In 2007, I was part of a U.S. delegation invited by Presidente Chavez to Caracas for the unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther bust-Busto Martin Luther King Paselos Insignes. The delegation was organized by Joseph Jordan  Director of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). I was able to see first hand the efforts of the Bolivarian Revolution, like the land reclamation projects. I was struck by the engagement of  the people in their society, many of them carried their dog-eared Venezuelan Constitution in their pockets every day. And why not? They had helped to create it. They were genuinely excited about building futures. The knowledge of African and African American History as well as the Black Liberation Movement by the Venezuelan people was remarkable.  We were treated like dignitaries while in the country and were given access to the people and to many of the country’s programs like the Comités de Tierra Urbana (Urban Land Committees or CTU).

My comrade, Genevieve Williams Comrie, wrote a great piece for Al-Jazeerah.com about Chavez that I’d like to share because of her unique perspective as an Afro-descendant:

 Presidente Hugo Chavez and race : The shift from avoidance to inclusion

“Racism is very characteristic of imperialism and capitalism. Hate against me has a lot to do with racism. Because of my big mouth and curly hair. And I’m so proud to have this mouth and this hair, because it is African.” – Hugo Chavez, September 21, 2005

The death of democratically elected President Hugo Chavez Frias (1954-2013) has evoked serious thoughts and reflections on the meaning of his life and the process he led from peoples and communities throughout the Americas and the world. Despite much criticism by many right wing governments and people in the West, Hugo Chavez led a process in Venezuela that symbolised the new assertiveness and self-consciousness of nations in Latin America that saw a future for themselves, liberated from the heavy-handed, oppressive and economically draining policies of their powerful neighbour from the North. Read more

St. Louis American- March 6, 2013

Corruption in our country and throughout the world is rampant. No institution has been unscathed—government, the church, education, the media, the courts. The higher the office, the more power involved (perceived or real) and the more money involved, the deeper and wider the corruption. The consequences are usually expensive for the masses of people on a number of levels. It can also be deadly.

This month is the 10^th anniversary of the U.S. invasion into Iraq. Hubris: Selling Iraq War is a documentary that serves as painful reminder of how our government took us into the illegal war.

The treacherous lie led to the deaths of 4,486 American troops, the wounding of 32,226 service members, over 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians—at a cost of $3 trillion.

If you were angered by some of the items purchased by Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife Sandi with stolen campaign funds (like a $43K Rolex watch, a hat of Michael Jackson, etc.), we should be on fire about the pack of lies that led us into a war. Read more