Blossom of Thought

In this episode, Africans from all over the world share their thoughts about the honourable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s legacy and contribution to the world struggle for justice and humanity. This episode published just a few days after King's birthday - January 15. We are greatful for the Africans who have taken their time, space, intellects and energy to make this episode a success.

We connect with Imani Na Umoja in Guinea Bissau to talk about the recent political upheavals in the country and the lessons that can be learned by rest of Africa from Guinea Bissau's democratic centralism. We further discuss the history of Amilcar Cabral's party, the Party of Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), struggle against western colonialism and imperialism to the present day.

Imani serves in the Political Beaureu of African Party of Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), serves on the National Secretariat of the PAIGC as a Director of PAIGC Amilcar Cabral Political Ideological Training School. Imani is a member of the Central Committee of  the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (AAPRP). He also serves on the Coordination Counsel of West African Peoples Organization WAPO, and is a member of the Steering Committee of Black Alliance for Peace US Out of Africa Network. 

Find Imani @ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100018704652336

Pan-Africanist and organizer with the All-African People's Revolutionary Party, Salifu Mack, is my guest in this episode. Salifu simply refers to himself as an African that was born in the United States (South Carolina), but is currently organizing in Burkina Faso - organizing for the unification and total liberation of Africa under scientific socialism. The subject of this discussion is based on a piece Salifu wrote for the Hood Communist titled: Why I Reject African “American.” The basis of this write up, in Salifu’s own words, is “America is Illegitimate & we must reject it outright.” He further makes the point by saying that “what our ancestors based in this country [US] have fought and died for has never been about creating ‘America.’” making a prophetic foresight, Salifu says the revolution for the end of America is inevitable, and when that revolution begins, Black and other colonized people will be the ones who will deliver it. Speaking about the liberation of Africans, he posits: “We will borrow from the old and we will innovate anew.”

My guest in this episode is Ahjamu Umi (from Sacramento, USA) and we speak about separating Judaism from Zionism. Ahjamu is a dedicated activist/organizer/author who has engaged in on the groundwork throughout Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. for about 4 decades now. His latest work is "A Guide for Defense against White Supremacist, Patriarchal, and Fascist Violence." His other works are “The Paradox Principles”, The Courage Equation, Mass Incarceration in California; Its about Profits, Not Justice. Last but not least, Ahjamu is an organizer with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, a Pan-Africa political party based in Africa with Chapters all over the world.

On his return to the show, Ahjamu outlines the history of Zionism and distinguishes Judaism from Zionism. He dispels a lot of myths and confusion surrounding this subject.

Find Ahjamu at:

https://www.abetterworld.me/blog/category/all

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086621071747

In this episode we seek to tap into the record the establishment, historical development of the The All African People's Revolutionary Party (AAPRP) a political party engaged in organizing all people of African descent for The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All-African Socialist Government. I have invited seasoned organizers from the party who have done organizing for decades. They are John Trimble (in Azania/South Africa) and Albie Walls (in Ghana).

Albie Walls initially joined the Pan-African movement while a university student in the U.S.A. in the 1980s. A long-time member of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) he has lived and worked in Ghana since 2000. He has traveled extensively in Africa and he has represented the A-APRP on various platforms and programs in Africa, Europe and the U.S.A. His work has involved meeting and working with various Pan-African organizations in different countries as well as extensive work with students of all ages. Among other things, in Ghana he currently works with students, youth, and the community at

John Trimble is an educator and organizer with the Azania chapter of the All African People's Revolutionary Party. John holds a Master's degree from Stanford University in computer science and from UC Berkeley in operations research as well as a Ph.D.

Dr. Trimble’s numerous research interests include ‘the study and development of appropriate technology for national development in Africa and other underdeveloped regions’.

Living over two years in Zimbabwe gives Prof. Trimble a good

Rafiki Morris is my guest for this episode. Rafiki is Muralist/Artist, Writer, Poet, Lecturer Politics: Revolutionary Pan-Africanist and cadre and a Central Committee Member in the All African People's Revolutionary Party. Some of the Works and/or Novels written by Rafiki are “The Call of the Drum”; “The Giant and the Fire”; “Leaving Eden”; War: The Blood in Our Eyes.

The subject we discuss is one within philosophical lines, namely: Consciencism, An African World View. 

Rafiki takes a deep dive into Consciencism and the principles (egalitarianism, humanism, and collections) upon which this philosophy - coined by Kwame Nkrumah -  is embedded. He posits that "African people have always had some philosophy and the ethical principles of Consciencism, (egalitarianism, humanism, and collectivism) are traceable to the philosophical principles of early communal African life.” He adds that ‘more important is the recognition that Consciencism is not a complete system of thought. Consciencism cannot be completed because its dynamic nature is permanently engaged in the process of becoming.’

Other concepts delineated in this record related to consciencism are African personality, dialectical materialism, amongst others. Consciencism is a fundamental ideology for decolonization and liberation of Africa.

Joining me today to talk about the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, is GeeChee Yaw. Geechee is a published author, activist, organizer - has organized in the UK, the Baltimore and DC area and also organizes in Central America. Geechee is a member of a number of organizations like BPM. He provides research work and curriculums for a number of organizations. He is also a contributing writer for the Hood Communist - A collective of African revolutionary nationalists using journalism to advance the struggle for African liberation.

Geechee gives insights into foundations and/or non-profit organizations and how their funders influence and, to a large extent, shape the objectives of those they fund. Foundations are a good way of tax sheltering.

On the subject, Geechee says: We should be asking the question - How is wealth built? How is poverty built? To these questions, Geechee opines in this rather radical way: "Wealth is built through violance, public policy and fraud."

Find Geechee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007575525523

The subject of this episode is ‘Recapturing Black Culture’ and I and Erica Caines have a great discussion. Erica Caines is a poet, writer and organizer in Baltimore and the DMV. She is an organizing committee member of the anti war coalition, the Black Alliance For Peace as well as an outreach member of the Black centered Ujima People’s Progress Party. Caines founded Liberation Through Reading in 2017 as a way to provide Black children with books that represent them and created the extension, a book club entitled Liberation Through Reading BC, to strengthen political education online and in our communities.

“Understanding yourself as African is a political objective/position,” says Erica. 

Erica asks pertinent questions around the subject, namely: What is black culture? Who defines what black culture is? 

Our conversation is based on an article Erica penned for the Hood Communist bearing the same title - ‘Recapturing Black Culture.’ You can find the article at:https://hoodcommunist.org/2023/06/15/recapturing-black-culture/ 

Find Erica on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.caines

Mandla Hlatjwayo, Chairman of Letfu Sonkhe Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development returns to the show. Letfu Sonkhe Institute provides an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, educators and politicians to meaningfully engage and discuss the on-going challenges of Swaziland. Mandla has provided leadership in a litany of areas including in various corporations in Swaziland and South Africa. His education Includes a law degree from University of SD, an Executive Development Program from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa and a Bookkeeping- Intermediate from Pitman Institute in London. Mandla and I talk about debt, international finance and economics. Swaziland is equally exploited as other African nations and it presents a micro level of Africa's debt to the western world. Says Plutarch: The greed of creditors brings neither development nor dividends to the poor, and ruins developing countries. They do not till the fields which they take from their debtors, nor do they live in their houses after evicting them.” Swaziland’s debt makes up about 48% of the country's GDP. The Southern Africa Customs Union and to some extent the workers pension funds cushions the country's debt. Significant creditors of Swaziland are the IMF, African Development Bank, the Arab world as well as India etc.

So much capital has been put into projects that have become white elephants/unproductive. The informal sector is neglected, yet it should connect with the formal sector - and that's how wealth can be created for the small player in the street. Agriculture is a missing link in the empowerment of the masses.

The exploitative dynamics of Coca Cola in Swaziland manifests in little tax contribution despite its large share of the economy at 26%.Poor national governance standards contribute to the exploitation of workers, blood and sweat of labour is not equitable compensated in the labour intensive sectors of the economy.

As far as the education system is concerned, schools in Swaziland are not structured to have young people come out of school with valuable skills - to use their hands and minds in crafts and services. Investment in human capital to add value to the economy is seriously wanting. Hence, Swazis do not produce products of higher quality than the exploitative labour intensive industries in rural agriculture, textile and the small manufacturing sector. Therefore, the education system needs serious overhauling so that Swazis can be capacitated to take charge of their lives and create opportunities for their own participation in the economy as both workers and entrepreneurs. This requires the integration of new/modern methods of training and education in order to change the fortune of the economy/country and to catch up with the rest of the world.

This is a tributary episode on the world-renowned activist and human rights attorney, Thulani R Maseko (TR) from Swaziland, who was allegedly slain by King Mswati III's regime (Swaziland). For this homage, my guest is Velaphi Mamba a long-time friend and comrade of TR. Velaphi Mamba is a vibrant activist and treasurer general of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), and recent master's degree graduate from Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Velaphi and I talk about:

*Historiography and ethnology of the Maseko clan and their major contributions to Swaziland's polity.

*The Swazi state's stratagem of complete decimation of other clans' chiefs, and kingdoms - an erasure of the history of the clans causing a loss of self-determination and independence.

*TR's litany of human rights cases and his contribution to the jurisprudence in Swaziland and his service to humanity internationally.

Find Velaphi Mamba Here:

https://www.facebook.com/velaphi.mamba.3?mibextid=ZbWKwL