Black Looks

• There’s always music, always hope

  Posted: January 31, 2010, 7:44 pm by Sokari

  Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Canada Via, Women and Beyond

• There’s always music, always hope

  Posted: January 31, 2010, 7:44 pm by Sokari

  Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Canada Via, Women and Beyond

• There’s always music, always hope

  Posted: January 31, 2010, 7:44 pm by Sokari

  Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Canada Via, Women and Beyond

• Haiti: “This is criminal”

  Posted: January 29, 2010, 9:35 pm by Sokari

  Interview with Pierre Labossiere of Haiti Action speaking on Haiti two weeks after the earthquake. Pierre raises a number of very important points in relation to the relief itself, the many NGOs, organisations, groups and individuals that have descended on Haiti – aptly described as “social vampires”. He also speaks on the role of [...]

• Stop taking your dream suppressants – the soil is alive

  Posted: January 28, 2010, 10:27 pm by Sokari

  Preview from PUMZI a Short film directed by Wanuri Kahui and showing at the Sundance Film Festival The film started as a joke. A friend and I pondered the possibility of living in a place where we paid for air. We invented the city, the virtual natural museums, the people. That was over 2 years, [...]

• No donation without agitation

  Posted: January 28, 2010, 9:37 pm by Sokari

  The process of delivering humanitarian aid and the behaviour of aid agencies are often as harmful as they are helpful as the last two weeks in Haiti has clearly shown. The militarisation of the whole process; the disorganised and incompetent delivery of food, water and medical supplies; the instant response [...]

• “Nothing makes sense anymore, my sister”

  Posted: January 27, 2010, 6:35 pm by Sokari

  A beautiful and moving poem by Jamaican writer and poet, Geoffrey Philp. Nothing makes sense anymore, my sister. Nothing makes sense anymore, my sister. The dead words in my mouth can’t say how I feel And forgive me, Lord, but it hurts when I kneel. For they say the age of miracles is over, But when will the horrors end so [...]

• Rwanda: Republic of women

  Posted: January 27, 2010, 1:45 pm by Sokari

  Via Africa is a Country

• Responses to homophobia in Africa

  Posted: January 26, 2010, 5:01 pm by Sokari

  I’m writing this post in response to number of articles on the prevalence of homophobia in Africa and to try and give some perspective and historical context.     In the last six months we have seen the expression of homophobia with the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill; the arrest of gay Malawian couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga [...]

• Has mining Haiti’s riches contributed to the earthquake?

  Posted: January 25, 2010, 9:00 pm by Sokari

  Tags:   
  An important and thoughtful post from Haitian blogger,  Ezili Danto who raises a number of serious questions around why the earthquake happened at this time – the first in 239 years. In the Mining Haiti’s Riches interview, I recount how there were areas in Haiti hidden behind UN guns, fenced off where Haitians knew nothing about [...]

• 15 activist errors & how to avoid them

  Posted: January 23, 2010, 6:17 pm by Sokari

  The Palestine Think Tank [Haitham Sabbah, Yousef Abudayyeh, Mohamed Khodr, Mary Rizzo,] have published this excellent list of common errors made by activists / movements and how to rectify them. The errors and solution are applicable to movements and activists worldwide. Activism and activists for Palestine have been getting some media attention recently. [...]

• Roundup of commentary on Haiti

  Posted: January 22, 2010, 6:45 pm by Sokari

  Rebecca Zausmer presents a comprehensive roundup of commentary on Haiti in this weeks Pambazuka News. Yet criticism of the US extends beyond their immediate control of the crisis. Commentators are asking why Haiti has been so badly affected. The devastation is being seen as partly natural disaster, but also manmade. The finger of blame [...]

• African Cities Reader

  Posted: January 22, 2010, 5:10 pm by Sokari

  The African Center for Cities together with Chimurenga Magazine call for submissions for the 2010 African Cities Reader II:Mobilities & Fixtures. The Reader which will include a range of genres including “text, image, sound and performance” will become a forum where Africans tell their own stories, draw their own maps and represent their own [...]

• When we voted for freedom

  Posted: January 21, 2010, 5:30 pm by Sokari

  “We will bend but will not break” by Kevin Pina and narrated by Pierre Labossiere Part 2 – Election of Jean-Bertrand Aristide

• Haiti: Thoughts on Women

  Posted: January 21, 2010, 2:33 pm by Sokari

  KOFAVIV - The Commission of Women Victims for Victims [working with women who have been raped] has issued a report from Haiti. Because of where the catastrophe hit in Haiti the majority of victims are woman of Kofaviv and many of them died with all of their family, the rest that are left are sleeping under [...]

• Haiti: Thoughts on Women

  Posted: January 21, 2010, 2:33 pm by Sokari

  KOFAVIV - The Commission of Women Victims for Victims [working with women who have been raped] has issued a report from Haiti. Because of where the catastrophe hit in Haiti the majority of victims are woman of Kofaviv and many of them died with all of their family, the rest that are left are sleeping under [...]

• Banks and shops protected while most people get no help

  Posted: January 20, 2010, 4:13 pm by Sokari

  Donate to grassroots women. Support return of elected President Aristide. For more information see Global Womens Strike. The US military has taken over the airport and are obstructing rescue efforts. Caribbean and Latin American governments and Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres are complaining that the US is preventing humanitarian aid coming in.  In a repeat of [...]

• Homophobe Jon Qwelane appointed SA ambassador to Uganda

  Posted: January 19, 2010, 12:12 pm by Sokari

  In July 2008 Jon Qwelane wrote the following article in the South African Sunday Sun. Qwelane has now been appointed by Jacob Zuma as South Africa’s ambassador to Uganda despite facing charges in the SA Equality Court for the article in the Sun. But of course with Zuma’s own record, matters [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• So, send in the Marines, OK?

  Posted: January 18, 2010, 11:38 pm by Sokari

  We are now into the sixth day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which struck at 4.30pm on Tuesday 12th January.   Knowing fully that an urgently timely response  would be essential yet humanitarian aid is only just beginning to reach small numbers of people.  Aid and the aid agencies continue to sit on the tarmac [...]

• Stories of Haiti: Edwidge Danticat

  Posted: January 17, 2010, 12:16 am by Sokari

  Edwidge Danticat speaking in 2004.

• Stories of Haiti: Edwidge Danticat

  Posted: January 17, 2010, 12:16 am by Sokari

  Edwidge Danticat speaking in 2004.

• Stories of Haiti: Edwidge Danticat

  Posted: January 17, 2010, 12:16 am by Sokari

  Edwidge Danticat speaking in 2004.

• The legacy of poverty in Haiti

  Posted: January 16, 2010, 6:27 pm by Sokari

  Peter Hallward, author of Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment,comments on the factors which have exacerbated the impact of the earthquake on the people of Haiti. Any large city in the world would have suffered extensive damage from an earthquake on the scale of the one that ravaged Haiti’s capital city [...]

• The legacy of poverty in Haiti

  Posted: January 16, 2010, 6:27 pm by Sokari

  Peter Hallward, author of Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment,comments on the factors which have exacerbated the impact of the earthquake on the people of Haiti. Any large city in the world would have suffered extensive damage from an earthquake on the scale of the one that ravaged Haiti’s capital city [...]

• The legacy of poverty in Haiti

  Posted: January 16, 2010, 6:27 pm by Sokari

  Peter Hallward, author of Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment,comments on the factors which have exacerbated the impact of the earthquake on the people of Haiti. Any large city in the world would have suffered extensive damage from an earthquake on the scale of the one that ravaged Haiti’s capital city [...]

• Smoke & Mirrors – militarisation of an earthquake.

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 1:12 am by Sokari

  Tags:   
  The report begins with a report from Ansel Hertz in Haiti . Then Pierre Labossiere of Haiti Action talks about the response and the media manipulation. Finally Kevin Pina on the loss of life due to lack of mobilization waiting for the Pentagon to take control of Haiti. [...]

• Smoke & Mirrors – militarisation of an earthquake.

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 1:12 am by Sokari

  Tags:   
  The report begins with a report from Ansel Hertz in Haiti . Then Pierre Labossiere of Haiti Action talks about the response and the media manipulation. Finally Kevin Pina on the loss of life due to lack of mobilization waiting for the Pentagon to take control of Haiti. [...]

• Let Haiti be Haiti

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 9:38 pm by Sokari

  Jacques Depelchin writes on Pambazuka We would like to express our solidarity for Haiti a country where, from 1791 to 1804, Africans unchained themselves in the name of fidelity to humanity. Africans, ahead of their time, had then given a lesson to those who usually assigned themselves that role, self-proclaimed revolutionaries of a revolution, we are [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline on Wednesday evening warning us that disaster [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline on Wednesday evening warning us that disaster [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline on Wednesday evening warning us that disaster [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline on Wednesday evening warning us that disaster [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline on Wednesday evening warning us that disaster [...]

• Haiti action plan

  Posted: January 15, 2010, 3:39 pm by Sokari

  The Foundry is the blog of the right wing Heritage Foundation think tank The Foundry promotes conservative policies and principles by offering the best in public policy research with the day’s current events. The Foundry is published by The Heritage Foundation On Wednesday evening it published the following headline warning us that disaster capitalism was [...]

• Haiti Cherie

  Posted: January 13, 2010, 11:54 pm by Annie Quarcoopome

  What word can encompass stretch its arms and wrap them around A day when the world returns to the dust it was Before we fashioned orderly chaos and became free The First Negro Republic raises weakened arms to wipe The Ash From its eyes water and ash to mould human tragedy What word can encompass… we have asked before Encompass passion itself [...]

• Haiti Cherie

  Posted: January 13, 2010, 11:54 pm by Annie Quarcoopome

  What word can encompass stretch its arms and wrap them around A day when the world returns to the dust it was Before we fashioned orderly chaos and became free The First Negro Republic raises weakened arms to wipe The Ash From its eyes water and ash to mould human tragedy What word can encompass… we have asked before Encompass passion itself [...]

• Haiti Action – Various

  Posted: January 13, 2010, 10:43 am by Sokari

  Twitter Pictures More photos STREAMING NEWS Twitter/carelpedre PHOTOS       http://mashable.com/2010/01/12/haiti-earthquake-pictures/ An Urgent Appeal from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Haiti hit by the first large earthquake in 240 years Thousands may have been killed and tens of thousands left homeless. This is a moment in which your solidarity is of critical importance. Haiti’s grassroots movement – including labor unions, women’s groups, [...]

• President Museveni distances himself from Anti-Homosexuality Bill

  Posted: January 12, 2010, 12:06 am by Sokari

  Nonetheless it is not clear how much of the Bill he is distancing himself from so the pressure needs to be kept up as clearly it working.

• Prophet seekers

  Posted: January 12, 2010, 7:53 pm by Rethabile

  Today I know we’re going to unbury the dead to just get this over with before it engulfs us. We’ll wake Motuba up, Fischer, rouse Biko and Lumumba, Hani, put their hands on a stack of bibles and make the questioning begin. To hell, then, if we can’t bring the child to the tree on which their bodies were hanged, arcs stopped dead, [...]

• Outrageous Sara Baartman ornaments on sale

  Posted: January 11, 2010, 11:38 am by Sokari

  Nearly 200 years has passed and 16 years after the end of Apartheid South Africa and still the exploitation of Sara Baartman continues. And where is this taking place? In a shop in Johannesburg were china ornaments of Sara Baartman’s body are on sale amongst household wares and “colonial throw-back domestic workers [...]

• Darren Deslandes & Wintworth Deslandes Jr. Family Press Release

  Posted: January 7, 2010, 8:31 pm by Sokari

  The Deslandes family is issuing this press release in order to set the record straight regarding their family and the events surrounding the cowardly shooting which left 34yr old Darren Deslandes dead and his 25yr old brother, Wintworth [Junior] Deslandes,  remains in the Critical Care Unit. This is a well educated, hardworking, upstanding and loving family [...]

• The Crossing

  Posted: January 6, 2010, 10:23 pm by Annie Quarcoopome

  For those fairly new to Black Looks, Annie Quarcoopome was a regular contributor to Black Looks in 2006/7 mostly writing on African literature and publishing her poems and prose. I have missed her writings so I am hoping that this post will be the first of many more to come over the [...]

• Nigerian bloggers on the fallout from Abdulmutallab

  Posted: January 6, 2010, 9:08 pm by Sokari

  I have been on a semi hiatus over the past few weeks which is one of the reasons I haven’t commented on the Nigerian “knicker bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.  The actions of Farouk have dramatic and serious implications for Nigerians in particular and Africans in general traveling to the US.   A number of  Nigerian [...]

• Timbuktu

  Posted: January 5, 2010, 1:05 am by Rethabile

  “At its height, from the 11th to the 15th centuries, [Timbuktu] was a university town with vast libraries. Scientists here were postulating that the earth was round at a time when many European sailors were terrified of sailing off the edge of an earth that they thought was flat.” [continue there...]

• A poet’s call to action

  Posted: January 3, 2010, 11:43 pm by Sokari

  Image by matthewbradley via Flickr We are in serious difficulty all over the planet. We are going to say to the world: There’s too much of profit, too much of greed, too much of suffering by the poor… The people of the planet must be in action.” …Dennis Brutus

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes