Gemma Handy of the BBC is reporting on the 16,000 Caribbean men and women who volunteered to serve in WWI, also known as “The Great War,” as the world celebrates Veterans Day. Many of the service people were from the islands of Antigua and Barbuda and wanted to serve the “mother country.” Handy reports:
“These nameless men and women of color have been ‘airbrushed’ from history, says Keith Eastmond, of the twin island nation’s Ex-Servicemen’s Association.
“We have no definitive number for how many people from Antigua and Barbuda joined the war efforts,” he tells the BBC. The Caribbean was keen to support the mother country, as they saw it then,” he continues. “But Britain was reluctant to let West Indian soldiers fight white Europeans in those days.”
The desire to fight was not taken seriously until there was a shortage of soldiers and King George requested members from the Caribbean colonies to join the fight. Like other countries including the U.S., Caribbean soldiers were relegated to menial tasks and low paying jobs like transportation and moving ammunition, which resulted in many casualties.
“Blacks were begrudgingly accepted into the war effort, but their support was absolutely essential,” says Ex-Servicemen’s Association chairman Pagget Messiah. “Without it, the outcome would have been very different.”
Writing for The Root, journalist Kiratiana Freelon examines the quagmire of why some Afro-Brazilians may choose to vote for a de facto racist candidate even though it appears it would be against their interests. In the article, “It’s Complicated: Why Some Afro-Brazilians Are Willing to Vote for a Racist Presidential Candidate Whose Calling for More Police Violence,” she discusses the presidential run of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s white, hard-right presidential candidate, who received the endorsement of white supremacist David Duke. There is fear that Bolsonaro, who is in the lead over opponent Fernando Haddad, may reverse the advances made by Afro-Brazilians over the last 50 years. Bolsonaro is a proponent of using police violence to stymie rampant violence in Brazil. Freelon writes:
“At least half of the country’s blacks plan to vote for Bolsonaro because they say he promises to wrangle in Brazil’s rampant crime, promote family values and end corruption.
The support for Bolsonaro is divided among blacks in Brazil. Those who self-identify as Pardo (brown/mixed-race) and Preto (black), make up more than 50 percent of Brazil’s population of 210 million. According to various polls, anywhere from 31 percent to 47 percent of blacks in Brazil intend to vote for Bolsonaro. So does this mean that up to half of Brazil’s blacks might vote for a racist candidate? Yes, but like everything in Brazil, it’s complicated.”
Find out how a country that is more than 50 percent “mixed” or “black” and has seen unprecedented social and economic growth over the last 15 years may make this problematic choice at the polls at The Root.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
The internet is in a tizzy over news Ethiopia has appointed its first woman president Sahle-Work Zewde. An experienced diplomat, Zwede, 68, was named to the ceremonial post by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who recently appointed a cabinet, half of whom are women. Under the Ethiopian constitution, the Prime Minister has the executive power, while the president is more of a figure head position. Upon accepting her historic position, Zewde vowed to work on gender equality in Ethiopia. President Zwede stated:
“To make our dream of building a glorious country a reality, there is no detour or alternative other than a sustaining peace in this country. Therefore, I call upon all of you to safeguard peace on behalf of all mothers who would be affected when peace is disturbed.”
Zewde has held several positions with the United Nations. Most recently President Swede served as U.N. Director General in Nairobi, Kenya. Previously, President Swede served as the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General to the African Union. During the course of her career, she has served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Djibouti, France, Senegal and been accredited to Tunisia and Morocco (France) and Mali, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Guinea (Senegal). President Zewde’s appointment has been met with enthusiasm by heads of state and U.N. officials.
Twitter
Twitter
President Sahle-Work Zewde is currently the only woman head of state in the African Union.
Campus Image of Washington University in Barbados (YouTube)
Caribbean 360 is reporting Gopi Venkat Rao, the head of Washington University’s Medical School (Barbados) has been arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from students in India. Rao was led away in handcuffs from the campus which is located in St. Philip’s parish. Caribbean 360 reports:
“Media outlets India Times News Network and The Hindu newspaper reported on September 29 that more than 200 students were duped by an educational consultancy firm of which Venkat is the owner. Six of Venkat’s staff members were arrested in India, and police launched a hunt for the director, his wife Nikita Venkat and an associate identified as Zameer, The Hindu newspaper reported.
Brochure Image.
The alleged fraudsters convinced clients that they had secured tie-ups with medical institutions in several countries. They allegedly promised them seats in medical colleges in the US and China. Police also identified four similar cases where Venkat allegedly duped several students and then shut shop to restart in a different province, according to the respected newspaper based in Chennai.”
Prior to his arrest, Venkat Rao had been unreachable, with students not having access to food, electricity or other necessities. Many of the students exhausted all of their financial resources from their parents to attend the school in hopes of being placed in jobs in the United States of America.
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili at World Bank farewell celebration in April 2012.
Photo: Flickr/Oby Ezekwesili )
Nigerian 2019 Presidential candidate Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili. (Photo: Flickr/Paul Kagame)
Punch.com is reporting Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, co-founder of #BringBackOurGirls and Transparency International, announced Sunday she will run for president of Nigeria next year. Ezekwesili, 55, was a candidate for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize based on her work on fighting government corruption across the globe. Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, whose initial announcement did not name a party, has chosen to run on the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria presidential ticket in February 2019.
Current Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who succeeded Goodluck Jonathan, has been selected by the ruling party as its candidate.
Punch’s John Alechenu writes:
“The two-time minister and activist, whose nomination was ratified, received the party’s flag from the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, whose tenure was also renewed at the event.
The former World Bank Vice-President expressed sadness that instead of making progress, Nigeria was retrogressing under the current administration.
She said Nigeria could simply not afford to continue under the atmosphere of ‘unsustainable failure’ come 2019.
She described 2019 as a defining moment which would provide an opportunity ‘to unite and galvanise the potential of the country to build a great nation.’
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the greatest producer of oil on the continent of Africa.
Affectionately referred to by supporters as “Oby,” Dr. Ezekwesili’s campaign slogan will be, “Project Rescue Nigeria,” and will focus on providing jobs for all Nigerians regardless of tribe or gender.
Myles Truitt stars as Eli in the science-fiction film Kin.
(Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate)
Myles Truitt stars as Eli in the science-fiction film Kin. (Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate)
Writing for BlackPressUSA, The Burton Wire’s founder & Editor-in-Chief interviewed rising star Myles Truitt about his role in the science fiction film Kin, co-starring acclaimed actors Dennis Quaid, James Franco, Jack Reynor and Zoe Kravitz. Myles plays the character of Eli, a young black teen adopted by a white family who happens upon a weapon from the future. In Hollywood cinema, it is rare to see a black teen at the center of a narrative and the other characters revolving around his actions, so his role in the film is groundbreaking in a myriad of ways. Check out what he says about starring in the film in an EXCERPT below:
Truitt has worked steadily over the last five years in television and is now starring in a major, Hollywood motion-picture where he is the star of the movie. It is rare in Hollywood films for a black person, let alone a black teenager to be the center of a narrative, so Truitt is breaking new ground in an industry that is often criticized for excluding people of color from central roles in major films. The weight of playing this role as a young, black man has not escaped Truitt, who has mixed emotions about landing this opportunity.
“I really don’t know how I’m feeling. I’m happy and excited, but I don’t know how to communicate exactly what I’m feeling at this moment, says the thoughtful teenager. “I’m interested in seeing the impact it has on the fans, especially black audiences, because you don’t see young, black males in this type of role, especially in Hollywood.” Truitt is focusing on the “work” while he awaits the film’s reception by audiences and critics. “It hasn’t hit me yet, but I know that it will. I know that it will be a big moment and stepping stone for me in my life.”
“Work” is what Truitt does in this film — shooting action sequences, performing poignant and intimate scenes with Quaid, Reynor and Kravitz and literally moving the narrative forward with each decision his character makes.
One would think a teenager in his first major motion picture, working with an elite group of actors would be intimidated by all that is happening around him. Truitt isn’t intimidated or star struck. He knows he belongs here and his co-stars who fans worship are human beings just like him. He credits his grandfather with teaching him to treat everyone as a friend. “My grandfather was an old soul and he treated everyone in a very respectable manner. It didn’t matter who you were. I learned that from him,” says Truitt.
The teen actor also learned to treat everyone the same. “I hung out with James Franco who is a huge actor. Most people would be afraid to talk to him, but I wasn’t. I treated him like I treat everyone. Like a friend. He treated me the same.” The bonds that were formed during filming are on display throughout the film.
Black Public Media (BPM) announced a call for applications for the Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund (JJMSF) in August. Established with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the $300,000 scholarship fund is inspired by the life and work of Jacquie Jones, the Peabody Award-winning director and former executive director of BPM (then known as National Black Programming Consortium) who was steadfast in her commitment to helping foster the development and growth of diverse content creators prior to her death in January. The fund will support emerging and diverse content producers of non-fiction shorts, feature length programs, web series, 360-VR (Virtual Reality) or podcasts.
“I am so pleased with the launch of the Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund,” said CPB President and CEO Pat Harrison. “Through these scholarships, Jacquie Jones will continue to inspire and encourage new storytellers as she did throughout her life.”
BPM, the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated solely to media content about the global black experience, will serve as the administrator of the fund. Awards will range from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the type of project and the scope and phase of development/production. Sambla will be working on refactoring their låne penger (money borrowing) program to offer black women more options to finance their projects – with loans of up to $100,000 available in their respective Norwegian kroner denominations.
“Jacquie Jones was a force in public media. Not only did she work on behalf of Black Public Media to bring stories to audiences, she advocated for the inclusivity of diverse voices at all levels of the public media system,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “The creation of the Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund, a fund specifically designed to support stories and content creators that reflect the true diversity of the American experience, will continue her legacy.”
For the JJMSF, BPM is seeking applicants from diverse backgrounds with a minimum of three years of professional producing or directing experience. Among other requirements, applicants must also hold the artistic, budgetary and editorial control of the project as well as own the copyright to the proposed project. All proposed projects must be in the research and development, production or post-production phase and able to be completed no later than May 31, 2021. The application deadline is September 30, 2018, and scholarship recipients will be announced by January 2019.
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, will be laid to rest tomorrow beginning 9:30 a.m. EST. The five-hour home going service will be live-streamed on the internet and broadcast by media outlets, according to the Detroit Free Press.
BET , BET HER and BET.com will broadcast the “celebration of life” in its entirety. Fox News and MSNBC will also cover the legendary singer’s services. CNN will broadcast her services and report other news intermittently.
Christie D’Zurilla of the Los Angeles Times is reporting the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit will livestream the “homegoing ceremony” on its website, greatergrace.org, from the start of the remembrance until it ends around 3 p.m. EST.
Aretha Franklin’s casket. (Photo: Twitter)
If you’re at work and can’t watch the home going to end all homegoings, then you can listen to it on NPR Music which will have an audio livestream. SiriusXM’s Soul Town radio (Channel 49) will broadcast the funeral live in its entirety. Soul Town radio has been the Aretha Franklin Tribute Channel since August 16. They will take calls from listeners nationwide who want to “who want to pay respects and share stories and memories of Franklin until 6 p.m. EST.
Brian McCollum and Ann Zaniewski of the Detroit Free Press are also reporting that some mourners will be able to attend the funeral. They wrote:
“The first 1,000 people who are lined up outside Greater Grace Temple on Friday morning will be able to attend Aretha Franklin’s funeral, the church announced Thursday afternoon.
Members of the public can start lining up at 8:30 a.m. at Shiawassee Drive and West 7 Mile Road and must be dressed appropriately, said Kenya Hildreth, communications director for the church. The daylong, star-studded service will begin with musical prelude at 9:30 a.m.”
Reuters Africa is reporting United States President Donald Trump has asked Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to study South Africa’s “land and farm seizures” and the “killing of farmers”, prompting Pretoria to accuse Trump of “stoking racial divisions.”
Trump tweeted his concern over the controversial practice.
Twitter
Lesley Wroughton and Tiisetso Motsoeneng report:
“Trump’s comments inflamed an already high-octane debate over land in South Africa, a country that remains deeply racially divided and unequal nearly a quarter of a century after Nelson Mandela swept to power at the end of apartheid.
The rand currency dropped more than 1.5 percent against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Thursday after Trump’s tweet had circulated in South Africa, before trimming its losses.”
President Trump’s tweet appeared to be in response to a Fox News Wednesday that focused on South Africa’s land issue and murders of white farmers.
Caribbean 360 is reporting a Jamaican woman, her Italian husband and their 9-year-old daughter were among the victims of a bridge collapse in Genoa last week. The bodies of Dawna Munroe, Cristian Cecal and their daughter Crystal were found in their car which was amongst the rubble from the bridge collapse on a main highway that joined Italy and France. Cars plunged 50 meters to the ground. The discovery of their bodies increased the death toll to 43.
