.”

The reasons why are tantamount. There are the on-the-nose clues: Max Goof is said to be dressed like a “gang member” for wearing a hoodie and jeans; his favorite musician is Powerline, a fictional pop star inspired by Michael Jackson, Prince, and Bobby Brown; Powerline’s songs are performed (with homages to Black gospel roots) by Tevin Campbell, a famous Black R&B singer of the era; Max’s love interest, Roxanne (Kellie Martin), not only has the curves often associated with Black women but she was also designed by one. Then, there are the more subtextual hints, like the way “coolness” is depicted with a certain swagger embodied by Max and his friends, which manifests in both the way they dress and the way they embrace courtship—a side character even catcalls a schoolmate with a Jodeci reference—at a time when the cultural zeitgeist of “cool” was, really, Black culture. Even Max’s strained relationship with his father has been pointed to as reminiscent of the ways in which plenty of Black ’90s kids felt alienated from their parents while coming of age. All of these factors shaped the reading of A Goofy Movie as a canonically Black film, a claim that is both sincere and a massive inside joke among Black millennials and zillennials. Atlanta, Donald Glover’s critically acclaimed surrealist comedy series, broke this inside joke wide open in its fourth season with the episode “The Goof Who Sat by the Door”—one of the best stand-alone TV episodes of all time—which stages a mockumentary that tells the invented story of a Black animator who became the CEO of Disney and strived to make make “the Blackest movie of all time,” resulting in A Goofy Movie.

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A federal appeals court says a civil rights lawsuit against St. James Parish over alleged racial discrimination in Louisiana’s "Cancer Alley" can proceed. The Grio: Lawsuit alleging environmental racism in Louisiana parish allowed to proceed, federal court says

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A civil rights lawsuit alleging a south Louisiana parish engaged in racist land-use policies by placing polluting industries in majority-Black communities can move forward, a federal appellate court says.

On Thursday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that a trio of faith-based community groups could proceed with a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in the petrochemical buildout in St. James Parish, a region in the heart of Louisiana’s heavily industrialized Chemical Corridor. It is often referred to by environmental groups as “Cancer Alley” for its high levels of pollution.

The lawsuit calls for a moratorium on the construction and expansion of petrochemical plants in St. James Parish. When the lawsuit was filed in March 2023, 20 of the 24 industrial facilities were in two sections of the parish with majority-Black populations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found in a 2003 report that St. James Parish ranked higher than the national average for certain cancer deaths. Both majority-Black sections of the parish are ranked as having a high risk of cancer from toxic pollutants according to an EPA screening tool based on emissions reported by nearby facilities, the lawsuit notes.

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The congresswomen warn in a letter the "heightened health risks" for Black women exposed to the chemical, formaldehyde. The Grio: Reps. Pressley, Brown push FDA to finalize a bill to ban harmful chemical in hair relaxers

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U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, and Nydia Velásquez, D-N.Y., are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move swiftly on advancing an already proposed federal rule that would ban a harmful chemical found in some hair products.

“Ensuring that regulatory actions align with the best interests of public health remain the goal and we encourage promptly finalizing the proposed rule,” said the letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, urging him to follow through on a March deadline to advance the rule making process in order to ban formaldehyde, a known carcinogen found in hair relaxers, straighteners, keratin treatments, Brazilian blowouts, and straightening creams.

The congresswomen say the delay is “concerning” given the “established links between formaldehyde exposure and serious health conditions.” The letter cites a 2022 study from the Department of Health and Human Services that found that the chemical could be connected to myeloid leukemia and hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer.

Pressley, Brown and Velásquez said they are particularly concerned about formaldehyde exposure to Black women, who they noted having a “heightened health risk” and are more likely to “receive or provide formaldehyde-based hair treatments, which has a disparate impact on both workers and their customers.”

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The Mississippi Library Commission ordered the deletion of two research collections on race. NewsOne: Mississippi Library Commission Deletes Research On Race And Gender From Library Databases, Citing Law Against ‘Obscene Materials’

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The state of Mississippi — where white cops are still torturing Black men for living with white women, and Black bodies are being buried in unmarked graves without families being notified — has ordered its libraries to delete academic research on racism from their databases. Also ordered to be scrubbed from library databases in Mississippi — the state that provided the case the U.S. Supreme Court used to abolish women’s reproductive rights — was research on gender studies.

Why was all of this academic research being done away with? Well, apparently, the only justification a state commissioner could muster up was a vague state law prohibiting “obscene materials.”

A March 31 internal memo obtained by Mississippi Today reveals that the Mississippi Library Commission ordered the deletion of two research collections on “race relations” and “gender studies” from publicly funded schools, libraries, community colleges, universities and state agencies because, somehow, the research might violate state law. (You know your state is backward and bigoted when it’s illegal to provide research on backwardness and bigotry.)

“In this challenging time with many different viewpoints concerning library materials and material content your willingness to work with these issues is appreciated,” Mississippi Library Commission Executive Director Hulen Bivins wrote in the memo. “The deletion of these two databases shall be permanent until such time as when the Legislature changes their position regarding the content of materials made available in Mississippi libraries.”

Bivens did not once mention a specific law that the Mississippi legislature-funded database known as MAGNOLIA might violate by including the findings of race and gender research, but he did cite a 2023 law that regulates digital resources available to minors in public libraries, focusing on “obscene materials.” Bivens’ memo did not specify why data on race relations and gender studies would be panned as “obscene,” but considering this is the same state where a Republican auditor classified  “Women’s Studies” and “African American/Black Studies” as “garbage fields,” it’s not difficult to imagine the non-reasoning here. Bivens reportedly told reporters there were other state laws that warranted the deletion, but he conveniently was unable to recall what any of those laws were.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

People who cherish democracy can agree that at least two immigrants not afforded Constitutional due process are in danger of losing their lives. Venezuelan makeup artist Andry Jose Hernandez Romero is a 31-year-old immigrant sent to a notorious El Salvadoran gulag by the Trump administration based mainly on hearsay and tattoos. “I think about him every day; I cry about him every day,”said his mother, Dolores Alexis Romero de Hernandez.It is almost a cruel joke that one of the reasons Mr. Romero left his homeland may lead to his demise—his sexual orientation.Romero sports crown tattoos on his wrist and was initially identified by the Biden administration for detention and his day in court under suspicion of being a member of the Tren de Aragua gang.

The problem with the gang tattoo theory is that experts say Tren de Aragua does not use tattoos as identifiers. It also seems far-fetched that a gay man with tattoos and the words “Mom” and “Dad” written beneath them would be a prime candidate for a testosterone-laden, murderous gang. Americans should also be banging the gavel for due process for another immigrant seeking justice, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Mr. Garcia, who resided in Maryland before his arrest, is a father and husband and, according to the Trump administration, was arrested due to a clerical error. Court(s), including the Supreme Court, have effectively ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return from the infamous El Salvador prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT).  

These cases have become acause célèbrefor the right, who accuse the left of caring more for murderous immigrants than, say, for Laken Riley. The real question should be, when has the right learned to disdain the Constitution? Did it begin in the days after the January 6 Insurrection when Senator Lindsey Graham said, Count me out” [on Trump]? But now supports him fully. Before the final collapse of Sen. Graham’s spine, he gave a speech following January 6 in which he said,

“The first thing that stands out to me is how embarrassed and disgusted I am that the United States Capitol could be taken over by domestic terrorists while we're in session, transferring power from one president to the other, that a band of people who are terrorists, not patriots, literally occupied the floor of the House, drove the Senate out of its chamber; And the question for the country is how could that happen 20 years after 9/11?”

Or was it when candidate Trump vowed to manipulate the Constitution to his own ends?  Still stewing over his loss to former President Joe Biden in 2020, Mr. Trump told his flock, “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,”he wrote in December of 2022. Among his series of retributive edicts that seem to come daily from his office, his cruelty dates back to the infamous Central Park Five Case (now known as the Exonerated Five). There, he called for the execution of five innocent young men. Even when his racist assumptions were proven erroneous, he still refused to admit he was wrong and continued to defame the now adults as late as September of 2024. So, if anyone still believes that somewhere in the chest of Mr. Trump still beats a heart capable of compassion for Messrs. Romero, Garcia, or anyone in his warped way of thinking, think again.  

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

What’s your “rabbit hole?”

Commentary by Chitown Kev

This week I happen to be working double-shifts in my “day job” as well as a couple of other projects added to my regular duties here at Daily Kos.

So I’ll make this quick.

I refuse to spend all of my time worrying about what the tacky shoe salesman, Musk-y, and everyone else in this criminal administration are doing. 

I know that it’s my job but...just...no. In fact, any time that a discussion with, say, a family member shifts to a discussion of the news or my Trump-voting relatives, I have a limitation as to how much I am willing to say and listen.

Plus...I really think that it’s of paramount importance to protect myself from the high volume of misinformation and disinformation that’s out there.

Although I do take walks and get outside use to breathe, it has been a little chilly here in The Windy City.

One of the special projects that I did want to undertake was to do a survey of the so-called “manosphere” mostly because in the past I haven’t been unwelcomed in those spaces although that’s only because my entry way into those spaces has been my knowledge of statistics in various sports.

A little of the stuff in the “manosphere” rings true but I find most of it to be toxic as hell. Then I got into a space where there were discussions and readings of the modern iterations of stoicism.

Now...I majored in classics and minored in philosophy; in fact, I began my own study of Stoicism back in the late 1990’s. I didn’t remember that much about it, actually, but when I studied it in the late 90’s, I studied some of the modern-day scholars that were already writing about it plus I studied the ancient texts of Stoicism and other schools of (mostly) Hellenistic philosophy of course. So I was able to tell the difference between the real deal and bullsh*t and points in between.

And now...I find myself right back where I started in the late 1990’s, reading philosophy and literature and preparing to take classes in the subject over the summer...and I am finding myself reading texts that range from Plato to modern philosophers like Lewis Gordon (not all of what I read makes it to my Friday morning WAYR lists). I also find myself watching and listening to a lot of related YouTube stuff 

I find myself writing in my journals every day. I don't necessarily like to engage in politics every day (as one could tell from the APR’s that I’ve been doing lately). But I do want a personal and complete record of these times that I live in.

The only other thing that I want to do for this summer is to get to know Chicago...I mean, I’ve been all over the city and lived all over the city but I don’t feel as if I know it. Hopefully, that will change this summer.

Finally, I write here at Daily Kos and I’m reading all of this stuff for the same reasons that my closest living relative had for enjoying the job that they retired from: “ultimately, I’m a nosy b*tch.”

Look, I’m nothing to setup be horrified by all of everything that happens daily with the tacky shoe salesman and and do nothing else and neither are you.

So I end this essay with a question.

 What is your “rabbit hole?” Where do you go and what do you do (as approximate as you’re willing to share) to get way from it all?

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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The study argues implicit bias from court officials is part of the problem in Chapter 13 cases. Market Place: Minority bankruptcy filers less likely to get debt forgiven, study finds
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Last year, over half a million U.S. bankruptcies were filed.

While entering bankruptcy can be painful and leave a financial scar, it’s often a necessary last resort for those trapped in a cycle of debt. Studies have shown that a successful bankruptcy — when a court wipes away a portion of outstanding debt — improves not only the lifetime earnings of bankruptcy filers, but the lifetime earnings of their children as well.

But while roughly 1 in 10 Americans file for bankruptcy at some point in their life, nonwhite bankruptcy filers face higher odds of actually receiving any benefit from the process, a study found.

A recent working paper published in the National Bureau of Economic Research found that minority filers are roughly 13 percentage points more likely to have their bankruptcy cases dismissed without debt relief in Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection is typically designed for debtors hoping to retain significant assets, like a home or car. Last year, 200,000 households filed for Chapter 13.

“We found not only are minorities much more likely to have their bankruptcy cases dismissed without debt relief, we found that the race of the legal officials that they interact with in the bankruptcy process can be predictive of success in their bankruptcy case,” said Sasha Indarte, a study co-author and an assistant professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

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In response to anti-DEI backlash, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals is launching a flight school. NEWSONE: Black Aerospace Professionals Fight Back Against Anti-DEI Policies

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At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being relentlessly attacked and dismantled, one group is taking a stand—not with protests, but with purpose.

The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) is doing what real leadership requires: creating solutions. Their response to the anti-DEI backlash—ensuring that Black people who love aviation feel comfortable and confident by launching a flight school.

Located just outside Memphis, Tennessee, the Luke Weathers Flight Academy (LWFA), founded by OBAP, has emerged as a critical launchpad for Black aviators. Offering comprehensive aerospace training ranging from FAR 141 and 61 flight programs to jet transition, UAV pilot certifications, maintenance, and air traffic control academies, the school is not just teaching students how to fly planes—it’s preparing them to soar in an industry desperate for new talent.

According to the FAA, while the aviation industry is facing a nationwide pilot shortage, only 4.6% of professional pilots are Black. That disparity doesn’t reflect a lack of talent, it reflects a system that has historically lacked access. CNN reports that since opening its doors six years ago, the LWFA has helped students earn over 170 pilot certifications. Today, 63 students are enrolled—each one defying the odds in a workforce that’s still overwhelmingly white and male.

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In an Addis Ababa workshop, sacred texts are painstakingly crafted on goat skin using methods dating back to early Christianity – plus a bit of inspiration from Google Images The Guardian: Ink, angels and hard graft: the artists keeping Ethiopia’s ancient illuminated manuscript craft alive
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In a workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, four writers wrapped in traditional white shawls sit in silent concentration, hunched over goat skin parchments, eyes straining in the dim natural light. Homemade bamboo pens in hand, ink pots by their sides, they are painstakingly writing out sacred texts in the religious language of Ge’ez – continuing an ancient manuscript writing tradition that has been practised in the Ethiopian highlands for millennia.

Occasionally, an editor comes over to discuss corrections. In an adjoining room, a team of artists paint colourful scenes of angels and saints.

Elsewhere, craftspeople bind pages and hammer metal frames to decorate the manuscripts once they are finished, which will take months and in some cases years. Eventually, the texts will be shipped to churches and monasteries dotted across Ethiopia.

“We are trying to preserve the ancient ways,” says Ewantu Kassau, a 43-year-old priest who has been handwriting manuscripts since he was a teenager. “This is our heritage, our traditions.”

These traditions stretch back to the Axumite empire, a sea-faring state founded in the first century with deep links to Arabia and the Greek-speaking Levant that converted to Christianity in the fourth century.

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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

There is a widespread myth that Donald Trump has changed the Republican Party. I contend he has not changed it, but has organized the radicalization. Dating back to Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Republicans have fought hammer and tongs against programs that would benefit the man and woman on “Main Street,” which is now their populist talking point. When FDR proposed an insurance guarantee protecting the average Joe’s hard-earned bank deposits against bank failures, with the newly created FDIC and the SEC, the GOP called it socialism. FDR’s New Deal, the first attempt at the Great Society, popularized by another Democratic President, Lyndon Johnson, was roundly jeered by conservative Democrats and as a boondoggle by Roosevelt’s Grand Old Party opposition.

President Harry Truman united the Southern Democrats and Republicans in opposition by desegregating the military. His later success in ending World War II by ordering the dropping of the nuclear bomb cooled the ire of both sides. When President Lyndon Johnson assumed the mantle of power following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Southern Democrats and Republicans cheered Johnson, a Texas Democrat, because they thought they had one of their own in office. Johnson, who lost the backing of liberal Democrats with his abysmal handling of the Vietnam War, lost the south—by his own admission—with the Civil Rights and Voter Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, respectively. ‘Well, I think we may have lost the south for your lifetime – and mine,’ said Johnson.  

Proudly and falsely, the Republican party likes to lean on the legacy of Lincoln as bona fide(s) for their fairness to black Americans. When in reality, the GOP is rife with voices and now open legislation aimed at marginalizing black Americans out of the public square. The most significant difference between Reagan's Republicans and Trump's Republicans is Reagan's well-coiffed hair, as opposed to the chaos on Trump’s head. Reagan, after all, set the mantra for American politics that the GOP had waited years to hear. Reagan said in his 1981 Inaugural address, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Reagan's plans are being mirrored by Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), except Reagan called it the Grace Commission. Unlike Mr. Trump, Mr. Reagan was unwilling to flaunt the courts, the Congress, and the objective truth to fit his own end. In the end, Reagan compromised, raised taxes, and was lambasted by more Republicans than history would let you believe.

Learning the lessons of the Reagan Revolution, President Trump has raised the new GOP to angry violence and open racism. When the TEA Party came to fore with racist birtherism and taunts of Obama's sexuality and heritage, the GOP lost any semblance of morality and embraced the escalating vitriol. Mocking signs and calls for Obama to bow to the calls by Trump to prove his citizenship were the rallying cry for radicalization. The GOP is willing to excuse criminality, ignore the rule of law, and remove black American accomplishment from discussion. Yesterday, Mr. Trump floated the idea of rendition for American criminals to the El Salvador prison system. “Homegrown criminals are next,”Trump said to El Salvadoran dictator Nayib Bukele. “I said homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You've gotta build about five more places.”

Is there a question with Trump and the GOP efforts to delegitimize black Americans who would be first—certainly not Luigi Mangione—on the “Homegrown criminals” list?

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett was elected to Texas' 30th Congressional District on November 8, 2022, succeeding Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, the first Representative from that district  serving from its formation until her retirement (January 3, 1993-January 3, 2023). Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is one of four US Congress members currently representing Texas.

During her tenure Congresswoman Crockett has sponsored 31 bills, 7 , in the current Congress. So far, none have been passed into law.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary, as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Oversight and on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. She serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as Vice Ranking Member, also serving on the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency and  the Task Force on the Declassification of Government Secrets.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is Communications Task Force Co-Chair for the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

For a more full profile, see New Faces in Congress: Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Shining Star of Dallas, by bilboteach.

Congresswoman Crockett is known for her sharp questioning in Congressional hearings  and she’s a frequent guest on national and local TV and social media platforms.

Here are some examples of Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the past week’s time, in action during Congressional hearings and on TV.

Finally, this is an excellent interview with Editor-At-Large Errin Haines of “The 19th”, from March 7, 2025.

Toussaint- Louverture, First Leader of the Haitian Revolution

By dopper0189, Black Kos, Managing Editor

Toussaint Louverture born François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture (also known as Toussaint Bréda) was the first leader of the slave revolt that became the Haitian Revolution. Toussaint was born in what then known as Saint-Domingue, the French colony that would later become Haiti. Haiti is the only nation born of a slave revolt. The fact that there are so few monuments to slave revolts in the US (and a large number of monuments to Confederate generals) made me think about him.

Renowned for his military genius and political acumen, Toussaint led the first successful attempt by a slave population in the world to win independence from European colonialism. Under his leadership the Haitian revolutionaries defeated the armies of three great imperial powers: Spain, France, and later Great Britain. The success of the Haitian Revolution had enduring effects on shaking the institution of slavery throughout the New World. The groundwork laid by Toussaint prepared Haiti to become the second independent republic in the Americas.

Former slaves led by Toussaint proclaimed independence on New Years, January 1st 1804, declaring the new nation be named "Ayiti". Interesting Ayiti is simultaneously a Native American and African term." To honor one of the indigenous Taíno names for the island, it means "home or mother of the earth”. In the Fon language of West Africa it means "sacred earth or homeland".

Most histories think Toussaint’s father was from Gaou Guinou West Africa (a younger son of the king of Arrada in modern-day Benin) who had been captured in warfare and sold into slavery. His mother, Pauline, was Gaou Guinou’s second wife. The couple had several children, of whom Toussaint was the eldest son. A few believe that his father was Pierre Baptiste, who is usually supposed to have been his godfather. Traditionally, Toussaint was thought to have been born on the plantation of Bréda at Haut de Cap in Saint-Domingue, owned by the Comte de Noé and later managed by Bayon de Libertat. His date of birth is uncertain, but his name suggests he was born on All Saints Day, and he was about 50 at the start of the revolution. 

It is believed that Toussaint was educated by his godfather, Pierre Baptiste. Early historians speculated on what he mostly read, with many particularly citing Raynal who wrote against slavery, and in whom they saw a foreshadowing of Toussaint‘s career:

"All that the negroes lack is a leader courageous enough to carry them to vengeance and carnage. Where is he, this great man, that nature owes to its vexed, oppressed, tormented children? Where is he? He will appear, do not doubt it. He will show himself and will raise the sacred banner of liberty."

It has also been suggested that some of his education came from Jesuit missionaries, and that he had some medical knowledge based on a combination of African techniques of herbal medicine and practices he acquired in the Jesuit-founded hospitals. 

In 1782, Toussaint married Suzanne Simon Baptiste. Towards the end of his life, he told General Cafarelli that he had fathered 16 children. Not all his children can be identified, but his three legitimate sons are well known. The eldest, Placide, was probably adopted by Toussaint and is generally thought to be Suzanne’s first child with a mulatto, Seraphim Le Clerc. The two sons born of his marriage with Suzanne were Isaac and Saint Jean. 

Until recently, historians believed Toussaint had been a slave until the start of the revolution, an idea that was confirmed by Toussaint himself, who is quoted as saying:

"I was born a slave, but nature gave me the soul of a free man"

The discovery of a marriage certificate dated 1777, shows that he was actually freed in 1776 at the age of 33, and this retrospectively clarified a letter of 1797 in which he said he had been free for twenty years. It seems he still maintained an important role on the Breda plantation until the outbreak of the revolution, presumably as a salaried employee. 

As a free man, Toussaint began to accumulate wealth and property of his own. Surviving legal documents show him briefly renting a small coffee  plantation, worked by a dozen slaves. He would later say that by the start of the revolution, he had aquired a reasonable fortune, and was the owner of a number of properties at Ennery. 

Beginning in 1789, the events of the French Revolution led to political instability on St Domingue, with struggles between both French royalists and revolutionaries, and the political rights being claimed by the biracial Haitians (mulattoes) emerging as major sources of ongoing tension. Initially, the black populations of St Domingue did not become involved in these conflicts. Bust as time transpired, and being inspired by the French Revolution’s principles of the rights of men, free people of color and slaves on Saint-Domingue (Haiti) and throughout the West Indies (Caribbean) pressed for freedom and more civil rights. The most important of these revolts was the revolution of the slaves in Haiti (Saint-Domingue), starting in the heavily African-majority northern plains in 1791. 

In August 1791, a Vodou ceremony at Bois Caiman marked the start of a major slave rebellion in the north of St Domingue under the leadership of Dutty Boukman. He was eventually killed in battle, but by that time, Jean-Francois Papillon, Georges Biassou and Jeannot Billet had emerged as leaders of the rebellion. Toussaint appparently did not take part in the earliest stages of the rebellion, but after a few weeks he sent his own family and the overseers of the Breda plantation to safety and joined the forces of Biassou. He had some knowledge of medicinal plants and Biassou appointed him doctor to the troops. From an early stage, he was involved in decision-making and negotiations with the colonial assembly and representatives of the French government. By the end of 1791, he was named brigadier general, and had begun transforming his troops into disciplined and effective soldiers. 

By the beginning of 1793, the black rebels were undefeated but making no significant progress and running short of supplies. In 1793, France and Great Britain went to war, and British troops invaded Saint-Domingue. The execution of Louis XVI heightened tensions in the colony. This led them to form an alliance with the Spanish Royalist forces of Santo Domingo against the French. Toussaint’s military and political leadership were becoming increasingly evident. About this time, he adopted the nickname Louverture which means ‘opening’, referring to his ability to exploit openings in the defenses of the opposition. Largely thanks to him, St Domingue looked likely to pass from French to Spanish control. 

The rebels, under Toussaint and other leaders, wanted an end to slavery, but initially, neither their allies, nor their enemies were prepared to offer them freedom. Nonetheless, on 29 August 1793 Toussaint made his famous declaration of Camp Turel, rallying the blacks under the banner of freedom:

Brothers and friends, I am Toussaint Louverture; perhaps my name has made itself known to you. I have undertaken vengeance. I want Liberty and Equality to reign in St Domingue. I am working to make that happen. Unite yourselves to us, brothers, and fight with us for the same cause.

Your very humble and obedient servant, Toussaint Louverture, 
General of the armies of the king, for the public good.

On the same day, the French commissioner, Léger-Félicité Sonthonax proclaimed emancipation for all slaves in French St Domingue. His hope was to bring the black troops over to their side, but at first Toussaint mistrusted them, and continued his conquests on behalf of the Spanish. 

An invasion by British troops in September overshadowed these changes, leading to the British gaining control of most of the coastal settlements of Saint-Domingue, including Port-au-Prince. Along with Toussaint Louverture's victories in the North of Saint-Domingue, together with independent successes by people of color in the South, the French were brought close to disaster. 

Sonthonax and his fellow representatives of the French revolutionary government in Paris hoped that the proclamation of the abolition of slavery would encourage blacks to rally to France as they struggled to defeat counter-revolutionaries and fight the foreign invaders. However it was not until 4 February 1794 that the largely Jacobin National Convention in Paris confirmed the orders of emancipation, abolishing slavery in all territories of the French Republic. 

By this time, Toussaint Louverture was at the head of 4,000 blacks organized into a band of loyal guerrilla troops. After negotiations with the French governor, General Etienne Laveaux, he decided to ally with the French in May 1794, justifying his decision by the failures of Spain and Britain to free slaves. He also declared that he had converted from royalist to republican political beliefs. Despite these arguments, Toussaint Louverture has been criticized for such treatment of his former allies, as well as for the mass slaughter of Spanish troops in the ensuing contests. 

Toussaint’s switch was decisive in helping France regain control over Saint-Domingue. Laveaux made Toussaint brigadier general at the head of a French army of black, mixed-race, and white soldiers. He now turned these troops against the Spanish Empire, recovering all the forts of the Cordon de L'Ouest in less than two weeks and delivering the North to the French Republic. In July 1795 the Spanish officially withdrew. French troops also drove the British back to the coast by June 1795. Although the British continued to fight from coastal towns, Toussaint and his lieutenants, Dessalines and Christophe were effective in maintaining control over the North and West of Saint-Domingue. 

Although Toussaint was now effectively the political and military leader of the island, the French

government continued to appoint representatives with whom he had varying relationships. Governor Laveaux left Saint-Domingue in 1796. He was succeeded by Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, an extremist French commissioner who had served on the island before. He allowed Toussaint Louverture to effectively rule and promoted him to General. In May 1797 Sonthonax named Toussaint Louverture commander-in-chief of the French republican army in Saint-Domingue. Toussaint was repelled by this radical's proposals to exterminate all Europeans. He found Sonthonax's atheism, coarseness, and immorality offensive. After some maneuvering, Toussaint Louverture forced Sonthonax out in 1797. 

Louverture soon rid himself of another nominal French superior, Gabriel Hédouville, who arrived in 1798 as representative of the Directoire government of France. Aware that France had no chance of restoring colonialism as long as the war with Great Britain continued, Hédouville tried to pit Toussaint Louverture against the leader of colour, André Rigaud. In 1795, inspired by Toussaint’s military successes, Rigaud had renewed his attacks from the stronghold of free people of color in Port au Prince. Controlling a force of officers of colored and black troops, he now ruled a semi-independent state in the South, and wanted to retain portions of the Western Department which he had taken over. Toussaint Louverture, however, figured out Hédouville’s purpose and forced him to flee. Hédouville was succeeded by Philippe Roume, who deferred to the black governor. 

From 1795 onwards, Toussaint was widely renowned. He was revered by the blacks and appreciated by most whites and people of color for helping restore the economy of Saint-Domingue. He invited many émigré planters to return, as he knew their management and technical expertise was needed to restore the economy and generate revenues. He used military discipline to force former slaves to work as laborers to get the plantations running again. He believed that people were naturally flawed and that discipline was needed to prevent idleness. He no longer permitted the laborers to be whipped. They were legally free and equal, and they shared the profits of the restored plantations. Racial tensions eased because Toussaint preached reconciliation and believed that for the blacks, a majority of whom were native Africans, there were lessons to be learned from whites and people of color, among whom many men had been educated in France and often trained in the military. 

Toussaint was also successful in leading his relatively small band of troops in lightning quick strikes to gain strategic defeats and the withdrawal of an army of 10,000 British soldiers. In 1798, the British made a last-ditch attempt to oust Louverture by attacking from the South, sending General Thomas Maitland. Maitland failed and signed a secret treaty in which Toussaint Louverture agreed to leave the ports open to commercial shipping of all nations. He would also leave the military installations intact and spare the emigres. The British left Saint-Domingue completely in October 1798. 

On 22 May 1799, Toussaint Louverture signed a trading treaty with the British and the Americans, probably drafted by merchant Joseph Bunel. In the United States, Alexander Hamilton was a strong supporter. However, after Thomas Jefferson became President in 1801, he reversed the friendly American policy. 

In these treaties, Toussaint Louverture promoted lucrative trade with Great Britain and the United States. In return for arms and goods, he sold sugar and promised not to invade Jamaica and the American South. The British offered to recognize him as king of an independent Saint-Domingue. Distrusting the British because they maintained slavery, he refused. 

In October 1799, the tensions between Toussaint and André Rigaud, already exploited by Gabriel Hédouville in 1798 came to a head. Rigaud was defeated in a bloody campaign that forced him to flee to France, and his southern state, led by people of color, was conquered by Toussaint. In July 1800, Toussaint appointed his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines to govern the southern province. Dessalines carried out brutal reprisals against the mulatto population, crushing the resistance and killing 40,000 men, women and children. After years of warfare and outrages, Dessalines' brutality caused such bitterness among people of color that reconciliation was impossible. Many refugees fled the country, including thousands who went to New Orleans, Louisiana and added to both the free people of color and African populations there. 

Once he had control over all of Saint-Domingue, Toussaint Louverture turned to Spanish Santo Domingo, where slavery persisted. The colony never had the scale of slavery as in St. Domingue and plantation agriculture was not widespread there. Ignoring the commands of Napoleon Bonaparte, who had become first consul of France, Toussaint Louverture overran the Spanish settlement in January 1801, officially took control on the 24th, and proclaimed the abolition of slavery in Santo Domingo. 

The rise of Napoleon in France placed Toussaint in a new dilemma. His views toward the French mother country had always been somewhat ambivalent. Napoleon had made it clear to the inhabitants of Saint-Domingue that France would draw up a new constitution for its colonies, in which they would be subjected to special laws. Despite his initial protestations to the contrary, it seemed likely all along that he might restore slavery. Napoleon's superior military strength was to be feared, yet Toussaint had sworn to protect the freedom of the inhabitants of Saint-Domingue. Thus he pursued a strategy of appeasement in which he sought to retain connections with France. 

In effective command of the entire island, Toussaint promulgated the Constitution of 1801 on 7 July, which officially established his authority over the entire island of Hispaniola. It made him governor general for life with near absolute powers and made no provision for officials from France. Article 3 of the constitution states:

"There cannot exist slaves [in Saint-Domingue], servitude is therein forever abolished. All men are born, live and die free and French."

However, Toussaint was willing to compromise the dominant Vaudou faith for Catholicism. Article 6 clearly states that

"the Catholic, Apostolic, Roman faith shall be the only publicly professed faith."

Toussaint professed himself a Frenchman and strove to convince Bonaparte of his loyalty. He wrote to Napoleon:

"From the First of the Blacks to the First of the Whites."

Bonaparte confirmed Toussaint Louverture’s position but considered him an obstacle to the restoration of Saint-Domingue as a profitable colony, which refugee planters had convinced him needed enslaved labor. He took the opportunity to expel Toussaint's sons, Placide and Isaac Louverture, who had been sent to study in France in 1797. In a sense they had been demanded as hostages by French officials during the long years of battles. They returned to Saint-Domingue in February 1802, with the troops of Charles Leclerc. 

Whilst denying that he was trying to reinstate slavery, Napoleon sent his brother-in-law General Charles Leclerc with thousands of troops and numerous warships to regain French control of the island in 1802. Leclerc landed on the island on 20 January and moved against Toussaint. Over the following months, Toussaint Louverture's troops fought against the French, but some of his officers defected to join Leclerc. Others joined black leaders like Dessalines and Christophe. On 7 May 1802, Toussaint Louverture signed a treaty with the French in Cap-Haïtien, with the condition that there would be no return to slavery, then retired to his farm in Ennery. 

After three weeks, Leclerc sent troops to seize Toussaint Louverture and his family. He deported them to France on a warship, claiming that he suspected the former leader of plotting an uprising. It was during this crossing that Toussaint Louverture famously warned his captors that the rebels would not repeat his mistake in the following words: "In overthrowing me you have cut down in Saint Domingue only the trunk of the tree of liberty; it will spring up again from the roots, for they are many and they are deep." 

They reached France on 2 July 1802 and on 25 August, Toussaint Louverture was sent to the jail in Fort-de-Joux in the Doubs. While in prison, he died of pneumonia in April 1803. In his absence, Jean-Jacques Dessalines led the Hatitian rebellion until its completion, with the French forces finally defeated in 1803. But Toussaint Louverture is forever honored as the man who first lead and organized the armies of the Haitian revolution.

News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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"He’s now put people in place to investigate his perceived enemies, whether it’s justified based on the facts and the law or not," Anthony Coley, a former DOJ official. The Grio: Trump accused of ‘revenge tour’ after criminal referral targets New York AG Letitia James
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New York Attorney General Letitia James was referred for criminal prosecution on Wednesday by a Trump official, signaling an escalation of President Donald Trump’s political animus against James, who previously prosecuted him for financial fraud and continues to challenge his administration in court on behalf of New York state.

In a letter dated April 14, Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, told the Department of Justice that James “appeared to have falsified records” related to properties she owns in Virginia and New York in an alleged effort to receive favorable loan terms, according to the New York Times. James has not been charged with a crime.

The criminal referral letter also comes just a day after President Trump called the New York attorney a “crook” while sharing a news article about the allegations on Truth Social. “Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY,” said Trump, who is the first convicted individual to serve as president of the United States.

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"The Department of Education, tasked with a responsibility to protect the civil rights of all children, has instead claimed systemic racism doesn't exist," said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. The Grio: NAACP lawsuit says Department of Education is ‘intentionally discriminating’ against Black Americans with anti-DEI orders
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The NAACP is challenging the Trump administration in a new federal lawsuit that accuses the U.S. Department of Education of violating the civil rights of Black American students with its broad anti-DEI policies.
In the lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, joined by the Legal Defense Fund, targets the DOE’s threat to withhold federal funding from school districts if they do not eliminate a range of programs and curriculums designed to foster racial diversity, equity, and inclusion. The lawsuit’s defendants also name Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. 

In February, the Education Department sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to schools, requiring them to submit a “certification of compliance” with the Trump administration’s orders to terminate programs that consider race as a factor in various areas, including admissions, hiring and promotion, pay, financial aid, scholarships and prizes, housing and graduation ceremonies. The Trump administration told school districts that federal law prevents schools from enacting such DEI policies.

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Findings from Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region indicate traditional eating habits in rural Africa can boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. The Guardian:  Move over, Med diet – plantains and cassava can be as healthy as tomatoes and olive oil, say researchers
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Plantains, cassava and fermented banana drink should be added to global healthy eating guidelines alongside the olive oil, tomatoes and red wine of the Mediterranean diet, say researchers who found the traditional diet of people living in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region had a positive impact on the body’s immune system.

Traditional foods enjoyed in rural villages also had a positive impact on markers of inflammation, the researchers found in a study published this month in the journal Nature Medicine.

Dr Quirijn de Mast, one of the paper’s authors, said they were now in a race against time to record and study the potential benefits of African heritage diets before they disappear as people move to cities and adopt western-style eating habits.

“Time is ticking because you see that these heritage diets are being replaced more and more by western diets,” he said. “We will lose so much interesting information [from which] we can learn – and not only for Africa.”

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The big box retailer has seen a decline in sales and foot traffic after rolling back its DEI initiatives and requested a meeting to hopefully avoid further calls for boycotts. CNBC: Target CEO Cornell to meet with Sharpton to discuss DEI rollback as civil rights leader considers boycott
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Target CEO Brian Cornell will meet with the Rev. Al Sharpton this week in New York as the retailer faces calls for a boycott and a slowdown in foot traffic that began after it walked back key diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the civil rights leader told CNBC Wednesday.

The meeting, which Target asked for, comes after some civil rights groups urged consumers not to shop at Target in response to the retailer’s decision to cut back on DEI. While Sharpton has not yet called for a boycott of Target, he has supported efforts from others to stop shopping at the retailer’s stores.

“You can’t have an election come and all of a sudden, change your old positions,” said Sharpton. “If an election determines your commitment to fairness then fine, you have a right to withdraw from us, but then we have a right to withdraw from you.”

The civil rights leader said he would consider calling for a Target boycott if the company doesn’t confirm its commitment to the Black community and pledge to work with and invest in Black-owned businesses.

“I said, ‘If [Cornell] wants to have a candid meeting, we’ll meet,’” Sharpton said of the phone call Target made to his office. “I want to first hear what he has to say.”

A Target spokesman confirmed to CNBC that the company reached out to Sharpton for a meeting and that Cornell will talk to him in New York this week. The company declined further comment.

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United Arab Emirates says Sudan ‘misusing’ world court in proceedings relating to African nation’s civil war. The Guardian: ICJ hears Sudan case accusing UAE of ‘complicity in genocide’
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The international court of justice will rule in the next few weeks on whether the United Arab Emirates can be plausibly found “complicit in the commission of genocide” by arming the Rapid Support Forces militia in Sudan’s civil war.

The case was brought by Sudan, whose acting justice minister, Muawia Osman, told the world court in The Hague last week that the country’s “ongoing genocide would not be possible without the complicity of the UAE, including the shipment of arms to the RSF”. Sudan wants ICJ judges to force the UAE to stop its alleged support for the RSF and make “full reparations”, including compensation to victims of the war.

Responding for the UAE, Reem Ketait, a top foreign ministry official, told the court: “The idea that the UAE is somehow the driver of this reprehensible conflict in Sudan could not be further from the truth. This case is the most recent iteration of the applicant’s misuse of our international institutions as a stage from which to attack the UAE.” Sudan’s allegations were “at best misleading and at worst pure fabrications”, she said.

The case could turn on a “reservation” that the UAE entered when it signed up to the genocide convention in 2005, to the effect that it would not allow a dispute concerning its compliance with the convention to be settled by the ICJ. The UAE says the reservation precludes the ICJ from even forming a preliminary view as to whether the UAE is complicit in acts of genocide.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Infamously Jews were tattooed for identification in Auschwitz—a Nazi concentration camp outsourced to then occupied Poland. This practice was a staple of the SS to identify the dead naked bodies of Jews, along with Gypsies, Gays, and so-called other undesirables after execution. Ironically, the Trump administration is using the excuse of tattoos to subvert the Constitution. Last week, the President of the United States used what is reportedly a doctored photo showing the left hand of Kilmar Abrego Garcia displaying an MS-13 gang tattoo. The White House appears desperate to rob Mr. Garcia of his rights to due process, which is the point. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was initially identified as a member of the MS-13 gang in 2019, partially because he wore a Chicago Bulls cap and jacket similar to the one my son, a Bulls fan since the 90s, wears. The continued willingness of the Trump regime and its devotees to ignore the Constitution and the Court(s) is a demonstration of the lengths the Trump administration will go to achieve its fascist goals.

Like the Germans did in the lead up to World War II, concentration camps, one has to ask how many lies Americans are willing to suffer to soothe the need to subjugate the other. The attacks on the sanctity of U.S. elections were not enough. The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was not enough. The adjudication of candidate Donald Trump as a rapist was not enough and his 34 felony convictions was not enough. As the country watches the Constitution fall under the weight of Donald Trump’s lawless behavior, are we being reduced to debating the reasons and cost of a dozen eggs to condemn or maybe save us? Mr. Trump has given us the vision of what he ultimately wants to do, send Americans he designates as undesirable to El Salvadoran concentration camps, with ironically as little evidence as a tattoo. “The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You've got to build about five more places,”Trump said to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.

On what turned out to be the eve of Pope Francis’ death, Mr. Trump did not disappoint with an invective-laden, self-serving Easter Greeting for the country. All of this is a part of his efforts to desensitize the country with vile rhetoric, dehumanization, and eventually identifying his enemies by their tattoos, either self-inflicted or imposed by the government. How quickly nearly half the voting public dismissed his wicked characterization of legal Haitian emigres and citizens of Haitian heritage residing in Ohio, and reduced their numbers to pet-eating savages. As a black man in America with black sons and black grandchildren, what comfort do I have should any of them ever run afoul of the law that they may not end up as Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s bunkmate?

GOP Dystopia…

In chaos, a society bereft of reason—the Republican party aspires for America—will not disappear with Mr. Trump's departure from the public square. Like drag marks in the dirt, the American body politic is being pulled along the ground and muddied by a philosophy that disregards truth and now justice like rubbish. In chaos and fear, the theft of resources and freedoms goes unchallenged. When my classmates and I would ask my fifth-grade teacher, she would show us her tattoo from her childhood in a concentration camp. At age 11, I had a hard time understanding that sort of cruelty, but she warned us never to forget.  

Your Vote is Still Your Voice  

A message to religion bashing Democrats, and Democratic bashers in general.

Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez

First let me offer my deepest condolencesto the religious family of Pope Francis upon his death. The world has lost both a humanitarian, and a good man.  

Secondly, let me make my feelings known about some responses to the Pope’s death, that I have read, coming from purported Democrats, which I find deeply troubling.

I don’t care if you are an atheist (my communist dad was one) or have specific beefs with the idea of religion in general, or one particular doctrine specifically,

Fox Spews and the right are gleefully having a Pope Francis bashfest.  

Y’all bashers are contributing to the general nastiness.

In one word: NOTHING!

Congressman Steven Horsford is the first and only Black member of Congress elected to represent Nevada. Elected to the newly formed Nevada Fourth Congressional District in 2012, Congressman Horsford served one term (in the 113th Congress) before being defeated by Republican, Crescent Hardy. Congressman Steven Horsford was re-elected in 2018 and subsequent elections, serving from January 3, 2019 to present). He served as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2023-2025.

Congressman Horsford serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and on the Health and Social Security subcommittees of that committee.

During his tenure, Rep. Horsford has been the primary sponsor of 3 bills enacted into law. So far, in the 119th Congress, Congressman Horsford has sponsored 6 bills.

For an in depth profile see, www.dailykos.com/….

Here’s an excerpt of Congressman Horsford speaking on the House floor, calling for putting people over politics.

As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Steven Horsford has been rightfully incensed by the mfg’s tariffs and has called for an investigation for market manipulation.

See Congressman Horford’s powerful questioning of US Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer.

Full video

Voices & Soul

by Black Kos Editor, Justice Putnam

When the Department of Education misspelled W.E. du Bois’ name back during Trump’s first foray in the destruction of the natural order, it was emblematic of a more systemic problem inflicted on the body politic, how entrenched opinions about race are predicated on a lack of knowledge and facts, knowledge and facts as basic as the spelling of a great man’s name.

I’ve heard it argued that political change takes time. I’ve heard we may never see the results of our activism. I’ve heard it argued that the irrevocable change of rocks being worn away by the crashing of the sea is the result of our actions, it may not happen in our lifetime, but change will indeed occur.

But what happens when the rocks need to be smashed with sledge hammers, that change and freedom in the future mean little when folks are suffering now? Will we continue to accept this safety in incrementalism? What happens when the gates need to be crashed and the walls of oppression need to be made to tumble down, now?

While waiting for Time to wear away oppression, those living in oppression remain oppressed.

When american Latino families are murdered by white nationalist vigilantes and forgotten, when black men and women are incarcerated in astronomical numbers, when income and housing inequality ravage communities, when segregation is not only prevalent, but surging, incrementalism is somewhat then, like a nice shiny ribbon on a gift. The package looks nice, but the hate contained within is not negated by the beauty of the bow.

There are no better angels at a postcard lynching.

In September of 2024, the then-aspiring Presidential candidate Donald Trump described his often-rambling incoherence, punctuated by stories of Hannibal Lecter and choices of being electrocuted or being eaten by a shark, as the weave.  “I do the weave. You know what the weave is? I’ll talk about, like, nine different things that they all come back brilliantly together. And it’s like friends of mine that are like English professors, they say: ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen,’” he told rally spectators. As a child of the ’60s and ’70s TV generation, I was a huge fan of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, especially one of his guests, Norm Crosby. I have always been a fan of the language and would marvel at the skill of comic Norm Crosby, who would purposefully toy with its etymology. His skill evolved to the point of being called The Master of the Malaprop. In the 80s, my friends and I would laugh at his beer ads.

In the right comedic hands, murdering the language can be entertaining, but when it comes from the mouth of the world’s most powerful political office, it can have deadly consequences. In October of 2018, a right-wing extremist killed eleven Jewish congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue. One of the reasons he gave was from a right-wing talking point that Jews were bringing in non-white immigrants to kill white people. That assertion was a widely disseminated belief encouraged by the xenophobic ramblings of Donald Trump. Chris Farrell, of Judicial Watch, leaned on the trope of Jewish financier George Soros funding the “caravan” of immigrants through what he called the “Soros occupied State Department,” a talking point used by Republicans to scare the American public.

In fairness, President Trump has refrained from direct anti-Semitic attacks but has signaled white supremacists and anti-Semites since he told anarchists and bigots in Charlottesville, Virginia, that they were a part of the “very fine people… on both sides.” Pardon me if I seem obtuse; were the fine people the ones dressed like Nazi wannabes shouting “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us” or the man who murdered Heather Heyer by running her down with his car the—very fine people? Mr. Trump's recent stops and starts with the economy will lead to deadly consequences as he weaves his tapestry of cruelty and despair. Just this morning, the public learned Mr. Trump is moving to stop funding to discourage suicide among LGBT youth, while ending the Meals on Wheels program, proving that cruelty is the point.

This week, the President hosted a group of wounded veterans. Listening to the brave service people recall their harrowing and life-changing service resulting in prosthetic limbs, Mr. Trump replied, “So you guys got hit, huh? Pretty good. You got hit. Amazing.”

So, while we wait for the President to weave us into his promise to end the conflict in Ukraine in 24 hours, lower the prices of food on day one, or apply his simple fix to the healthcare system—maybe with the money from Mexico for his wall—I will keep my sweater closed tightly because a half-basted weave stitch will leave us out in the cold.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

College campuses were in turmoil throughout the presidential campaign between former Vice President Kamala Harris and then-former President Donald Trump. Protesters were pointing fingers at the administration, tossing around phrases like “Genocide Joe.” During her speaking engagements and rallies, pro-Palestinian advocates accused Ms. Harris of excluding them from the conversation. However, she repeatedly spoke about the travesties happening to the people of Gaza. Perhaps her even-handed and practical approach was too little for liberals and not sufficiently cruel for conservatives when she said, “far too many” civilians had been killed “yet again,” she said.  So, to those liberals who accused her of being a monster, they effectively contributed to an absolute monster in office who has plans to wipe out the Palestinian population to create beachfront resorts. In a joint meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump proposed relocating the residents and turning the region into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

As a black American who, as a child, was a victim of gentrification (under the guise of urban renewal), this push for Middle Eastern modernism will most certainly be at the expense of the poor, the hapless, and the underserved. So far, Mr. Trump has blown up the everyday economy for the hard-working man and woman trying to make ends meet, and other issues designed to benefit those hapless Americans falling by the wayside. One of which was a program legislated by the Biden-Harris/ Democrats American Rescue Plan to help rid a black community in Alabama of raw sewage leaking into their potable water. A peer-reviewed paper by a group of Duke researchers points to the long history of racial discrimination in sanitation. Catherine Coleman Flowers, founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ), has shared her expertise with Duke students and faculty as a practitioner-in-residence at the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Duke Global Health Institute, and the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. One of the conclusions from this collaboration was about the predominantly black community of Lowndes County, Alabama.  “I started focusing on the failures of wastewater infrastructure in 2002, while working in economic development in rural Alabama. I saw people being arrested in my home county of Lowndes for having raw sewage on the ground due to failing waste disposal systems and septic tanks,”Flowers said.

Recently, the Trump administration derailed this cleanup effort, which is responsible for hookworm and other parasitic contamination, by using the racist and shopworn excuse of it being a DEI program. In an April 15, 2025, article published in the Alabama Reflector by Nada Hassanein, the dissolution of grants to improve environmental health and safety is not relegated to Alabama. So, what Trump sees as unfair to white communities is poisoning marginalized communities. The Trump administration is betting, yet again, on what it hopes is innate racism in our society to look the other way and, in some cases, ignore the killing of people of color. So, while protesters are being jailed and deported and the right to dissent has been chilled by the fascist actions of a lawless president, poor people and people of color now have to wonder if they live in communities with a ticking time bomb of germs bubbling up beneath their feet.  

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Tapped

by Chitown Kev

I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m about to write.

1)  I seem to have trouble forgetting who the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was. Yes, I am commenting on one of the stories listed below in dopper’s news roundup.

2) Since I like to browse over to...not simply the science blogs but, more specifically, to the mathematics blogs from time to time, learning about Tai-Danae Bradley was a special treat this past week.

Growing up, Tai-Danae Bradley had no love for math. In 2008, she entered the City College of New York, where she played for the basketball team and hoped to start a career in sports nutrition. She saw her math courses as a curricular hurdle that only geniuses could really excel in. “I’d have rather had all my teeth pulled than do it for a living,” she said.

But in her sophomore year, her calculus professor changed her mind. Mathematics, she learned, was the language that all the sciences are written in. “There’s something deeper out there than what’s in the textbooks,” she said. “It’s a really delightful world that we live in, and mathematics is a way to see some of that.”

She quit the basketball team and decided to double-major in math and physics. Now, as a researcher at the artificial intelligence company SandboxAQ, and a visiting professor at the Master’s University in California, Bradley is using the language of math to try to better understand language itself.

Her lens is category theory, a way of stepping back from the specifics of any individual field in favor of a broader underlying framework that bridges all of them. By thinking of language as a mathematical category, she’s been able to apply established tools to study it and glean new insights.

Ms. Bradley works with “tensor networks”, y’all!

Alright...I got nothing this week, tbh. Don’t quite want to declare an open thread here but...I’m tapped.

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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Sanders was passed over three rounds in the NFL draft in favor of QBs who aren't nearly as good as he is. The Root: Why Shedeur Sanders Getting Chosen For the Fifth Draft Round is Just More NFL Racism at Work

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Shedeur Sanders not getting drafted in the first, second or third rounds of the NFL draft is like when that white cashier scrunches up her face and drops change in your hand instead of running the risk of touching you. Was she a racist Karen, or is that how she treats all customers? It’s a racism Rorschach test.

Sanders, son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, isn’t likely to ever know if he was passed over because he’s a blinged out, cocky, already-rich Black guy white team presidents and owners wanted no part of or because he lacks the prototypical size of an NFL quarterback.

Not knowing ain’t the same as not thinking you know. Everybody this side and the other of Boulder, Colorado, has thoughts on it. So let’s put this thing on trial: Ticked off Black Shedeur Backers v. the NFL.

Deion, for the prosecution: “Your honor, I know you’ve seen my boy ball. Threw for 4,100 yards last season. Thirty-seven touchdowns. Helped a teammate win the Heisman. Should’ve been the first pick of the draft, not just picked in the first round. There are about 20 good quarterbacks in the NFL, which has 32 teams. They’re signing 40-year olds off the couch in that league. Ain’t no way my boy ain’t good enough to get drafted in the first round.”

“Let’s not pretend the NFL is above racism. Colin Kaepernick took a team to the Super Bowl one year and, a few seasons later, no team in the league would sign him. All because he took a knee during the national anthem to protest racism.”

“Look at the coaches. Can’t field a team up there without brothers, but, somehow, nearly all the coaches and general managers are white. I heard my boy was too arrogant. That wasn’t a problem for Baker Mayfield, who got drafted No. 1 in 2018. I heard my boy is too small. My boy is bigger than Baker Mayfield.”

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Migration from Africa is a mega-trend that transcends today’s populist surge. The Economist: Africans need jobs. The rest of the world needs workers

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Africa is on the move. At least 20m emigrants live outside the continent, a three-fold increase since 1990. That is higher than the number of Indian migrants outside India or Chinese migrants outside China—two big diasporas from countries with populations of similar size to the African continent. Europe accounts for about half of African migrants outside Africa, but its share has steadily declined since 1990. America, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have all seen surges in their African-born populations.

It may seem otherworldly to predict that this will continue, given the fierce backlash against immigration across the West. But as we explain, African migration is an unstoppable force that will long outlast today’s populists and help define the 21st century. Ignore it at your peril—and at your loss.

Demography is one cause. It is well known that in the developed world the number of people of working age (roughly defined as those between 15 and 64) will decline, exacerbating labour shortages. What is less widely appreciated is that emerging countries that are associated with exporting people, such as Mexico and the Philippines, are also getting older and richer—meaning that smaller shares of their populations will leave in future. In Africa, by contrast, the working-age population is forecast to increase by around 700m people by 2050.

Another cause is economics. Many African countries are entering a phase in their development in which people are still poor enough to want to leave but, for the first time, have enough money to travel long distances. And African countries create only around a fifth of the number of formal jobs required to absorb their expanding workforces.

This raises two big and controversial questions, one about the consequences for Africa and the other about the attitude of the rest of the world. It is obvious that emigration is often in the interests of those who leave. Their lives can be transformed by earning several times more in richer countries than they would at home. Leaving is often the surest route out of poverty.

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CMS’ Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights develops civil rights compliance policy for agency workers.Politico: Trump administration to close a civil rights office in RFK Jr.'s HHS

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will close its civil rights office in June, according to an email sent to staff Monday and viewed by POLITICO.

The office closure is part of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s mass reorganization of his department that has seen the agency downsized by roughly 20 percent. Kennedy and President Donald Trump have also focused on programs and agencies they say promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

CMS’ Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights develops civil rights compliance policy for CMS workers and advises agency leadership on the promotion of those rights.

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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

There is a scene from one of my favorite movies, A Bronx Tale, where teenage Calogero “C” Anello, depicted by Lillo Brancato, asks neighborhood mob boss Sonny, portrayed by Chazz Palminteri, if he would rather be ‘loved or feared.’

I watched the movie again for the umpteenth time over the weekend, and the parallels between Sonny's iron rule over his sycophants and the Trump pall over the Republican party are frighteningly and eerily similar. Trump gives Republicans just enough to keep them flattened but not sufficient to inflate independent thought. You can see the discomfort Trump immediately feels when challenged because his patina of power lies in intimidation. The tears in his veneer were displayed last night in his interview with ABC correspondent Terry Moran. Moran pointed out the blatant deception of an altered photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s hand signifying his alleged gang affiliation by an obviously superimposed set of letters and numbers, MS-13.

Trump seemed not so much surprised as offended by the temerity of a lowly reporter, whom he claimed to have hand-picked despite saying he did not know who Moran is—"They're giving you the big break of a lifetime,”Trump told Moran during the interview. “I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you, but that's OK.” That is a well-worn tactic of Mr. Trump: to give just enough to engender control through fear. In this case, the fear of loss of access. Watching well-educated and politically savvy members of the GOP political and punditry class fall at Trump’s feet like obedient servants is disheartening for the prospects of America digging out of the Trump hole once he is off the grand stage.

Although it seems funny beyond absurdity, Mr. Trump, finally awake from his nap at the Pontiff’s funeral, baited his party with the ridiculous idea of submitting his name to the Catholic Conclave assembled to elect a new Pope. I have been around people like Mr. Trump in my lifetime, testing just how much humiliation one can take before you either fight back or yell Uncle. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina took Trump’s bait and again yelled uncle. Graham was the first to respond to Trump's joke about becoming a President-Pope.  The Hill and other publications reported Graham jokingly wrote on X, “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!”Graham wrote on Tuesday.

I have little doubt that Graham thought his post would be a funny troll to “own-the-libs.” The fear comes at the speed at which Republicans rush to feed the fevered imagination of Mr. Trump at every turn. The current head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, once fed the tremendous Trump ego when he floated the equally absurd idea of adding his likeness to Mount Rushmore—presenting him with an eleven-hundred-dollar miniature replica with his face alongside America’s most legendary presidents. The then South Dakota Governor saidshe always tries to give gifts “that somebody wants to receive.” In that statement lies the essence of what is wrong with today’s Republican Party. In their eagerness to satisfy his zeal, he has taught them that cruelty is a substitute for loving thy neighbor, and the only real power is fear. Hopefully, the GOP will right itself, straighten its knees, stiffen its back, and stop its mind-bending gymnastics long enough to help save our union.

Your Vote is Still Your Voice

Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District (created Jan. 3, 1993) in a January 2022 special election to succeed Congressman Alcee Hastings, who died in office on April 6, 2021. She is the only Haitian American Democrat ever elected to US Congress and the second ever, after Republican Mia Love. She is one of 4 Congressional Black Caucus members currently representing Florida and one of 12 Black members of Congress elected from Florida, overall.

Prior to winning the special election, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick challenged Congressman Alcee Hastings twice, in 2018 and 2020 (citing ethics concerns facing Hastings as one reason for running in 2020). She is being challenged in the 2026 election by Elijah Manley, saying she represents “more of the same” and also attacking her, citing an ongoing ethics investigation by the House Committee on Ethics and an ongoing suit against Trinity Health Care Services, were she was the CEO prior to her election. As both the ethics investigation and the law suit have not been concluded, I’ll not be judging either of those issues in this article; I’ll be reporting on her record. It is Elijah Manley’s right to challenge Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, just as she challenged Rep. Alcee Hastings, and I am convinced she would defend that right. What is not right, is David Hogg, who is a Vice Chair of the DNC, remaining in a PAC that promotes primarying Democrats, promoting ditto. Officers of the DNC are to remain neutral.

Since her election to Congress, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has been the primary sponsor of 30 bills, 7 in the 119th Congress, none of which have been enacted into law. She has co-sponsored 1062 bills, 25 enacted into law (10 in the 117th and 15 in the 118th Congresses. The 3 latest bills sponsored by Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, in the last month’s time, address earned tax credits including the child tax credit, combatting the illegal trafficking of firearms from the United States to the Caribbean and directing the Secretary of HUD to submit an annual report analyzing strategies, activities and plans to promote affordable housing.

Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where she also serves as Ranking Member on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee and on the Subcommittee on Africa and on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs where she also serves on the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and the Subcommittee on Health.

Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick does not have a big media presence. These are 3 videos posted in the last month’s time:

In a House Floor speech, calling for Republicans to join Democrats and enact laws that to help American families.

Holding a press conference on threatened cuts to Medicaid.

Being interviewed by law students, offering career advice, advice on how to run for office, on holding politicians accountable, on dealing with personal smears and more.

Starts at 19:12

Angola's Warrior Queen Nzinga

By dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

Queen Nzinga Mbande 1583–1663 (also spelled Njinga), was a monarch of the Mbundu people. Mbande was a resilient leader who fought the Portuguese’s expanding slave trade in Central Africa. Nzingha Mbande was the queen of the ethnic Mbundu kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba, located in present-day northern Angola.  (The Ambundu  “Mbundus” are Angola’s second largest ethnic at about 25% of the population). The kingdoms she created would be a refuge for runaway slaves and a safe haven from European conquest for over two centuries after her death. Her actions as a women defying both male and colonial domination has also made her an important inspiration for more recent African feminists.

I first heard of Queen Nzinga during studying the Angolan civil war and Angolan wars for Independence. During the cold war when Angola was fighting for independence from a fascist Portuguese government Cuba sent troops to aid the rebels. Cuba has a famous Afro-Cuban slave rebellion leader Carlota Lucumi, La Negra Carlota de Cuba (see: Black Kos, La Negra Carlota de Cuba) that had some parallels to Queen Nzinga, so she became a rather noted figure in the Caribbean.

Nzinga reign was during a period of rapid growth in the African slave trade with the Portuguese Empire encroachment in South West Africa. Born into the ruling family of the Ndongo, the then princess Nzinga received military and political training as a child. Later as an adult she demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises as an ambassador to the Portuguese Empire. Portugal was attempting to corner the Atlantic slave trade. Nzinga fought for the indepence and stature of her kingdoms against the Portuguese and reigned for 37 years. Queen Nzinga's rise to power and her actions as a warrior, diplomat and nation builder would be an inspiration to those who would later fight for Angolan independence in the 20th century.

During the late half of 16th Century, both the stronger French and English kingdoms threatened Portugal’s near monopoly on the slave trade along the West African coast. This forced the Portuguese to seek fresh areas to exploit. By 1580 Portugal had already established a trading relationship with Afonso I in the nearby Kongo Kingdom (modern Congo). They then turned to Angolo, south of the Kongo.

The Portuguese first established a fort and settlement at Luanda the present-day capital of Angola in 1617, encroaching on Mbundu land. This outpost in Luanda would be a starting point for a long lasting conflict between the Ndongo and the Portuguese.

African states on the Central African coast soon found their economic power and territorial control threatened by these Portuguese establishing the Luanda colony. Many of these states had become regional powers through trade in African slaves.It was the growing demand for this human labor in New World colonies such as Brazil that ultimately led Portugal to seek military and economic control of this region. Old trading partners came under military attack by Portuguese soldiers and indigenous African raiders in search of captives for the slave trade, and rulers were forced to adapt to these new circumstances or face certain destruction. One leader who proved to be adept at overcoming these difficulties was the queen of Ndongo, Ana Nzinga.

In 1622 they invited Ngola (King) Mbande to attend a peace conference to end hostilities with the Mbundu people. Mbande was ruler of Ndongo a state to the east of Luanda populated primarily by Mbundu peoples. Mbande sent his sister Nzinga to represent him in a meeting with Portuguese Governor Joao Corria de Sousa. Nzinga was aware of her diplomatically awkward position. She knew of events in the Kongo which had led to Portuguese domination of the nominally independent nation.  She also recognized, however, that to refuse to trade with the Portuguese would remove a potential ally and the major source of guns for her own state.

In the first of a series of meetings Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown.  The story goes that when Njinga entered the room to negotiate with the Portuguese Governor he was sitting in a chair while she was expected to sit on a mat on the floor. Not wanting to be seated lower than her opposition Nzinga immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting so she could negotiate on equal terms 

Despite that display, Nzinga made accommodations with the Portuguese.  She converted to Christianity and adopted the name Dona Anna de Souza. She was baptized in honor of the governor’s wife who also became her godmother.  Shortly afterwards Nzinga urged a reluctant Ngola Mbande to order the conversion of his people to Christianity.

After the death of her father her brother became king. But In 1626 her brother committed suicide in the face of rising Portuguese demands for slave trade concessions. After her brother’s suicide she effectively became Queen of the Kingdom of Ndongo. Nzinga negotiated a second treaty with the Portuguese in 1624 allowing for the Portuguese to trade (including slavery) and missionary work in return for the Portuguese respecting the territorial integrity of Ndongo and demolishing a Portuguese fort which was within Ndongo territory

But Ana Nzinga had inherited rule of Ndongo at a moment when the kingdom was under attack from both Portuguese as well as neighboring African aggressors. Nzinga realized that, to remain viable, Ndongo had to reposition itself as an intermediary rather than a supply zone in the slave trade. To achieve this, she allied Ndongo with Portugal, simultaneously acquiring a partner in its fight against its African enemies and ending Portuguese slave raiding in the kingdom. Ana Nzinga’s baptism, with the Portuguese colonial governor serving as godfather, sealed this relationship.

But unlike her brother Nzinga, refused to allow the Portuguese or any European to control her realm.  

By 1626, however, Portugal had betrayed Ndongo, and Nzinga was forced to flee with her people further West, where they founded a new state at Matamba, well beyond the reach of the Portuguese. To bolster Matamba’s martial power, Nzinga offered sanctuary to runaway slaves and Portuguese-trained African soldiers and adopted a form of military organization known as kilombo, in which youths renounced family ties and were raised communally in militias.

Looking at how quickly the Portuguese had broken their first treaty Nzinga must have been suspicious of Portuguese intentions to keep their promises with the second treaty. So Nzinga also fomented rebellion within Ndongo itself, which was now governed indirectly by the Portuguese through a puppet ruler. To regain control over the internal politics of the Kingdom of Ndongo the Portuguese began to back rival claimants to the throne and pushed them to rebel against Nzinga.

To fight both the Portuguese and her domestic rivals she would need to increase her military strength. In 1627, after forming alliances with former rival African kingdoms, she led a united army waging a thirty-year war against the Portuguese.

Nzinga also exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Netherlands, which seized Luanda for their own mercantile purposes in 1641. With Dutch help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647. But their combined forces were insufficient to drive the Portuguese completely out of Angola. The Dutch were defeated by the Portuguese the following year and withdrew from Central Africa in 1648. After Luanda was reclaimed by the Portuguese, Nzinga was again forced to retreat to Matamba. From this point on, Nzinga focused on developing Matamba as a trading power by capitalizing on its position as the gateway to the Central African interior. Now in her 60s she still personally led troops in battle.   She also orchestrated guerrilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue long after her death. 

At the end of her life Queen Nzinga became more devoutly Catholic. Some academics argue that this was for strategic reasons to cement Portuguese support for her rule and silence any domestic dissent. According to some sources throughout the 1640s she had taken several men as husbands and many at the same time, these relationships soon developed into a kind of harem of male concubines. Some academics argue that the reason for adoption of concubines was to adopt typical masculine behaviors to increase her legitimacy in the eyes of the other noble lineages. In any case, after her re-affirmation to Catholicism in 1656 she gave up her concubines and married one man. After the peace treaty with Portugal her followers were told to give up their kilombo ways (youths raised communally in militias). This action meant that her people would finally settle in villages instead of mobile camps, and women would be allowed to once again raise their own children.

Despite repeated attempts by the Portuguese and their allies to capture or kill Queen Nzinga, she died peacefully in her eighties on December 17, 1663. By the time of her death in 1663, Matamba was a formidable commercial state that dealt with the Portuguese colony on an equal footing. Nzinga, who reconverted to Christianity before her death at the age of eighty-one, became a sensation in Europe following the 1769 publication of Jean Louis Castilhon’s colorful “biography,” Zingha, Reine d’Angola, in Paris.

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In the years following her death, Nzinga has become a historical figure in Angola. Her memory is accredited with helping to inspire the successful 20th Century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in an independent Angola in 1975. She is remembered for her intelligence, her political and diplomatic wisdom, and her brilliant military tactics. A major street in Luanda is named after her. In 2002, a statue of her in Largo do Kinaxixi, Luanda, Angola, was dedicated by Angolan President Santos to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Angolan independence. Queen Nzinga actions as a women defying both male and colonial domination has made her an important inspiration for African feminists and black woman of African descent world wide.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Nzingha Mbande 

• Black Past: QUEEN NZINGA (1583-1663)

• Met Museum: Women Leaders in African History: Ana Nzinga, Queen of Ndongo

• BBC on YouTube

• South African History Online: Njinga Ana de Sousa

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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

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Federal law aims to allow people to sue the government for agents searching the wrong house. But government lawyers contend FBI agents are immune and courts shouldn't second-guess them. USA TODAY: Can you sue the FBI when agents mistakenly raid wrong house? Supreme Court to weigh in

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Groggy and disoriented, Trina Martin awoke to the barrage of a half-dozen men smashing through the front door of her split-level Atlanta home. The clamor jolted her drowsy partner Toi Cliatt, who was lying on the bed. He jumped to his feet.

As Martin scrambled to protect her 7-year-old son in his room across the hall, Cliatt pulled her instead into a walk-in closet where he stored a shotgun to defend against intruders.

Then a flash-bang grenade detonated in a burst of white in a front room. Martin's son Gabe Watson, hiding alone under a blanket, said the explosion left his ears ringing and smelled like burning batteries.

“It was just monstrous, a really loud noise,” Martin told USA TODAY of the battering ram. “Whoever came into our home, they came for a mission. I felt like that mission was to kill us.”

She was mistaken, but so were the intruders.

The armed men storming Martin's home were FBI agents searching for a gang suspect in the wrong house at 4 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2017. The correct beige split-level house the FBI agents were targeting was 436 feet down the street.

The mistaken search is now the subject of a Supreme Court case over whether the family can sue the FBI for compensation, with oral arguments scheduled for April 29.

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The Trump administration has launched an investigation into Chicago Public Schools for alleged racial discrimination. NEWSONE: Trump’s Department Of Education Investigates Chicago Public Schools Over ‘Black Students Success Plan’

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The U.S. Department of Justice is, once again, failing to leave education to the states — a credo that President Donald Trump campaigned on — by meddling in the affairs of Chicago Public Schools. Now, if the MAGA-fied DOE is going after the public school system in Chicago, we all know it could only mean one thing: something is being done to help Black students.

According to ABC 7, sure enough, the Trump administration has launched an investigation into CPS over its Black Students Success Plan, alleging that the program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, because, well, obviously, it has the word “Black” in it.

From ABC:

The DOE says the group Defending Education filed a complaint with the OCR, claiming that CPS’ 2023-2024 program racially discriminates against students and focuses “remedial measures only for black students, despite acknowledging that Chicago students of all races struggle academically.”

“Chicago Public Schools have a record of academic failure, leaving students from all backgrounds and races struggling and ill-prepared to meet the challenges and enjoy the rewards of contemporary American life,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “Rather than address its record honestly, CPS seeks to allocate additional resources to favored students on the basis of race. The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will not allow federal funds, provided for the benefit of all students, to be used in this pernicious and unlawful manner. To CPS, I say this: Every American student deserves access to a quality education, and the Trump Administration will fight tirelessly to uphold that ideal and ensure all students are treated equally under law.”

Ahhh — so, an “all lives matter” argument.

It’s funny because whenever white conservatives want to highlight Black criminality, their go-to is Chicago. This city, which doesn’t even make it into the top 25 most violent cities in the country per capita, somehow became the proverbial punching bag for white racists who are looking to justify their racism. Yet, MAGA-supporting government officials are launching an investigation into a CPS program that could effectively reduce the likelihood of Black criminality by reinforcing Black education. 

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“It's always a dialogue, between what you can put on and what you can't take off,” said 2025 Met Gala exhibit advisor of Black fashion. The Grio: For Black men, fashion has been a tool of self-expression — and a way they’ve been judged

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Growing up on the south side of Chicago, the Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley was given the message early on: What one wore as a Black man mattered.

Wesley’s pastor father, who migrated from Louisiana after World War II in search of more opportunities than those readily available to Black people in the Deep South, “always had an impeccable sense of shirt and tie and suit.”

“In order to move in certain spaces where colored people were not allowed to be, you want to be dressed the right way to be able to fit in,” says Wesley, 53, now a senior pastor in Alexandria, Virginia.

But Wesley also got an early warning: What he wore could be used against him. His father forbade baseball caps because some street gang members wore them in certain ways, and his father was concerned authorities would make stereotypical or racist assumptions about his son if he were seen wearing one.

Clothing as message. Fashion and style as tools, signifiers of culture and identity, whether intentional or assumed. There’s likely no group for whom that’s been more true than Black men. It’s not just what they wear, but also how it’s been perceived by others seeing it on a Black man, sometimes at serious cost.

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trump has always had a special hate for haiti Miami Herald: Rubio’s plan to designate Haiti’s gangs as terrorists could deepen humanitarian crisis

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In the areas of Haiti controlled by gangs, nothing moves without their getting a cut: not food, not fuel, not even humanitarian aid.

Their extortion racket is so extensive that the country’s finance minister, Alfred Metellus, estimates that gangs, which charge $2,000 to allow passage for a shipping container, are pulling as much as $75 million a year from the ransoms they charge to allow goods transiting through the Dominican Republic to arrive at their destinations. Metellus made the comments in an interview this week with Haiti’s Le Nouvelliste newspaper.

That reality is prompting concerns that a plan by the U.S. State Department to designate the country’s gangs as foreign terrorist organizations could exacerbate suffering at a time when more than five million Haitians are struggling to find food and nearly 250,000 of the one million Haitians who are internally displaced reside in makeshift encampments, some with no latrines and dirt floors..

“The reality is that almost no commercial or humanitarian activity takes place in or near Port-au-Prince without some level of negotiation or payment to gangs. Even the U.S. ambassador acknowledged speaking with gangs,” said Jake Johnston, an analyst on Haiti with the Center for Economic and Policy Research and author of “Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti.”

“The effect of this policy is likely to be the further isolation of Haiti, a de facto embargo that harms those most impoverished and does little to alter the power of the gangs,” he added.

Johnston’s concerns were echoed Wednesday by two Democratic lawmakers following a briefing by the State Department to members of Congress about the planned designation, which was first reported by the Miami Herald earlier this month.

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Black entrepreneurs recently gathered in Atlanta for a panel discussion to strategize, not stress, amid economic pressures. The Grio: Tariffs may be rising, but so is Black strategy

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As inflation surges and tariffs rise, Black entrepreneurs are not shrinking in fear—they’re showing up, strategizing, and pushing forward with purpose. I saw this firsthand Tuesday evening at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) in Atlanta, where dozens of Black founders gathered for a powerful night of solution-driven dialogue, connection, and clarity.

The event, part of RICE’s ongoing “Retail Readiness” programming, was more than just a panel. It was a survival forum—and a reminder that Black business owners have always had the creativity and courage to adapt under pressure. In a time when economic headwinds are hitting product-based businesses hardest, this community is leaning into strategy, not scarcity.

One of the core challenges explored was the growing strain of tariffs on imported goods, which are driving up costs across the board—from materials and packaging to international shipping. While the threat of economic uncertainty loomed large, the vibe in the room was anything but panicked.

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WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.