August 2020

Contemporary South African poet Koleka Putuma lovingly recounts memories of happiness and childhood innocence in her poem Black Joy, published in the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology (Vol.6) in 2017. The refreshing text makes a point to change the narrative of an African childhood, which is too often associated with pain, struggle and suffering as Putuma focuses on describing a time of peace, playfulness and family. “Isn’t it funny? / that when they ask about black childhood / all they are interested in is our pain / as if the joy-parts were accidental,” she writes. There is a common tendency to erase positivity when discussing the black experience, particularly in Africa. This poem acts as a symbol of all the good that simply never makes the literary cut.

7 Poems That Perfectly Depict The Beauty Of The Black Experience

August 31, 2020 admin2Black Voices, Literature, poetry0 comment

BY SAGAL MOHAMMED From literary giants such as Audre Lorde to emerging Sudanese-American poet Dalia Elhassan, we travel the diaspora to discover poetry that shows the strength, resilience and poise of the black experience. Beauty, resilience, pain and identity are just a few common themes used to articulate the black experience in literature. For centuries, poetry has acted as an artistic release for the black community to express our authentic take on the world. Felicitously put by American writer Audre Lorde, “Poetry is the way we help give name to the…

Jacobs said that the island boasts excellent private schools, reputable banking systems, regulatory certainty, technology-driven government systems, as well as an efficient and linear tax system. “The effective tax rate of 15% for individuals are well below those applicable to South Africa and other countries. A significant difference is that Mauritian residents are only taxed to the extent of the money that they bring into the country. “These financial incentives, combined with the close proximity to South Africa, will likely see more people moving to Mauritius in the future." first published by businesstech.co.za

Business

More South Africans are looking to move to Mauritius

August 31, 2020 admin2Business, Mauritius, South Africans0 comment

Staff Report The Mauritian government has made changes to investment thresholds, the extension of work, residence, retirement permits, and attractive property acquisition options. This has led to renewed interest in the country from South Africans who are looking at Mauritius as a permanent destination, says Marisa Jacobs, director at advisory service, Xpatweb. “Skilled professionals and business owners with families in South Africa are taking note of finance minister Renganaden Padayachy’s changes and adjustments for foreigners. “It is now easier to buy property, work, as well as retire on the…

Hawkins was born in Oakland, California, in 1943. He too is now dead. In 1967, he and Betty Watson co-founded the Northern California State Youth Choir of the Church of God in Christ with 46 singers ages 17 to 25. In a time of eight-track recorders, they used a two track recorder in the church and eventually made 500 copies of their albumn, featuring Dorothy Combs Morrison as female lead. They recorded the album Let Us Go into the House of the Lord, 1968, at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California

Music

200 years later—in 1968, Edwin Hawkins and Oh Happy Day!

August 31, 2020 admin2Dag Walker, Edwin Hawkins, Music, Philip Dorridge0 comment

By Dag Walker Most afternoons back in my old hometown the old guys would sit in cane rocking chairs out front of Virgil’s barbershop down on Main Street, smoking old pipes, dozing off in the summer sun, straw hats covering their wrinkled, bald heads; and when their heads jerked up as they awakened briefly, they would talk slow and soft about the olden days of their youth. They were old, indeed, but none of them recalling the old days ever talked about the year 1755. They missed something…

“The composition of the EMB (Electoral Members Board) should be representative of the society. . . Consideration should be given to appointing independent persons known within the society for their integrity. It is recommended that the chair of the commission should be a person who holds or has held high judicial office (a high court or supreme court judge). That is the practice in several countries. (Taken from the Southern African Development Community’s “Principles for Election Management, Monitoring, and Observation in the SADC Region”, as adopted by SADC in Johannesburg 2003.)

Public Policy

Open Letter to Piso Saydee Tarr: Your Ministry don’t even have a website, what a shame!

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 admin20 comment

Dear Piso, Madame Leymah Gbowee is not the first to question the total lack of action from the Ministry of Gender. Child rights advocate Satta Sheriff did this in April 2020 and Akiah Glay echoed the same concerns in July of this year. Piso Tarr, conveniently you have kept silent. Liberians do not need a defensive tit -for-tat. What we need is an explanation as to why in this horrific environment the Ministry of Gender Budget for Children and Social protection has been reduced from $535,064 to $519,564. We need…

Op-ed

My Heart Bleeds For My Grieving Homeland, Liberia

August 30, 2020 admin2George Weah, Liberia, Violence0 comment

The Editor, From dawn to night, ever so often, I see my homeland endures unbearable trials and bruising tribulations. I see fellow citizens grinding and bustling under clouds of uncertainty and continue to suffer the perennial and perilous fate of misrule. I see the perpetual idiosyncrasies and excesses of political governance besetting and impeding the growth of Liberia and the barrenness of its sprawling poor. Liberia is painfully grieving in the wilderness of brazen misrule and untold uncertainty. More than ever, our nation craves for national leadership with…

Society Arts & Leisure

Travelogue: I’ve been on the road for almost 50 years now. I have a lot to learn yet.

August 30, 2020 admin2Dag Walker, travelogue0 comment

By Dag Walker It’s easy to rush around the world looking at important sites only later to find one has missed the life of locals who make the world human. I travel so I can experience the greatness of places, to see architectural wonders, historic events, artefacts unique and brilliant. Sometimes, though, I just cross the street to talk to locals about their neighborhood. Nothing much comes from casual conversations on the street most of the time; but sometimes– not today but sometimes– I am enlightened in a…

Now she wants people to feel that she is in solidarity with the people protesting against rape because President Weah has failed to act like a leader. Ellen intends to make Weah look bad to the Liberian people so if anything happens in the country, the international community would ask her to be the interim leader. She claims to be a democrat, but she kept Samuel Doe’s Decree 88-A on the books until the end of her second term before she nullified it.

Op-ed

Anti-Rape Protestors stay away from the wicked Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

August 28, 2020 admin2Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Rape, Violence0 comment

The Editor, Anti-Rape Protestors, did much to stay away from the wicked Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Thursday, as they protested. She is very wicked and very corrupt. As I stated elsewhere, the anti-sexual harassment act was weakened by her administration and the lawmakers under her watchful eyes before it was passed. In December 2014, she gave presidential clemency (Christmas gifts) to prisoners who were convicted for raping children. What message was she sending to rapists? She was telling them to redouble the criminal acts against the children of…

Even in their desperation for a bit of good news as they have drowned in a cesspool of bad narratives created by themselves, must they manufacture such a BLACK LIE about Weah's and his disreputable presidency? A president that is doing well by his people doesn't need public relations, his people will invariably be his PROs. They will echo his good news wide and loud. Can you guys stop this Hilarious Nonsense for a moment!

Op-ed

Protesting rape in Liberia

August 28, 2020 admin2Liberia, Sexual Violence0 comment

The Editor For the past few days, a group of people from several Liberian organizations have been protesting on the streets of the capital. The groups represented are mainly groups involved in speaking out for children and youth. They are CYFC – Child and Youth Friendly Cities, MARCH FOR JUSTICE, SAFE SPACE, and others. These people are protesting rape in Liberian and its lack of consequences in the justice system. They want rape declared a NATIONAL EMERGENCY. After a TV media presentation recently, the group began to protest…

AFP---At least four people have been killed in clashes in Ivory Coast as hundreds took to the streets following President Alassane Ouattara's decision to run for a third term this October. Three people were killed in the central town of Daoukro in clashes between Ouattara supporters and backers of rival candidate Henri Konan Bedie, a security source and witnesses said.

Public Policy

`Third Termism` In Africa And Its Socio-Economic Impact on continental politics

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 admin2Africa, Coups, Third Terms0 comment

Good governance often encourages development. To have the economy perform at its optimum level, there is a need for an enabling political environment which is compounded by a happy, healthy society. Democracy and governance often thrive if there is respect for the rule of law from the executive trickling down. Any constitutional republic has its soul in the supreme law of the land – the constitution. Respect and upholding the constitution is critical for the healthy functioning of any democratic nation. It is thus detrimental to development and governance of…

Making sure that the rule of law is upheld and Taylor brought to justice for his heinous crimes, sadly not for Liberia, but Sierra Leone, James Verdier worked pro bono to helped indict the war criminal, currently incarcerated in England. His commitment to the welfare of the Liberian people has always been paramount and this character has been impeccable. Observers say as Liberia looks to buried it past and move away from leaders who are so easily consumed by power, as they quickly forsake the national interest for personal aggrandizement, Jerome Verdier are those kinds that Liberia needs, as is indicative in the TRC report which he released with his fellow commissioners.

Politics

Hypocrisy, factionalism and arrogance must go; Pan African progressives must unite and lead!

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 admin2Leadership, Liberia, Progressive Class0 comment

By Sallia S. Komala There is an alarming extremity of hypocrisy and selfishness of party-struggle in Liberia, which are the special defects of democracies. Chief among the contradictions born out of the former and the latter are the twin evils of Incompetence and factionalism. Arrogance of politicians is a product of the combined defects of incompetence and factionalism. Such arrogance was displayed in recent times by one defective character in Mac JABATEH, who is cementing his relationship with the CDC at the expense of the ignorance of his kinsmen. The…