Known to be third largest of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the typical Igbo communities are found in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
And according to oral tradition and many writers of Igbo history, Eri is to the Igbos, what Oduduwa is to the Yoruba.
But unlike Oduduwa whose father is unknown, Eri was the fifth son of Gad, the seventh son of Jacob (Genesis 46:15-18 and Numbers 26:16:18).
He was said to have migrated from Egypt with a group of companions just before the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago.
Eri and his group were said to have traveled by water and finally arrived at the confluence of Ezu and Omambala Rivers, located in present-day Aguleri, Anambra State.
We were not told how long their voyage took to get to their promised land, what we were told is that Eri and his group was divinely instructed to make the confluence of Ezu and Omambala Rivers their final destination.
They would move into the hinterland and make a settlement in the present-day Aguleri. It was here that Eri lived and died.
Meanwhile, amongst Eri's children was Agulu, the eldest son who took over from his father after his demise.
It was him who appended the name of his father, Eri, to his name and founded Agulu-Eri (Aguleri) by calling the settlement where his father Eri died and he (Agulu) lived AGULERI.
However, apart from the story of how they came into being, the Igbos also shares some similar practices with the biblical Jews. And among the Igbos, these traditional practices predate the coming of the Christian missionaries.
Examples of shared traditional practices between the Jews and the Igbos include circumcising male children eight days after birth, refraining from eating "unclean" or tabooed foods, mourning the dead for seven days and celebrating the New Moon.
Supporting this belief is Daniel Lis, a foremost researcher on Jewish Identification among the Igbo from the University of Basel, Switzerland.
He affirms that there has been a clear continuity of Jewish identity among the Igbo. "It's not just something that happened yesterday," he said.
In addition to the shared practices between the Jews and the Igbos, there is a striking evidence that forces one to see a link between the Igbos and the ancient civilization of Egypt: It is the Ancient Igbo Pyramids, which is also known as the Nsude Pyramids.
The Ancient Igbo Pyramids or Nsude Pyramids is a testimony of ancient civilization among the Igbos.
Nobody knows when it was built, but archeologists have said that the pyramids have lasted centuries and are believed to have been built at the same time the first or second wave of Egyptian pyramids were built by the Nubians.
With similar features to that of the Stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt, one is forced to contemplate on the mystery behind their resemblance.
And without exaggeration, it can be suggested that the knowledge of one must have led to the building of the other.
Be that as it may, it should be stated here for the purpose of clarity that the word Ndi Igbo/ Ndigbo mean the "Ancient People." And according to them, the British called us IBO or (Heebos): A word synonymous to Hebrew.
There are other interesting arguments, with regard to the topic of this article, that has been presented by concerned Igbo scholars.
Notable among them is the claim that the following Igbo words/phrases were used in the bible.
1. Jee na isi isi (Genesis)
Known to be the first book in the bible, some Igbo scholars believe that the word is a corrupted version of the Igbo phrase "jee na isi isi" which when translated in English means "go to the very first".
2. Detere nu umu (Deuteronomy)
Known to be the fifth book in the Bible, the word “Deuteronomy” is from Latin Deuteronomium, from Greek Deuteronomion and originally from Igbo phrase "detere nu umu".
The Igbo phrase, "Detere nu umu" means "written down for the children". And actually, the book of Deuteronomy was words written down to serve as laws for the children of God.
3. Asaa bu taa (Sabbath)
According to the biblical story of creation, God rested on the seventh day. Sabbath is a day set aside for rest and worship. The word is said to be thesame with the Igbo phrase "asaa bu taa" which means "today is seventh."
4. Chere ubim (Cherubim)
Described in the Bible as a winged angel and represented in ancient Middle Eastern art as a lion or bull with eagles' wings and a human face, Cherubim is regarded in Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order of the nine-fold celestial hierarchy.
However, the name is believed to be a distorted version of the Igbo phrase "chere ubim" which means "guard my home." And of course, angels are guardians.
5. Nta lite kuo ume (Talitha cumi)
According to the book of Mark 5:41, Jesus was storied to have raised from death- the daughter of Jairus. And "Talitha cumi" were the words he used.
"Talitha cumi" or "Talitha kum" or "Talitha koum" is an Aramaic phrase and believed to be an Igbo phrase "nta lite kuo ume" which means "little child wake up and start breathing".
Dr. Sheryl Victorian has been named the chief of police for the City of Waco, Texas. With her wealth of experience and education, her appointment was a no-brainer for City Manager Bradley Ford as he recommended Victorian.
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, her historic appointment makes her Waco’s first Black and first female police chief.
Victorian began her law enforcement career as a police cadet in Houston in 1993. In 1995, she was recognized as the 100 Club of Houston’s “Rookie Officer of the Year”. She worked with the Houston Police department for 28 years, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief. On February 16, the Waco City Council voted unanimously to confirm Victorian as city’s police chief.
She was one of four finalists for the position after the department received 43 candidates from 17 states.
Of her nomination, she said, “It is a privilege and honor to have my name forwarded to the city council. Maintaining the trust of the community, adopting, and improving our department to meet the changing needs and demands of policing, and keeping our officers and citizens safe are my objectives from day one if council approves my selection.”
“It would be an honor to lead the department and I look forward to working proactively to keep Waco a great community to work, live and raise a family.”
Many gathered at the Waco Convention Center on the day of her swearing-in to witness a historic moment as Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, her former boss, pinned on her new badge.
“I will push to become the model city for public safety, and police-community partnerships, and building trust and legitimacy in policing,” Chief Victorian said to the crowd.
Not only does being the first Black female chief bring diversity to the role, but Victorian’s innovation over the years in whatever capacity she has served is also always in tandem with her community’s vision and she always delivers.
“Sheryl’s depth of hands-on management experience, her educational background, and her support for innovative programs all stood out,” Ford said.
“Sheryl shared our community’s vision for a leader who embraces continuous improvement, community policing, and a commitment to serving and protecting all of our citizens.”
Victorian holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs from Texas Southern University, a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Houston, and a doctorate in Administration of Justice, also from Texas Southern University.
Aside from heading the City of Waco police department, Chief Victorian is also an assistant professor at Southern New Hampshire University where she teaches Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice, Ethics, and the Graduate Capstone course, according to the city’s site.
Talk of a decorated police chief, Victorian is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and numerous nationally accredited leadership programs. She holds a Texas Master Peace Officer’s license and has received numerous awards and commendations over her career with Houston PD, reports.
Waco NAACP President Dr. Peaches Henry did not miss the swearing-in ceremony because she has openly supported Chief Victorian not just because she is Black and a woman but because she has all the experience and qualifications to head the City of Waco’s police department.
“The fact that she is African-American, and female is wonderful, but without all of her outstanding qualifications, it would be meaningless. So, we are delighted to see her,” Henry said.
Chief Victorian is now the 28th police chief heading the department with 266 commissioned officers and 100 civilian staff. She’s going to be a blessing. I’m so happy for her and Waco,” Houston Police Chief Acevedo told news.
At his first gaming competition, 11-year-old Jamaican Dominic Darby became one of 17 winners out of the more than 3,000 people who participated in the XPRIZE Connect Code Games competition last year. This was his first attempt at creating his own video game. In addition to his win in the junior division, he was named “Best in Class”.
The St. Catherine native also took home $1,000 after entering the California-based competition with 70 participants also from Jamaica. The more than 3,000 competitors were aged between 10 and 18 and the winners were announced at a virtual event held last month.
The competition was put together in partnership with video game developer E-Line Media and supported by Endless Network, which aims to enhance lives through technology.
Darby is not new to coding. The 11-year-old first encountered MIT’s Scratch coding software at the age of six after attending a summer program held at the University of West Indies, his mother Shellian Darby said. Also, his coding knowledge is largely self-taught from watching YouTube tutorials and reading books about coding which is practically one of his hobbies, Darby’s mother added.
For his winning game entitled “How To Fall”, Darby used the MIT Scratch coding software to create a game character that moves through multiple levels while getting away from obstacles, according to jamaicans.com. After months of trials and errors, Darby finished his first-ever game and entered the XPRIZE Connect Code Games: A Global Game-Making Challenge, facing off with pros and rookies alike.
The Wolmer’s Preparatory School student said he never expected to win. “When I realized I won, I felt good and I wanted to tell everyone, but I couldn’t at the time. This is my first time entering an international competition and to win it feels amazing,” he was quoted by The Gleaner.
When he is not studying or coding, Darby, like every kid his age, enjoys playing video games particularly Roblox and Minecraft. He hopes to be a computer science engineer soon.
Brian Brackeen, founder and former CEO of Kairos, was fired by his company’s board of directors in 2018.
The successful entrepreneur raised $13 million for Kairos and garnered national attention for his groundbreaking facial recognition technology. But Brackeen’s refusal to sell his company’s technology to law enforcement may have led to allegations against him that eventually pushed him out of the company. A year later, the legal battle between Brackeen and the Kairos board ended in Brackeen’s favor.
Now, Brackeen is returning to Kairos as chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. All parties involved in the 2018 debacle have departed. Kairos’ new leadership team has voted to bring Brackeen back to the company to continue his mission and goals for Kairo.
“We are delighted to have Brian back at the company, now more than ever the world needs to address fairness and inclusiveness in AI and Kairos continues its mission with Brian on board to deliver bias-free face recognition software to the world,” said E Jay Saunders, Chairman of Kairos, in a statement. “We look forward to having his insights and working with Brian to grow the company worldwide.”
Leading Kairos to Success
Brackeen is the brains behind Kairo. He worked as a senior project manager for Apple Inc. and senior managing consultant for IBM before launching his masterpiece.
Kairos is a human analytics company that uses facial recognition to help companies better interact with their stakeholders. It blends together social science and technology, allowing businesses to obtain data that impact consumer decision-making in real-time.
In 2016, Brackeen was the recipient of the Innovator of the Year award at the BLACK ENTERPRISE Tech Summit. During the event, he spoke about the team’s remarkable accomplishments.
“In the last 12 months, we processed 250 million faces. We’ve grown revenue 200% year over year and we’ve declined marketing spend on that time. Also, last quarter was our best quarter ever. Last month, was our best month ever. We just continue to trend upward and up. Kairos is Greek for the most opportune moment. We really believe that this is it.”
Nearly three years after his departure, Brackeen is returning to Kairos to bring his expertise in algorithmic bias. As chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, he will continue his work to address and eliminate racial bias from the technology.
“In my first action in this role, I’ve directed the company to focus on a new API— the “Bias API”, which will allow firms all over the world to detect and fix biases in their algorithms.” Says Brackeen. “We intend to do deals with the big players like AWS, Google Cloud, and others to expose our service in their clouds to their customers, as well. Kairos will cement its place as a leader in this space, right at the correct time. We have learned so much over the last nearly 10 years, it’s time to use that knowledge for good beyond Kairos’ walls.”
Brackeen’s Battle to Keep His Company
Brackeen’s disputes with his board raised questions about white investors and their treatment of Black founders.
Brackeen encountered a series of problems from the board and investors after refusing to sell his technology to law enforcement.
The Kairo board accused Brackeen of using company funds for unauthorized trips, meals, and expenses. Brackeen denied the allegations and filed a countersuit. In a letter to his investors, he shared that the board filed an exaggerated lawsuit against him to justify termination. He also believed they used it as leverage against him to force him to work for free.
Brackeen filed a lawsuit against the Kairos board. It alleges that an investor pressured Brackeen to reconsider selling the company’s tech to law enforcement. It reveals that a “fundamental clash” ensued. This fueled the board and investors’ mission to “push Brackeen out of Kairos.”
In 2019, Brackeen and the Kairos board reached a settlement in court. The Company and Brackeen agreed to part ways. They also agreed that Brackeen would continue to be recognized as founder and remain a shareholder.
“Founders of color and women are under-invested in,” he shared. “We are either not getting great representation or we don’t have VC’s (venture capitalists) on our side. For those that are able to overcome that huge hurdle, they are then squeezed from the other side.”
There is a long way to go to achieve funding parity and remove racial bias from decisions. But Brackeen is using his voice and capital to level the playing field.
Ayesha Selden has inspired millions with her journey from the projects to becoming a real estate millionaire at age 30.
Now, the Philadelphia native owns over 40 rental properties. She’s teaching others about the importance of ownership and what it takes to get started.
“Condition yourself as a saver first,” Selden shares during a podcast interview. “There are steps to this game. You can’t go from one end of the process all the way to a disciplined investor and think that everything is going to be gravy. I always say that someone who hasn’t mastered the art of being a saver first…how are you going to be a landlord if you don’t have any money saved? If you can’t figure out how to save reserve money, you are going to lose your house and destroy your credit. Figure out how to be a saver first, then investor, and then a disciplined investor.”
Getting Started in Real Estate
Selden was raised by a single mom in one of the most under-resourced communities in South Philly. When she was 18 years old, her family moved to a better area. Selden believed that the area she left would turnaround and that her mom’s property would become valuable one day. She was right.
“I told her not to sell our house and that she should rent it,” Selden shares with Shoppe Black. “She was nervous about being able to find a tenant and sold it in 1997 for $35,000. Within 10 years of her selling, that house was worth 10 times what she sold it for and today, it’s probably worth around $500k to $600k.”
Selden has never forgotten the moment, using the lesson as motivation to become a competent investor.
She started her real estate journey at age 24. Selden bought a foreclosure in Philly for $67,000 using her personal savings. She rehabbed the place, moved in, and got a roommate. Due to house hacking, Selden was able to save more money. She invested in equities and bought a rental property two years later. In 2011, she used the equity from her first house to buy and rehab more properties.
Going From Poverty to Plenty
Although Selden has amassed a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio, she still works as a Private Wealth Advisor. She helps others manage their money since that has been something that has always come easy to her.
“As a kid, money just always made sense to me,” Selden shared during her podcast interview as she talked about growing up poor in Philly. “I could always save a buck. If you gave me a $10 allowance, I would have that same $10 six weeks later. ”
But it wasn’t until she landed a job at a bank that she started to expand her view of money. “I started seeing real money. People started coming in with millions.”
The light bulb went off when she realized that the customers did not work. They were investing in stocks, mutual funds, and other assets that worked for them. That’s when Selden realized that she needed to transition from saver to investor.
Although Selden has a range of investments in her portfolio, she shares that real estate is her favorite. She has published a digital guide to help more people build their wealth to 7+ figures.
The mother of an 11-year-old sixth-grader at a Long Island Catholic school is accusing the institution’s headmaster of forcing her Black son to kneel and apologize after claiming that’s the “African way” of saying sorry.
In an interview with New York Daily News, Trisha Paul said St. Martin de Porres Marianist School headmaster John Holian forced her Haitian-American son to get on his knees and render an apology after his English teacher reported him for doing the wrong assignment. When Paul got in touch with Holian to discuss the incident after her son told him what had occurred, the headmaster allegedly justified his action by claiming he learned that disciplinary practice from a Nigerian parent who told him it’s an “African way” of rendering an apology. Paul said the explanation left her shocked.
“Once he started mentioning this African family, that’s when it just clicked,” Paul told the news outlet. “Like, this is not normal procedure. I felt there was no relevance at all. Is he generalizing that everyone who is Black is African? That’s when I realized something is not right with this situation.”
Paul, who said the February incident left her son embarrassed, believes race played a factor. “My son was humiliated, hurt, embarrassed, sad and confused,” she said. “He reads about things happening because of your skin color. To experience it… he’s just trying to process it in his 11-year-old brain.”
In a phone call on March 1 to discuss the incident, Paul said Holian admitted the punishment in question wasn’t a standard disciplinary procedure. He also couldn’t properly clarify how the kneeling story about the Nigerian family was relevant after making reference to it. And when the two met face to face to further discuss the incident, Holian alleged her son was made to apologize to the teacher for being disrespectful. Paul, however, said the school had never contacted her about her son’s conduct, adding that he is a “well-mannered, honor roll student.”
During their discussion, Holian also told Paul he made her son kneel because simply saying sorry wouldn’t have changed anything. “If I had said to him ‘apologize and get back to class’… it would’ve meant nothing,” Holian told Paul in the video recording of their meeting, according to New York Daily News. “So it was changing the way you say ‘I apologize.’”
Holian also doubled down on forcing Paul’s son to kneel, saying he learned that form of punishment from a Nigerian parent whose child was enrolled at the school.
“This father came in and said, ‘you’re going to apologize to this teacher the African way, and you’re going to get down on your knees and apologize.’ I’ve never seen that before,” Holian said, adding that that form of punishment is justifiable irrespective of a child’s race.
“I have six kids, and four boys. And if one of them is really acting rude and arrogant… I will say at times, ‘get on your knees and apologize,’” he told Paul. “I was speaking to your son as I would my own son.”
Meanwhile, school authorities released a statement on Friday announcing Holian has been placed on temporary leave pending an investigation into the incident.
“I want to assure you that St. Martin’s neither condones nor accepts the actions of our headmaster,” acting headmaster James Conway wrote in the statement. “The incident does not reflect our long, established values or the established protocols regarding student related issues.”
Though Holian apologized to Paul over the incident, the mother said the harm has already been caused. “He showed no remorse until he realized how it’s impacted my son,” she told New York Daily News. “He’s going to therapy. He’s been very reserved and humiliated.” Paul also said her son now tries to “stay away from the headmaster and not speak to the teacher if need be.”
Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., has thanked Justin Bieber for his support of the King Centre charity in the midst of backlash over the singer’s use of speeches from the civil rights icon on his new album. The King Centre, established in 1968 in memory of King, Jr. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of King. It is now operated by King’s daughter, Bernice.
Bieber, ahead of his album’s release on Friday, announced a campaign to raise awareness for social justice organizations, listing those he would be supporting himself. The King Center was among the organizations listed. Bernice on Thursday thanked the singer on Twitter, writing: “Each of us, including artists and entertainers, can do something.”
“Thank you, @justinbieber, for your support, in honor of #Justice, of @TheKingCenter’s work and of our #BeLove campaign, which is part of our global movement for justice,” she added.
Bernice’s message of support comes amid controversy on Twitter over Bieber’s 16-track “Justice” album released Friday. Listeners have criticized the singer over some of the tracks that featured clips of King’s speeches. The first song on the album, “2 Much,” opens with a clip of King saying “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” before the pop star goes ahead to sing about love and romance. The track “MLK Interlude” also features samples from King’s 1967 sermon “But If Not”.
“Justin Bieber has an ‘MLK interlude’ on his album. Then, an 80s inspired pop song about dying for love comes on next,” wrote a Twitter user.
“Justin bieber really wrote another collection of love songs to his wife, threw in a little one minute MLK speech and called the whole album ‘justice’ PLSs,” another user wrote.
“I’m confused why this whole justin bieber album is called justice and has a whole mlk sit if it’s just about how in love he is wirth hailey bieber [his wife],” one listener added.
Bieber’s “Justice” comes a year after his “Changes” album. Chance the Rapper, Burna Boy, Khalid and Giveon made vocal appearances aside from King.
Forbes has disputed viral news reports that rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West is the richest Black person in U.S. history. The latest valuation of his recent business deals put his net worth at $6.6 billion.
Bloomberg reported that Yeezy, West’s sneaker/apparel partnership with Adidas, is worth between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion. It said the African-American rapper owns a 100% stake in Yeezy and also has a partnership with The Gap which is valued at $1 billion. West also has additional income coming from his $110 million music catalog, $122 million in cash and stocks and business investments with his estranged wife Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS underwear brand, the report added.
According to documents viewed by Bloomberg, Gap expects its Yeezy line to break $150 million in sales in its first full year in 2022 and envisions it becoming a billion-dollar revenue brand in 2023. The documents also showed that sales for Yeezy’s Adidas sneakers survived the effect of the pandemic by posting a growth of 31% and making nearly $1.7 billion in revenue while netting $191 million in royalties.
With the reported net worth of $6.6 billion, West has surpassed Oprah Winfrey’s $3.5 billion net worth, David Steward’s $3.9 billion net worth, and Robert F. Smith’s $6.5 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
But, according to Forbes, West is worth less than one-third of the amount recently reported based on its own calculation. It said reports on the Black celebrity’s worth are based on the magical thinking around sales that don’t yet exist.
Forbes estimates his worth to be $1.8 billion, which is a big jump from last May’s estimate of $1.3 billion, stressing that his total worth is nowhere near the reported $6.6 billion.
Forbes further emphasized that the founder of Vista Equity Robert F. Smith remains the richest Black person in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $6 billion while Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, worth $11.8 billion, is the richest Black person in the world.
West had previously claimed he was worth $3 billion although Forbes published that his net worth was lower than he claimed. Displeased with Forbes’s valuation of his worth, West, according to the People, texted Forbes, “It’s not a billion. It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”
Those who are of the view that Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism is Kwame Nkrumah’s most important book are in the sound company of many.
The independence leader and Ghana’s first-ever president was an intellectual whose expertise on politics, ideologically and practically, outweighed all of his African counterparts. At least, so said a BBC Africa poll in 2000 that said Nkrumah was the “Man of the Millenium”.
Neo-Colonialism certainly adds to this widely-held opinion. This is one of the 15 books authored by Nkrumah but it is the only one that spoke exhaustively to a situation transcending Blackness and African identity. Rather, what Neo-Colonialism offered was an introduction to a novel sociopolitcal concept and an explanation of the material conditions that permit this concept.
That is to say before 1965, global political lexicography had not registered the term ‘neocolonialism’. It has since become an idea not only prevalent among those on the global left but also those interested in postcolonial studies. Neocolonialism was defined as such in the introduction of the book:
“The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.”
Neocolonialism was in effect, theorized as a critique of the way in which colonized countries seemed to view the end of their independence struggle as an end in itself. ‘Mere’ independence did not sit well with Ghana’s first leader because as he thought foreign capital would still be used “in such a way as to impoverish the less developed”. Richer countries were still dependent on poorer countries for so much even if the picture was drawn as if colonizers had attained self-sustenance.
Nkrumah’s book was premised on two simple axioms namely, the eternal cooperation of polities i.e. global affairs, and the recognition that the mighty would always look to have its way as Thrasymachus said in Plato’s Republic.
The book took into cognizance the ideological Cold War between the West and the East and the fight to have influence over underdeveloped nations. This meant that Nkrumah, despite his leftist leanings, realized that it was possible for the USSR to victimize formerly colonized peoples.
Ever the evangelist, Nkrumah shared his book to African leaders and other who attended the 1965 conference of the Organization of African Unity in Ghana’s capital Accra. But this bid to teach his fellows what he felt was in store after independence angered the United States.
The US thus withdrew a hitherto agreed $25 million aid it had promised Ghana.
Not everyone is a fan of the new National Geographic historical docuseries Genius: Aretha and this crowd surprisingly includes some from the demographic you would think were jumping at the chance to see the Queen of Soul brought back to life.
A myriad of reasons has been attributed to what effectively counts as a boycott of the series by many African-Americans. Many of them have registered their displeasure with the fact that Franklin was played by a non-American Black woman, Cynthia Erivo. The 37-year-old actress is a Nigerian-British actress who has won acclaim and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony, and two Oscar nominations.
This is not the first time Erivo, cast in the role of a cherished African-American figure has been greeted with contempt by Black Americans. In 2019, Erivo appeared in only her third movie (she has spent most of her acting career on stage) as Harriet Tubman in Harriet. She won nominations for Golden Globe and Academy Awards’ Best Actress slots for her portrayal of the heroine of the Underground Railroad. But the question that was asked was if producers could not secure a Black American descendant of a slave.
When Harriet came out, it was also revealed that Erivo in 2013 had tweeted a mockery of how many African-Americans talk, calling it the “ghetto accent”. The tweet, which she apologized for, was interpreted as not only a dislike for African-Americans but hatred for her Black identity.
At the premiere of Harriet at the Toronto International Fim Festival, Erivo was forced to respond to the backlash generated by the tweet: “As for the tweets, taken out of context without giving me the room to tell you what it meant–and it wasn’t mocking anyone, really. It wasn’t for that purpose at all. It was to celebrate a song I had wrote when I was 16.”
Calls by Black people in America to have historical Black figures, as well as American Black characters played by African-Americans, have been ongoing for the last few years. When the Oscar-nominated Judas And The Black Messiah was released in late 2020, it was met with the same sort of outrage because the role of Fred Hampton was portrayed by Uganda-British actor Daniel Kaluuya.
But with Genius: Aretha, the problems are not simply because Erivo is on screen. Kecalf Cunningham, a son of the singer posted on his Instagram page in February that producers of Genius “pushed through without [the family’s] consent”. He also said the family held no ill-feelings towards the actors who were just “doing their jobs” but “if you are a true fan [of Franklin’s] please do not support [Genius: Aretha]“.
Cunningham’s call was reiterated on Twitter before the first episode of the series was broadcast on Sunday. It continues to gather moss as more and more on the social media platform are tweeting their support for the family.
A year ago, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo became the first African leader to be invited in about 60 years on a state visit to Switzerland. But his visit may not have gone as his host would wish as he announced that his country will soon end the process of selling raw materials to trade partners for onward value addition.
Although Akufo-Addo’s visit was about 12 months ago, the details of his announcement have been rekindled by conversations sparked by recent impediments placed by rich countries on a World Trade Organization (WTO) proposal. The proposal would have seen coronavirus vaccines produced in large quantities widely in other countries if pharmaceutical corporations can waive off intellectual property claims.
Richer nations like those in the European Union as well as the United States have blocked this proposal although, in terms of global numbers, they are in the minority. Akufo-Addo’s statement to the Federal Council of Switzerland is seen by many pro-African interest observers as well as Pan-Africanists as a possible route through which Africa can win on trade on the global scene.
Ghana’s quest to hold back on exporting raw materials is an agenda independent of what is happening with the WTO’s proposal on COVID-19 vaccines. The agenda was even stated before the pandemic thus, it requires us to understand it within the context of Ghana’s developmental ambitions.
One of the raw materials that Ghana is not looking to export any much longer includes cocoa beans, a commodity for which Ghana happens to be the second-largest producer in the world after neighbors the Ivory Coast. Switzerland, a great manufacturer of chocolates, buys its cocoa from the two West African neighbors although Ghana is Switzerland’s biggest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
President Akufo-Addo told the Federal Council of Switzerland, then headed by President Simmoneta Sommaruga:
“Ghana is currently Switzerland’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, largely from the export of gold and cocoa to Switzerland and the import of chemical and pharmaceutical products…However, as I have stated on many occasions, Ghana no longer wants to be dependent on the production and export of raw materials, including cocoa beans. We intend to process more and more of our cocoa in our country with the aim of producing more chocolate ourselves”
Akufo-Addo tied in the movement towards value addition to Ghana’s national pride as well as poverty alleviation. Even though it can be read as an approach antithetical to what free-marketeers like Switzerland have advocated over the last few decades, protecting Ghana’s interest in short ot long term would be difficult to argue against.
Last year, both Ghana and Ivory Coast halted the sale of cocoa to United States manufacturers accusing the U.S. confectionary giants Hershey’s and Mars of avoiding paying a bonus that will help improve the economic fortunes of poor farmers.
The Coffee Cocoa Council (CCC) and the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) in a statement said the two of the world’s top chocolate sellers were not paying the living income differential (LID).
The LID gives cocoa farmers a bonus of $400 per tonne in addition to the market price and envisioned to cushion many farmers who live in poverty. The $400 a tonne LID on cocoa sales for the 2020/2021 season was introduced by the West African nations last year.
That trade war did not last long as Ghana and the Ivory Coast won their way. It was the second time in two years that the two countries had manufacturers to concede on deals. With Ghana’s move towards processing its own cocoa, the world, and not just Switzerland, will experience a massive shortage since Ghana is responsible for about 45% of the world’s cocoa.
With this, it is understandable how Akufo-Addo’s promise to the Swiss people, who are one of the world’s largest producers of chocolate, falls within the trajectory of hopes of those who wish Africa well.