Black Agenda TV - Season 1, Episode 2

Genocide in Congo Not a Big Issue for African Americans

Black Americans have failed to use their political power to relieve the suffering of people in the Congo and elsewhere in Africa, said two spokespersons for Friends of the Congo. "Today, we have Black leaders who are in high positions, who could do something to stop the suffering of Blacks in Africa," said Kambali Musavuli, student coordinator for Friends of the Congo. Instead, Musavuli told Black Agenda Television executive editor Glen Ford, "we have Black faces here providing cover for dictators in Africa, and no one is challenging them for that."
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice "is watering down UN reports documenting atrocities" committed by Rwanda and Uganda in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Can you imagine," asked Musavuli, "how difficult it is for me as a Congolese to share with the American people the policies she is making that are causing the suffering of Black people in Africa, specifically in Congo?"

U.S. policy has contributed to the deaths of six million people in Congo -- the worst genocide since World War Two -- since Uganda and Rwanda first invaded the mineral-rich country, in 1996. "These leaders have the blood of millions of Africans are their hands," said Friends of the Congo co-founder and executive director Maurice Carney. "U.S. policy is presenting these war criminals, who have committed crimes against humanity, to the world as renaissance leaders of Africa."

Uganda and Rwanda, close allies of the United States, control much of the mining regions of eastern Congo, the source of strategic metals such as coltan, which is vital to the electronics industry.

"In order for us to have our cell phones, our laptops, our DVD players, six million Congolese have to die," said Musavuli. Half the dead are children under the age of five. "So we have three million children that had to die so that our phones can vibrate, so that we can watch TV, so that we can use our game consoles, because we are benefiting from the suffering of the Congolese."

Late last year, a host of African American politicians and organizations voiced unqualified support for UN Ambassador Rice when she was a contender for the Secretary of State job, despite her role in the Congolese genocide. Asked what this said about the actual state of Black American relations with Africa, Musavuli replied: "I believe we've lost what Dr. King and others fought for, that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The lives of Black people around the world are devalued."

Obama's Race to the Top Hurts Black Students, Teachers, Communities

"Barack Obama is set to go down in history as the president who's already done more to dismantle, destroy and privatize public education than any president before him," said Black Agenda Report managing editor Bruce Dixon. "The current nationwide wave of public school closings and teacher firings, which are concentrated in poor and nonwhite communities across the country, is directly traceable to President Obama's Race To The Top Program" said Dixon, in a commentary for Black Agenda Television.
Black teachers have borne the brunt of school firings. "Tens of thousands of experienced teachers have been run out of the classrooms," said Dixon. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is the former CEO of the Chicago public schools. "Duncan fired so many veteran black Chicago teachers to fill their slots with mostly white rookies, that teachers sued him for racial discrimination in federal court and won," said Dixon, a Chicago native. Obama's "signature education policy" is actually a corporate blueprint "drawn up by the Bill & Melinda Gates, the Eli Broad, Boeing, Walton Family and other foundations."

Black Misleadership Class to Launch "February 30th Movement"
"The time will never come when the NAACP, the Urban League, Al Sharpton and the rest of the Black Misleadership Class will actually confront the First Black President of the United States," said Black Agenda Report executive editor Glen Ford. "Since 2008, they have shown themselves to be totally incapable of making even the most modest request of Power with a Black Face. In fact, it has been so long since the Black Misleadership Class made any substantial demands of power, they appear to have forgotten how," said Ford, in a commentary for Black Agenda Television.

The traditional Black organizations have recently been going through the motions of framing a Black political agenda. However, most of their talking points could have come straight out of the Obama White House. "That's how the Black Misleadership Class plans to waste the next four years: pretending to be getting ready to finally make some demands or even rev up a Movement" -- when February 30th rolls around.

• Category

  News & Politics

[DenisRancourt]

Just a reaction: I wish Khallid Muhammad would and/or could use his position to fight for his own personal liberation. I think this would bind him more profoundly to the global struggle and would contribute more to the global struggle. The 1857 speech by Frederick Douglas that your video helped me discover is simply AMAZING. Paulo Freire had a master teacher! Thank you Black Agenda.

[knowmeurgoddess amen]

How do we inform people of these schools closures and teacher firings on Facebook!?! I love this video but I need something that can air the closures in the headlines. I love the Friends of Congo!

[MundayTIA]

Hey there, Im an up and comming rapper/producer and i want to share my music with the world but it seem these days that people just dont care about dope music. all i ever ask is that you give me a chance to be heard,few seconds honestly would do, not asking for much. If you like what im doing, give me feedback, give it a like, hell share it if you could, anything helps.if interested please subscribe, let me hear what you got to say. I keep a very active channel. Thanks, much appreciation.

[doctj04]

Longtime listener of BAR glad to see they now have a channel. Good content but video production was flawed, I couldn't hear anything Mr Musavili said. Wasn't there a mic check before filming started? I also found the background music to be distracting the volume should be lowered and better mixed. Overall good early effort and I'm sure the quality of the program will match it's content in the future.

[TheFrankFactor]

Excellent.

[Steward Clinton]

Thank you for the knowledge, shared and tweeted. I haven't been the same since having seen this elsewhere recently. What are the solutions? Why nothing said of the genocide (80 million people killed) by direct command of King Leopold, or his written command to the church, to use Christianity to do it? I found it odd that it was missing - especially when he was referenced. Thank you regarding the background on the African Coups as well, and the assassinations. Please provide links to references.

[Byron Anderson]

African Americans have been desensitized to what's happening in Africa. Although we have our own challenges here in America, we find sports, Obama, personal gain more important. Some of us still hold native Africans responsible for our plight here in America. Some native Africans come to America and snug their nose at African Americans and some of it is justified because we here do have greater opportunities than most other Blacks. It's not a black hole for sure..

[Randy T]

definitely subscribed.



[MrBLUESTARSUN]

Its sad news to hear of the continued holocaust of Africans in Africa yet alone in America and world wide even worse is to be informed of those atrocities is their suffering and learning our appliances is how we stay informed is why i wish we could be informed without the congolesse suffering and schools closing which don't represent African community worldwide bettering as whole. I think Africans face tough decisions people of color from all walks life face same plight. Between genocide,ethnic