2008 was the year, the full circle year of transition played out in the fantastic realities of my life & the sports teams of the two nations of my birth &  foundation. After being “off the cuffly” told by one too many fashion clients that I had been working with -some for over a decade plus- that putting Black models in their advertising campaigns would somehow put them in the “Urban” AKA “Black/hip-hop fashion” category & devalue their contemporary, designer & luxury brand categories; I decided to walk away from being complicit in the devaluing of who & what I represented to the fashion industry, to the world &  to those clients who came to me for my global fusion approach in building their brands because it became very clear that they saw worth in the images who looked like me only when it was attached to celebrity.

This was the period when layoffs started & global recessions started being talked about around the world. This was a time when both Ghana & the U.S.A were about to go through major political transitions. In Ghana there was the NPP & the NDC; while in America there were the Republicans & Democrats pulling all stops to victory. In both Ghana & the USA -there was no incumbent president running for re-election in either of two parties- in our so called multi-party Democratic systems. The incumbent outgoing President Kufour, who had turned the Ghanaian economy around with a focus on foreign investments in Ghana, convinced by his western education that building wealth from the top would eventually trickle down to the majority at the bottom-AKA “the embodiment of Capitalistic Democracy “, hoped to pass the torch to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his former Minister of Foreign Affairs & Attorney General. Nana Akufo-Addo, who President Kufour was hoping would continue what he had started, lost the 2008 elections by a close margin because more Ghanaians than not saw him as the child of  a G.W. Bush like presidential legacy- fully wrapped in elitism, a sense of entitlement & serving the needs of the rich with very little vision or concern for the poor. In America, a little known senator from Illinois named Barack Hussein Obama joined the race for the Democratic nomination to take back the White House after the test run with the people proclaimed 1st Black president made the way for the first historically proclaimed first Black President of the United States of America who fought to the end to win the costliest election America had ever seen.

“The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates, political parties and interest groups on the congressional and presidential races…” Read More

Football & accomplishing dreams was all I could think about as I stepped foot back on Ghanaian soil in January 2008 after close to 8 years of absence. This was just a few months before those historical elections: one that showed an African nation could put on a democratic election & hand over power with little to no blood shed  in defying the stereotypes of African despots, fraudulent elections needing foreign overseers & nations constantly at the verge of civil war with every election, & another election across the Atlantic that ushered in a milestone historical moment where the world thought that America had somehow stepped into a post-racial era that had made amends with the shame & pain of the ties that bind us from the shores of Africa thru the middle passage & arrival into America, by electing Barack Hussein Obama -the seed, heir & embodiment of America’s most racially polarizing taboo -a White American woman having a child by an African man.  These two elections ushered in the promise of what was to be a great year of hope, change & many more milestones to be had for many including myself in physical form & metaphorically.

I embarked on a new business venture combining my skills from America- my birth nation, & my love for Ghana- the nation that raised me & set my foundation in life. I went to document what had become of the Black Star Nation of Ghana 50 years after independence during the first Africa Cup of Nations held in Ghana after 8 years. The nation was a buzz with excitement brightly colored in red, gold & green with black stars shining. This was to be the year when Ghana would reign supreme again in taking back the Africa Cup after a stellar showing as the last Africans standing at the world cup  of 2006.  The Black Star team was fully loaded with heavy weight international players like captain Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Laryea Kingston, Richard Kingson, John Mensah, John Pantsil, André Ayew, Asmaoh Gyan & a return of a native son Junior Agogo -who became a fan favorite with superb goals & a beautiful adonis physique to match that of the warrior kings of the Black Star Nation.

The most anticipated game of the cup came on February 3rd as forever rivals Ghana & Nigeria went into battle with Ghana coming out victorious. That same night of jubilant raucous celebration got even crazier as my New York crew & I stepped into “The Office”- now known as “Rockstone’s Office”  after being bought by the grandpapa of hip-life Reggie Rockstone. In the midst of the Ghana victory celebration, we convinced them to put on the super bowl being played that same night as our New York Giants went up against forever rivals New England Patriots ringing in yet another victory for my New York Ghanaian ass to believe that this was truly going to be a year wrapped in victory for me on so many levels in everything I loved. Well those dreams began to fall apart as Ghana went on to take third place with the ultimate victory at the Africa Cup of Nations going to Egypt. I had never witnessed how powerful a football match could be to an African nation until I literally saw the raucous hustle & bustling nation of Ghana go into complete silence & darkness after the dreams of a Black Star victory on native land was shattered. Dreams of what was to come continued to fall apart after Plaxico Burress, the celebrated honrary MVP who clinched the Giants win in catching quarterback & game MVP, Payton Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining became the pariah of New York & Mayor Bloomberg’s personal vendetta in his no tolerance policy for illegal guns in New York after accidently shooting himself in a night club that  November which ended his career with the Giants & earned him a two year bid in jail.

Slowly but surely that year saw more highs with greater lows in victories & dreams of what could be fall apart after the much celebrated elections in Ghana & America proved to be lackluster & borderline abominable in truly moving the two nations forward  in hope & change economically & progressive peaceful relations between citizens of both nations; mirroring my own shattered dreams economically & many personal relationships which slowly also fell apart when I finally began to realize that many may want to ride with you during the highs of the victory, but are quick to find their way out during the lows of things falling apart.

Well 2012 has brought a new light in the awakening of dreams & reality, along with a new spring in my step in hope & recognizing the growth & bloom of those dreams that were planted in 2008 in my personal life, a new election year with most of the same players in Ghana & the USA & of course FOOTBALL- with my Black Stars being favored to take the Africa Cup of Nations after once again making history in being the last African team standing in the 2010 World Cup along with my New York Giants who are once again in a super bowl match up with our forever rivals the New England Patriots. To say that I am nervous in my superstition from the effects & affects of the occurrences in 2008 to the present is to put it mildly, but I am surely as excited today about the possibilities of new beginnings, victories  & dreams realized for myself & my two nations as I was back in 2008 when I took the ultimate leap of faith in determining my own destiny.

As the great Langston Hughes said ,” Hold fast to dreams,for if dreams die,life is a broke winged bird that cannot fly“!

February 1st will be the final group match for the Black Stars against Guinea in domination of their group play to get them closer to the ultimate victory in taking home the cup & Sunday marks Super Bowl 46 as New York, New York shows just why we are Giants & so fly that they had to name us twice! I will be in full beast mode supporting my Black Stars & Giants to victory because in someway their victories for the ultimate prize have become metaphors in mirroring the victories over my own dreams.

“There is a new buzz of life at the centre of the earth. The performance of the Black Stars in the 28^th Orange African Cup of nations has given the average Ghanaian something to be proud of. On Saturday night, the referee’s final whistle, bringing the Black Stars’ match with Mali to an end in Franceville, in oil-rich Gabon, was greeted by a spontaneous bout of joy in Accra and other cities, towns, and villages in Ghana, where the colonial flag was first lowered in Black Africa in the wee hours of March 6, 1957…The Black Stars, the famed national team of Ghana, named specifically to reflect the aspirations of the black race, had accounted for the tough customers in the Eagles of Mali, in one of the most uncompromising second round matches of the on-going African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea…For Ghanaians, who have had nothing to cheer about the economy worsened by price hikes in petroleum products, the 2-0 victory recorded with two of the most clinical finishing in association football, was celebrated wildly into the night...Football, it has long been established, is the passion of the nation. The Black Stars 2-0 victory over the audacious national team of Mali was milked in a manner that suggested that the team and their handlers would attain folklore status, should they succeed in their endeavour to bring the continental trophy home to register Ghana’s fifth win in the African championship.” READ MORE

The story of being caught between two nations with the heart always moving toward the foundation is also a story that is being told not only in my life, but also in the life of  New York Giant, Mathias Kiwanuka. Many may never understand the passion in a dream when the victory is not yours alone, but also for the people of two nations who have poured everything into your birth & foundation to make those dreams come to fruition. As we celebrate the first day of Black History Month, which is usually focused on African-American history, those of us like Mathias Kiwanuka & I can never forget that our Black history represents & pays homage to the ties that bind us from both sides of the Atlantic.

“Mathias Kiwanuka says he does not remember how old he was when he first found out his grandfather had been assassinated. He struggles to remember the point at which he realized the true meaning of his own last name. He is not certain when he became aware of his family’s importance in African history. But that is not important, Kiwanuka said recently, because he knows now. He read about his grandfather Benedicto Kiwanuka’s becoming the first prime minister of Uganda and heard about the plight forced upon a man trying to mold freedom out of a society stiffened by chaos. He learned about the pain and suffering Benedicto saw and felt. And so he knows, too, about Benedicto’s being killed by the despot Idi Amin, a death foretold by some, dreaded by many and seen by experts as a development that set back progress in East Africa for years. This week, as the Giants prepare to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, Mathias Kiwanuka will be the subject of countless articles and interviews. The reason is obvious: This is his return home. Kiwanuka, now a linebacker for the Giants, was born in Indianapolis. He went to Cathedral High School, a little more than 10 miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played Sunday. He won two state championships. Everyone will want to tell his story, whether it is about his old high school days or how he ended up at Boston College. But Kiwanuka also knows that there is something greater than a birthplace, something more meaningful than the city where a boy learns to read and write and block and tackle. Indianapolis may be his hometown, Kiwanuka said, but Uganda will always be his homeland. That is why, one day last week after Kiwanuka had answered a barrage of questions about the old days in Indianapolis, he stopped for a moment by a doorway to the Giants’ training center and considered how much being Ugandan could possibly resonate with a kid who grew up in Indiana. “How much does Uganda mean to me?” he said, his eyes wide. “It means everything.” Read More

For the remaining players of the Black Star team of 2008, this victory also means everything for their nation & their teammates who missed the chance of victory with them in 2008 & have subsequently retired  from the national team voluntarily or due to injury. For many of the veteran players from the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations team, this victory may also be their last chance in realizing the dream that they promised their nation & themselves in leaving a new legacy for the future Black Stars to speak of years down the line as they speak of the greats like Tony Yeboah &  Abedi Pele -whose sons continue the family legacy as rising stars in Ghana’s current Black Star team.  Ghana had a brief dominance of the game in the 1960’s when in 1963 Ghana made its first appearance at the Cup along with being honored as the host nation of the cup with back to back championships.

Here’s to Willing My Giants to Repeat The Glory of 2008’s Victory!

As we prepare for the elections that will once again be a defining moment for my two nations -here’s a look at what was.

No Matter Where We Maybe In The World …Home Is Never Too Far Away

Black Star Rising from globalfusion on Vimeo.

From fashion to sports, to film, to the people of Ghana , it seems the world just can’t get enough of the Black Star Shine. Ghana keeps it hot as the fire burns within the hearts, smiles & ambitions of its people, affectionately known as Black Queens & Black Stars. Every time an entrepreneur or  an every day tourist goes to Ghana these days, they come back with a collaborative business involving the tremendous talents of Ghanaian people. From Sports, to fashion, to film, to hospitality & the heart of the people, as Charlie Sheen says …WINNING!!!.

“In the future as the world of Africa & the West mate more & more into the totality of world culture, the creative strength of the African personality, which is evident in tribal sculpture, will contribute far more profoundly to human fulfillment than can yet be imagined” Dr. Kwame Nkrumah- 1966

Ghana is on a winning streak in the eyes of the world with a tremendous amount of untapped resources in the talents of her people. In one week I came up on articles about an award winning documentary based on Ghana’s globally recognized stellar football talents, an LA based fashion designer who sparked up a business venture with Ghana’s diamonds in the ruff fashion magicians who are on every corner & roundabout waiting to get their talents noticed, new press demand for an inspirational female Ghanaian filmmaker who is getting ready to set the world on fire as she shines the spotlight on her nation’s treasures, & Forbes ranking Ghana as the 11th most friendly nation in the world.  I mean what more can I say- I am proud to be a Black Star everyday all day & am delighted that the rest of the world is getting to know the greatness that I have always known & carried with me in my travels throughout the world for decades. Ask anyone who knows a Ghanaian & they will tell you how much they love us-LOL- Come on am I lying?

As we celebrate the accolades that are being bestowed upon us, we must make sure that this winning streak is reflected in the opportunities created for everyday Ghanaians at home  because without her people Ghana is nothing. There has been much debate & even presidential platforms that have been based on reviving the arts & culture of Ghana into a viable economically fruitful business by & for the people, yet as the private sector continues to grow, invest & export  Ghanaian talents in arts & culture in Ghana & throughout the world , there has been very little to no investment by the government to see just how profitable it can be with the right structure, infrastructure, leadership & investment. Legends like Geydu Blay Ambolley & the late great Mac Tontoh of Osibisa, who brought Ghana’s musical talent global recognition & accolades have been at the forefront to convince government to look beyond oil, diamonds etc. & to invest in the talents of its people. Ghana’s government must  invest in the Arts & Travel & Tourism sector by putting Ghanaians to work in the much needed infrastructural improvements that will build up Ghana to its full Black Star Shinning & Rising Greatness!

In their Summer 2011 collection, Los Angeles-based handbag and accessory line Della is releasing a series of clutches in limited-edition fabrics that serve a two-fold purpose: amping your summer wardrobe and creating economic opportunity for those in need. On a temporary visit to Ghana, designer Tina Tangalakis formed an unexpected bond with local seamstress Beatrice Agabe to create Della, a line of vegan bags that not only support the Ghanian economy but also offer education and jobs for local women….READ MORE

If good enough, how do young Africans come to the attention of Real Madrid or Manchester United? “Football Fables”, winner of Golden Knight Awards for best feature screenplay and best foreign feature, lifts the lid on the inner workings of Ghanaian football migration. The documentary unfolds through the eyes of Francis, a talented teenager on the brink of a dream transfer. His talent is undoubted, his desire immeasurable, but will that be enough to secure his future? Francis’ journey sheds light on the middle men who earn a living making sure their cream rises to the top. A system which (although far from perfect and in spite of itself) produces some of the best players in the world. From 28 March 2011 the “Football Fables” DVD is exclusively available from www.footballfables.co.uk. To coincide with the release, on Sunday 27 March a screening of the film will be held at Brixton’s Ritzy cinema in South London followed by a Q&A session with director Baff Akoto hosted by Little White Lies…READ MORE

Azumah Nelson put African boxing on the map KO after KO & became an international superstar with an entire continent behind him, as he became the only African to be inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. In yet another black star move to be the first in setting their own standards & paving their own path Sam Kessie has been chosen to be part of National Geographic’s “2011 Women Hold Up The Sky Series” featuring films by trailblazing female filmmakers, making her the first Ghanaian filmmaker along with the first sports film to be featured at National Geographic. Zum Zum: The Career of Azumah Nelson, the educational title to the documentary will be screened on April 2, 2011 at the National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, DC, to educate the world about the life of Azumah Nelson beyond boxing…READ MORE

Ghana has been adjudged the eleventh friendliest country in the world, making it one of the most preferred tourism destinations around the globe. Ghana was the only African country that was ranked high in a survey undertaken by Forbes, a reputable international magazine. The survey which was done in consultation with a cross-section of world travelers in 2010, found that Ghana is one of the “most welcome nations.” READ  MORE

“No One knows when the hour of Africa’s redemption cometh. It is in the wind, it is coming. One day a storm will be here. When that day comes, all Africa will stand together.” Marcus Garvey

Cheers to the Black Star Nation for keeping the fire burning worldwide as the originators of true Black Star Power! We call her an African Women because she gave birth to so much greatness…Akwaaba 2 all native sons & daughters…Chale Mek U No Try…..

By now most Americans are preparing for the national pastime football championship of the Super Bowl that is equivalent to the world’s national past time football championship of the World Cup. This past summer the world got to know Ghana’s Black Stars , who dazzled the world by making history & being the lone African team carrying an entire continent on its back to the quarter finals; while getting to know the Nigerian Super Eagle team who shamefully went out with scandal as their president threatened to suspend the national team for two years. This sunday one lone Black Star  & native son of Ghana, much like Kwame Nkrumah Acheampong , the first representative of Ghana in this past year’s Winter Olympics, will once again be the pride & joy of not only a nation but an entire continent  along with one lone Super Eagle & native son of Nigeria if Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers bring home the win against the black & yellow Pittsburg Steelers.

Young global African athletes are showing the young people of the African continent that the future of African sports goes way beyond just world football. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately for B.J. Raji &  Charlie Peprah, many Ghanaians, Nigerians  & Africans in general not only do not really invest in following American football, but have no idea where Wisconsin is or how a Nigerian & Ghanaian, let alone the grandson of Ghana’s former President Acheampong & son of Nigerian Pentecostal ministers ended up in a cold Midwest city  known more for its beer & cheese than fufu & jollof rice, instead of playing “proper football” as a Black Star & Super Eagle.

“Charlie Peprah has never lived in Ghana and has barely visited there, but the West African country still considers him one of their own. In fact, Peprah, who is Ghanaian by birth, has become something of a hero to the 23 million people there…”If I go back, they wouldn’t be able to pick me out,” the Green Bay Packers starting strong safety said. “But my dad said it’s getting crazy over there. They’re following the Super Bowl. You know how the Super Bowl goes. It’s watched worldwide. I think I’m the first Ghanaian to be in the Super Bowl, and they’re trying to make a big deal out of it…”The name is definitely out there a little bit.…” READ MORE

Charlie Peprah is not actually the first Ghanaian to go to the Super Bowl big dance. Last Super Bowl , Ghanaians were also rooting for one of our own, Joseph Addai Jr. of  the Indianapolis Colts, who ended up getting beaten by the “Who Dats” New Orleans Saints. This year’s super bowl will explode with West African power as fufugang of  a Ghana black star & Nigerian super eagle play for the same team to take both their nations & continent to victory. Nigeria’s native son, Busari Raji, Jr. AKA “The Freezer” will rock his native “Super Eagle” green as a defensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers as the west side connection join forces in bringing the African continent together for the football game played  American style on American soil-who who would have ever thunk it?

“Green Bay Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji has taken the league by storm, and he heads into Super Bowl XLV as one of the stars of a very strong Packers defense that will be looking to slow down Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall and the Pittsburgh Steelers.What’s most remarkable is that Raji is in the midst of his very first full year of playing inside on the defensive line, after lining up at defensive end during his uneventful and injury-plagued rookie season…” READ MORE

Big B.J. Raji is quickly becoming a superstar, being compared to legendary William “The Refrigerator” Perry of Mike Ditka’s ever popular 1985 Super Bowl winning Chicago Bears, the same 2011 team he knocked out to take Green Bay to this year’s super bowl. B.J. Raji is amongst first generation Nigerian-Americans such as Cyril Obiozo & native born Nigerians like Samkon Kaltho Gado who have worn their native super eagle green as players for Green Bay. This Sunday all eyes will be on Green Bay’s super star defensive tackle to freeze anyone with a black & yellow jersey out of the end zone & to hopefully have the opportunity to teach the world how to Raji!

Charlie Peprah , after an up & down football career with injuries & being let go by the NY Giants five years ago, has made it to the biggest dance of his career with legacy & an entire continent behind him.  It seems the black star nation of Ghana through its global black stars continues to make its mark on the world in all imagined & unimagined fields as its native sons & daughters rise to greatness. The global sons & daughters of Ghana carry the black star spirit of limitless vision in achievements as they hold deep in their hearts the legacy of the first sub-saharan African independent nation with a leader that was not only seen as Ghana’s but Africa’s leader, with a vision far beyond his time as he coined our national mantra “Forward Ever, Backward Never“! Ghana’s black stars in every position & on every field are moving forward  with pride & honor while raising their nation & continent along with them. We salute & honor the greatness & black star spirit of  Charlie Peprah as well as the greatness & super eagle spirit of B.J. Raji as we wish them victory in the Super Bowl! If Charlie Peprah ends up making a touchdown, we can only hope he has a superb black star dance to rival Asamaoh Gyan since we all know B.J Raji is already famous for his dance! VIVA AFRICA! GO GREEN!

“The mother of Charlie Peprah, the Green Baystrong safety, sat on her couch, VCR remote in hand, and fast-forwarded through the history of her native Ghana until the grainy image of her father, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, filled the screen.Acheampong was a general who became the Ghanaian head of state in a bloodless coup in 1972. He was overthrown six years later, placed under house arrest, and executed by a firing squad in June 1979. There can be no taping over history, but Peprah’s vivacious mother, Elizabeth, senses it being rewound whenever her middle son walks through the door of the home he bought for her in this Dallas suburb. “He’s like my dad reincarnated,” she said...“You can’t take anything for granted in this league,” he said, “and you have to take advantage of each opportunity.” He added, “After what my mom, my family’s been through, I feel like I can handle anything..” READ MORE

The Grandfather: General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

Check out a list of Africans playing in the NFL

“Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation and this means we must develop a world perspective” Martin Luther King Jr.

This world perspective culminated into the realization & recognition of the world’s 1st Democratically elected Black President..Dr. Kwame Nkrumah- America & Ghana have been making global history together for a long time!

Fans of Asamoah Gyan AKA Baby Jet need not fret because he will not be finishing out the year without recognition for his accomplishments in playing the beautiful game because the BBC thought differently from CAF & awarded Gyan as BBC’s African Footballer of the Year 2010. Both Gyan & Eto’o deserve their accolades as ambassadors for Africa in their exemplary play on the field along with holding Africa & their individual nations high even through the many trails & tribulations that  African players must go up against in a Eurocentric world of football that often sees them as a commodity with little respect for them as men/human beings! African footballers, particularly these two men, have shown great strength, mental prowess, grace, poise & patience in becoming the winners that they are seen as off & on the field! Samuel Eto’o & Asamoah Gyan -Global Africa salutes you!

“Samuel Eto’o has been crowned African Player of the Year for 2010 at a glittering awards ceremony in Cairo. The Cameroon striker, who enjoyed little success with his country but won the treble with his club Inter Milan last season, becomes the first player to win the award four times…However, his exploits with the Indomitable Lions were limited as they were bundled out early in both the African Nations Cup and World Cup in South Africa. In some quarters that made him second favourite to Gyan, whose goal-scoring exploits took Ghana to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they were eventually beaten on penalties by Uruguay. Former Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac was named coach of the year, the Serbian seeing off strong competition from TP Mazembe boss Lamine N’Diaye and Egypt’s Hassan Shehata…” READ MORE

“The Inter Milan striker said : “It is a pleasure to be a winner again, to take it for the fourth time against such top opposition. It is true now that Africa has so many good players and there is lots of talent coming up, so this might be a last chance for me.” READ MORE

“Sunderland striker, Asamoah Gyan, has been voted by football fans across the world as BBC African Footballer of the Year 2010. The results were announced live on BBC World Service’s flagship sports programme for Africa, Fast Track. The search for BBC African Footballer of the Year 2010 began in November when fans were given a chance to choose their African football hero from a shortlist selected by experts from across the continent…On discovering he had won the award, Gyan was overwhelmed. He said: ‘I’m so happy, l can’t believe it. I’m so thankful to all the fans who voted for me. It really was hard to win this award especially because of all the other players I was up against ‘So I’m so appreciative to all my fans in Africa, especially my family and fans in Ghana.” READ MORE

“The global sports industry is increasingly reflecting the trends in the world economy, with an growing shift towards emerging markets. The football world cups of 2010 and 2014 are being held in South Africa and Brazil respectively, and the 2016 Olympics is being staged in Rio. The success of South Africa has given hope to other countries in the continent looking to host international sports events as a way of boosting their economies and progressing with major infrastructure projects.’What is important to us, as a people, is the opportunity to use the power of sport to deliver lasting economic, social and health benefits to our our citizenry,’ he says, speaking to the BBC at a Global Sports Industry forum. ‘We are looking to secure competition events and increase tourist inflows and business revenues to our cities and the country. It means sport can influence the national development agenda, with major events bringing long-term benefits and legacies, including city and country branding…” READ MORE

African athleticism has always been associated with the world game of football, boxing & running, but the new Africa that is emerging has vowed to build its sports ministries beyond the traditional by expanding into other lucrative areas set to garner African nations international exposure & the ability to be in the running for major coveted sports contracts like the Olympics, which will have its first ever South American showing in Brazil , the nation with the largest number of African descendants outside of the continent of Africa. This year the world got to know Africa for its stellar footballers & our borderline insanity driven love of football, but with movies like Invictus, the world also got to know that Africans play sports like rugby, which has often been associated with White elites & Ghana had its first ever Winter Olympic hopeful as the nation debuted its one man ski team in Vancouver, BC.  There has even been talk of having formula one races held in Kenya or South Africa within the near future after testing the ground in 1993 with a grand prix. Even surfing has taken over the continent with top surfing competitions being held in nations like South Africa while developing growing communities in nations like Ghana, Senegal & Morocco. While America searches for its Black surfing roots , Africans are building their surfing future to produce the next world class surfer to contend with Kelly Slater in the history books.

Star athletes & humanitarians Like Dikembe Mutomba & Manute Bol have put Africa & their individual nations on the map as great players & representatives in the NBA, but there are also African women with ball handling skills who have also set the bar high by holding up their nation’s flag. Mfon Udoka, the sister of Sacramento Kings small forward Ime Udoka, set the stage for young African women to also get their piece of the pie in the international sports arena when she signed with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock in 1998. With Malawi’s women’s basketball team being #1 in Africa & 5th in world ranking, perhaps Malawi will be known to the world as producing the next WNBA star instead of the place where Madonna likes to adopt her babies.  Aya Nakitanda of Uganda may not have had as much success with winning international medals as her Zimbabwean counterpart, Kirsty Coventry but she is also another female trailblazer for African women in so called non-traditional sports. While it is a running joke globally that African descendants are not good swimmers, Aya Nakitanda’s appearance & 50 metres freestyle win in her heat at the Bejing Olympics may have not qualified her for the semi-finals, but it put a Black African female face on a global sport dominated by Whites.

“Amadou Gallo Fall walked into his new office, looked out over Mandela Square and pointed to the looming statue of Nelson Mandela. What a great source of inspiration. This was Fall’s first day on the job. With little fanfare, he officially opened the N.B.A.’s first office in Africa as the vice president for development of the league in Africa…” READ MORE

With the continent of Africa’s infrastructural problems in lack of paved roads, you would think there is no place to build a new future of pro-skate boarders in Africa, but nations like South Africa, Senegal & Uganda have defied those odds in not only giving young kids something to do to keep them out of trouble, but also building something that will set the foundation for future professional careers.

“You don’t hear too much about skateboarding in the poor or rural areas of Africa, but just like everywhere else on the planet, skaters are there! Ugandan Jackson Mubiru and South African Shael Swart are shredders who with a little help of their friends, founded the Uganda Skateboarder’s Union and set out to build Uganda’s first skate park in Kitintale, a working class suburb of Kampala with extremely limited resources. How limited? Not only have they built the park by hand, but when they created the first mini-ramp of the skate park, they had only 2 skateboards (both donated) to share among all the future shredders. They were skating with bare feet and using banana leaves tied around their knees and elbows for pads. Two years later, a generous donation from Tony Hawk’s Foundation has given the kids much needed gear, boards and equipment…”READ MORE

“Fresh from his stint as a TV commentator for the X Games, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk flew to South Africa, then ventured to the outskirts of Durban and discovered a skate park in what seems the most unlikeliest of places for such a facility: a Zulu village..’I can’t believe what I am seeing here in this community,”  he said. “It is one of the most amazing skateboard sites I have ever been to. The experience of seeing these young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is something that will stay with me forever...” READ MORE.

Just imagine Africa’s future if African & Diasporan athletes took the time to mentor & invest in Africa’s future through its youth. It is not only important for African youth to have charities & great people like Tony Hawk take interest in our youth, but it is of extreme importance to have true investment , partnership, interest & mentorship from Global Africans who look like them & come from the same humble beginnings as these future athletes. Pan-Africansim can go a long way in the development of the psyche of African & Diasporan youth in empowering them to develop a pay it forward mentality which brings up the next generation after them in an each one teach one method of nation & global building, where Africa is recognized as the beginning & the future! Young Africans need to see Terry Kennedy walking their streets perhaps even more than they need to see Tony Hawk. What if instead of leaving it up to the NBA ,NFL, NBL- Black athletes got together as their own association in developing their individual sports in Africa through investment & mentorship? What if Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Lebron James &  Kobe Bryant invested in basketball courts named after them or if Reggie Bush thought to invest in building a football stadium, team or foundation in Africa with other Black NFL players instead of foolishly lending his name in building a diamond business for Russell Simmons & DeBeers ,which empowers less young Africans than his mentorship toward a possible future in the NFL could benefit them?

“The rest of the trip went smoothly and the only other jolts were the emotional kind. College scholarships were established at 10 Nigerian universities. HIV testing kits were distributed to clinics. Water wells were dug in a village that had none. A popular youth soccer team was outfitted. Connections were made. Ideas were formed. The axiom is that charity starts at home, and that is what drew the players — Umenyiora, Houston Texans defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, and Chicago Bears defensive linemen Adewale Ogunleye and Israel Idonije — to Nigeria in March. “We’re from there — that’s what it boils down to,” Umenyiora said in a telephone interview. “You can come to America and lose sight of where you’re from...” READ MORE

African professional athletes as a whole have not capitalized on the countless endorsements deals & branding garnered & heralded by their western counterparts, but with a new world interest in Africa, now is the time for companies like Lebron James’s marketing & branding company LRMR to get a foothold into Africa to help build & brand future powerhouse athletes like himself, who will know their worth from jump & command top dollar! With countless brands expanding into Africa for growth, now is the time for African professional athletes & entertainers to get in on endorsement deals targeting their specific nations, African sensibilities, personality & interests. Why shouldn’t Africans see their own reflections on advertising billboards & commercials geared toward them? Why should David Beckham be any more marketable in the areas of fashion, soft drinks, telecom, athletic wear etc. than the countless African footballers who have the same superior physique & perhaps greater athletic skill than he does- I mean come on- did you see Ghana’s Black Star team at the World cup? I know I would personally love to see Kevin Prince-Boateng, Stephen Appiah , André  Ayew or Mr. I am Italian not Ghanaian, Super Mario Balotelli in advertising geared toward Africa & African people globally. Not only did the world cup make them household names in development with a global fan base, but their skills, physiques & overall personality should be an advertisers dream if they only had the right marketing & branding team to sell them to the world.

“In early 2009, Kofi Amoo- Gottfried, a nephew of former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, was asked by a global advertising agency to set up its new operation in his homeland of Ghana. ”Fifteen months after Kofi started to set up shop, we already have higher revenue in Ghana than in South Africa,” said Richard Pinder, chief operating officer of Publicis Worldwide, a unit of Publicis Groupe SA, which wants to increase its business on the continent. The reason: Advertising growth in Africa is soaring, driven by telecom companies, financial services firms and makers of consumer products. Ad executives believe Africa is the next big market opportunity, after China, Latin America and India. Agencies including WPP PLC, Publicis and Omnicom Group Inc. hope growth in emerging markets will offset other regions, such as Western Europe, where expenditure growth is slowing. ”All of our major clients, as they are looking for geographical expansion opportunities, have Africa and the Middle East high up on their priority list, if not at the top,” said Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, the world’s largest advertising company by revenue. For Mr. Sorrell, being present in Africa is as important as being in China or India. WPP currently generates $500 million in revenue a year on the continent and expects revenue to grow around 10% this year. The group has increased its revenue from just under $150 million four years ago, helped by acquisitions, such as the purchase of a 33% stake in South Africa’s Smollan Group and 27.5% in Kenya-based Scangroup Ltd., among others….”READ MORE

It is only Tuesday & already it has been a horrible week in global race relations. As the saying goes “give people enough time & they will eventually show you who they really are or better yet “people show their true colors when they think no one is looking”. Which ever saying you prefer, it applies to the disrespect  & utter disdain that the decendants of former colonizers & enslavers continue to hold for Africans & their descendants globally.

There seems to be an all out assault on global Africans from our former colonizers & enslavers. From The Americas to Europe, politicians & everyday people are looking to take the world backward to the time of Jim Crow & WWII intolerance, racism & distorted sense of nationalism that seems to go hand in hand with every global economic crises. Today alone 3 stories came to my attention thru Facebook postings that many media outlets in the nations that they occurred in didn’t even bother to cover. There was the story on the World Bank having to apologize to Ghana after showing distasteful images of naked children taking baths in the streets, naked women & breast feeding mothers etc. to depict Ghana’s image at a World Bank delegation meeting in Washington DC ; there was the  story of Samuel Eto’o being taunted with racial epithets at a football match between Inter-Milan &  Cagliari &  there was the story about Perfumer-Jean Paul Guerlain basically referring to global Africans as slaves on French TV.

Samuel Eto’o is no stranger to racism in his chosen career of football. The nonsense of constant racial terrorism that has been going on in “the beautiful game” will continue because people continue to make excuses for it instead of taking it head on. We all say or are surrounded by people who say bigoted, racist & prejudiced things whether it is co-workers, family, friends, lovers, enemies or acquaintances, when we make the choice to remain silent, act like it doesn’t exist, or that we didn’t hear it, or give someone a pass on it because they supposedly “didn’t mean it like that”, we are condoning the behavior & this is why it continues & will continue until we all take account first for our own actions then hopefully help another in need of a reality check after we have become accountable for & to ourselves. The worst part of the recent racist football incident in Cagliari  is that the coaches & some players continue to pretend that this incident is some sort of fluke instead of an epidemic that has been happening for far too long & far too harshly  leading FIFA to change its rules to threaten to stop games if racist chants are hurled at players. Some people never learn & that’s why these things continue. The idiotic coach had the nerve to congratulate the fans for stopping their racial taunts so the game could continue instead of feeling disappointment that they went there with racist chants at all ? They should have been thrown out of the stadium not congratulated.

“Referee Paolo Tagliavento stopped the game after just three minutes and called the two team captains to the centre circle over the chants. He also asked the stadium announcer to remind fans that the game could be abandoned if the chants aren’t stopped. The pause lasted just three minutes before the game got underway again. Eto’o had the last laugh, though, as he scored the only goal of the game to send Inter joint top of Serie A…”READ MORE
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“Perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain has caused controversy in France for using a racial epithet on television while discussing the making of his fragrance Samsara, CNN reports. Guerlain said (translated from French to English by CNN):

“One day I told her — and I still called her Madame — ‘What would seduce you if one was to make a perfume for you?’ and she told me, ‘I love jasmine, rose and sandalwood.’ And for once I started working like a [racial epithet]. I don’t know if [racial epithet] ever worked that hard.”

In French: “Pour une fois, je me suis mis à travailler comme un nègre. Je ne sais pas si les nègres ont toujours tellement travaillé, enfin…” READ MORE

I was less appalled by the oblivious ingrained racism of an old man who was never taught any differently than by the laughter of the reporter who knew it was wrong, but remained silent in challenging his words because it was somehow amusing to her because she probably has said the same at one point just not on TV. Many of us have said we work like slaves to mean we work hard to the bone & get little to no pay for it , so racism often times is more about intent than the words used & this is where it becomes a gray area instead of a black & white issue.

A friend of mine who is an Black American posted “I work like a slave to become a Master…” as his facebook status with many people giving him the thumps up “like” for his great ambition, so then why should we see the similar comments made by Guerlain as any different?  Is this another case where global Africans within the text of their different languages feel some sort of ownership of words that they can use freely amongst themselves like the word “Nigger” but when said by a White people it all of a sudden has a change of meaning in context? I personally do not care for the word “Nigger” used in any other context than its historical definition by anyone  Black, White or other because I have no confusion or delusions about the word in any context.

Jean Paul Guerlain to me knew exactly what he meant so his apology is just as worthless as his words & his intentions. This is most likely the way he always speaks about Black people & he just didn’t think it was being racist or that it was a big deal because a large majority of the Black peopel who have ever stepped foot in his country or whose country his country has stepped foot on did/do work like slaves in colonization & in freedom. This is nothing new & nothing surprising , particularly in France- the same nation who was ready for a modern day ethnic cleansing after their shameful showing at the world cup , which many blamed on having too many “non-traditional AKA non-white” french players on the team. This is the same nation who has been shipping Romas out in droves as the EU stands by silently. This is the same nation that has threatened to strip citizenship from all foreign born citizens who have criminal records. The part President Sarkozy seems to skip over is that these people are citizens whether they were born elsewhere or not. The whole idea of citizenship is accepting someone as one of your own & having them pledge allegiance to your nation’s flag. Why is it acceptable to the world when Sarkozy does this, but not acceptable when Mugabe does the same in stripping his nation of foreign born citizens who he deems are criminals in taking land that is not theirs?

“French lawmakers passed a controversial new bill that will strip criminals born in other countries of their French nationality if convicted of carrying out a violent crime against police officers..According to RPI, members of France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, voted 294 to 239 to pass the measure. Proposed by Immigration Minister Eric Besson — who reportedly wants his ministry to be “a machine to produce good French citizens” — the measure will also allow European Union nationals to be expelled from France for repeated acts of theft, aggressive begging and illegally occupying land..” READ MORE

“We, the principled people of Zimbabwe, we, the true owners of this land, shall not budge, the land is ours”. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has given a stern warning to white farmers that his government will stick to its policy of removing them from their land.”We set ourselves an August deadline for the redistribution of land and that deadline stands,” he said in a keynote speech, the first since an eviction order for thousands of white farmers came into effect late last week..Mr Mugabe’s speech was to mark Heroes’ Day – which celebrates victory over the old white regime. He also took the opportunity in his address to attack former colonial power Britain and Prime Minister Tony Blair, whom he said was a “gangster” who had “gone insane”. “All genuine and well-meaning white farmers who wish to pursue a farming career as loyal citizens of this country have land to do so,” he said, adding that “no farmer need go without land“...READ MORE

The World Bank fiasco took the cake for me today not only as a proud Ghanaian but because it stands for so much in the bigger scheme of why all these nations have no shame in disrespecting Africans & Africa as a whole. I do not believe Ishac Diwan from the World Bank’s apology for one second. If the images from the World Bank’s website are  20-30 years old how idiotic does he & the world bank look that it took a Ghanaian journalist 20-30 years later to bring it to their attention before they realized it was there? You can’t have it both ways because why was it there in the first place 20-30 years ago? What purpose & propaganda was to be served by showing World Bank members such images as representative of the totality of Ghana? What type of ignorant fools are running the world bank & why do we hold them in such esteem? Do they have these same images of poor areas in the European & American nations which they give money to or invest in hanging around for years to showcase their members as representation of these nations? We continue to let the world bank & the IMF act as modern day colonizers -why do we need charity & loans from them when they rather owe us money for all they took & bartered from Africa & all the free labour for centuries that they never paid for but benefitted the same nations that we now beg for money? Ghana should demand a complete wipe out of any world bank debt & real partnerships if the world bank wants to have a foot in Ghana. We fail to realize that they need us more than we need them. If our governments would truly govern as leaders instead of greedy self serving puppets to their puppet masters at the World Bank, IMF & countless NGO’s then maybe  this can truly be the decade of the African as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah proclaimed five decades ago when these same types of sentiments were hovering throughout the world as our former colonizers & enslavers were getting too big for their britches in their blatant disrespect  for global Africans, our nations & our commendable contribution to the world.

“The World Bank has apologized for displaying damning images of Ghana at its recent annual meeting in Washington DC. Some of the pictures have half-naked women breastfeeding their kids and portray a country high on poverty levels. A journalist with the Daily Guide newspaper intercepted the images while covering the conference. He told Joy News the World Bank portrayed Ghana as a country full of hungry and miserable people. But the World Bank said the images are old and weren’t meant to tarnish the image of the country. The Country Director of the World Bank, Ishac Diwan, explained that the Bank’s photo library was linked to a website that was available to delegates attending the conference and the reporter saw the photos because of that linkage.He commended the Daily Guide reporter for his observation and “for alerting us that such photos were on our website…” READ MORE

I am not one of those people who believes that racism & all of our other ills & “isms” will ever be wiped out in my lifetime or ever, but I am one that believes it can be silenced & put in its place when we take ownership & act like this is truly the decade of the African by reevaluating, reorganizing, rededicating & reenergizing the teachings of Pan-Africanism that was built during a time in history just like this when Africa & her descendants throughout the world recognized that we had a mutual struggle in attaining economic power, true freedom & global respect.

As I read Steven G. Fullwood’s words about the re-organziation of the Schomburg & how what was meant to be a gathering of the community & their ideas for rebuilding went a-rye, I realized that the place is now the time is here to go back to the Pan-Africanism blueprint in order to rebuild a lasting & strong legacy from Africa to her Diaspora. There are too many Black millionaires & billionaires in the world today for us to beg & plead for anyone other than ourselves to come to our rescue in saving our cultural institutions , our history & ourselves.

If Jay Z wants to be tutored on how to become an official member of the Forbes list of billionaires, he needs not go to Warren Buffet but rather go to self made African billionares like Patrice Motsepe of South Africa  or Aliko Dangote from Nigeria or the many others who have sprung up in the past few years in Africa while there is only 1official Black Billionaire in America, Oprah Winfrey. If the Pan-Africanist mindset had truly been adopted as a way of life for global Africans Jay Z would know that his billionaire dream could be recognized quicker by investing in Africa. If the Pan-Africanist mindset had truly been adopted as a way of life for global Africans, hip-hop artists like Kanye West would be looking to build & follow their African brothers & sisters on twitter instead of looking for White validation in chasing Rocafeller & Louise Vuitton dreams. If the Pan-Africanist mindset had truly been adopted as a way of life for global Africans Black actors, actresses, directors, writers, producers etc. would be working on many more Sankofas instead of waiting for Hollywood to give them a chance & validation when there’s a thriving billion dollar industry in Africa waiting to welcome you & build with you.

As European & American businesses gather in a new scramble for Africa, The Pan-Africanist mindset , ethos & practice is needed more than ever in order to not have history continue to repeat itself. I was recently walking down the infamous 125th street in Harlem & within 4 blocks , I must have heard the word “Nigger” about 25 times from Black people. When I got to my African-American friend’s house & told her how saddened & irate I was about my experience on 125th street which felt more like I was at a KKK rally rather than W.E.B Dubois’s Harlem, she looked at me in shock  because she was surprised that I was in anyway effected by that since it has become an everyday thing in our community. As I watch Harlem’s gentrification, it makes me more irate that we refuse to capture the renaissance of old & rebuild it anew by changing our own attitudes & acting like the intellectuals & descendants of kings & queens that the old renaissance in Harlem taught us to be. As others are lured to what they see as the new emergence of Harlem’s romanticism & renaissance, they are seeing themselves as the new pioneers who have conquered new territory like Columbus.

“I made it quite clear that from now on – today – we must change our attitudes, our minds, we must realise that from now on, we are no more a colonial but a free and independent people. That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs. We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, that we are prepared to lay our own foundation.Our own African identity. We are going to create our own African personality and identity. It’s the only way that we can show the world that we are ready for own own battles. We have awakened. Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa. We will not sleep anymore. Today, from now on, there is a new African in the world!” Dr. Kwame Nkrumah-Founding Father of Pan-Africanism

Global Africans & their supporters in France say no more to racism (pas plus de racisme) after there was little to no media coverage outside of FB for the racist remarks made by 4th generation Guerlain perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain. Groups and individuals met in front of the store on the Champs Elysees calling for a boycott against Guerlain & asking for  The House of Guerlain that was founded in 1828 & bought by LVMH in 1994 to disassociate themselves from JPG & his racist remarks, while yet another promising young Black man gets murdered by police in New York State as Global Africans in America just shaking their heads & saying “Again?” waiting to see if justice will b served..have we lost the spirit of protest, fighting for our rights/respect & standing up 4 what we believe in in America?

At the end of the protest video you see a sign that says Guerlain, Le Negre T’ermmerde which roughly translates to  the fact that Guerlain basically said Crew you or fuck you to the Negro or that the Negro is saying screw you or Fuck you to Guerlain. My French Global Fusionist please make your voices heard in the proper explanation.

manifestation devant Guerlain
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As Wyclef Jean continues his protest through music for being denied his much to do about nothing unconstitutional run for Haiti’s presidency, which seems as if it has taken over his ego & self importance along with taking up the spotlight & global interest in Haiti; Haiti’s Boys -Haiti’s under-15 youth football team- have risen to the occasion in true leadership as examples of the type of Haitian spirit that is unselfish, unwavering & never defeated regardless of the obstacles placed in its path when it comes to truly unifying for Haiti. Where was the leadership of Wyclef as Haiti’s global ambassador who cares so much for Haiti’s youth in bringing attention to this great Haitian acheivement by Haiti’s youth instead of focusing his twitter & media platform on the demise of his presidential aspiration when the focus should be on how Haiti is moving forward & firm solutions for forward movement?  Haitians, 8 months after the most devastating earthquake in Haiti’s history have not seen much change nor many displaced Haitians returning to their homes, much like New Orleans, 5 years after hurricane Katrina with millions to billions of dollars given in charitable aid.

Wyclef has kept the spotlight of Haiti on him by contesting the validity of Haiti’s constitution in not changing the laws to suit his eligibility to run for president as he decides to sing in protest to the people of Haiti in the Creole language that he can not speak directly to them in conversation, arrogantly singing that the youth of Haiti are the ones who have lost by him being denied the right to run for president. If Beyonce can make a Spanish album then don’t be so surprised that eyebrows are raised & lips are “stripsing” for that musical effort in protest of something that you seem to feel entitled to strictly based on your celebrity.  Mr. Jean, just in case you are unaware, the youth of Haiti have won & have shown that they will continue to win with or without your presidency, so let’s move on & do the work that you promised to do with or without a seat at the presidential palace.

“How are you gonna be an effective leader, how are you gonna be inspiring the youth, if you’re telling them to forget French, forget Creole, speak English? That’s in their blood, that’s 200 years of culture. It’d be like Obama coming in and telling people to speak Cantonese.” READ MORE

Haiti’s under -15  team was put together only 6 weeks before they went in to fight for their spot at FIFA’S Summer Youth Olympic Games. Haiti’s boys secured their spot in the finals hosted by Singapore, surprising the world with little media coverage of the hope & can do attitude that Haitian youth are creating for themselves instead of waiting for some sort of rock starlike anomaly to come to bring them “Change they can Believe in” after many governments locally & globally have failed them for most of their lives. We salute & honor the youthfully large & empowering spirit of the Haitian Boys as they raise up their Silver medal- showing their fellow Haitians that nothing is impossible if you put in the work, fight the good fight & Believe!

“Haiti’s footballers, who travelled here to the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics cloaked in tragedy and sadness, are riding a massive wave of sympathy to stand on the brink of winning the most unlikeliest gold medal of these Games. The country’s boy’s footballers brought some much needed joy to their earthquake-stricken nation as they remarkably defied the odds to book their spot in the boy’s final with a 2-0 win over Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium last night. The Caribbean country made global headlines at the start of the year after a devastating earthquake ripped it apart and left their sports system, along with everything else, in tatters. With such utter devastation hitting their homeland, Haiti were applauded for simply turning up at these Games. Little was expected of them, especially after they lost their opening match 9-0 to Bolivia…..” READ MORE

“Instead of people crying in Haiti, which is all that has been happening for the last eight months, I hope what our boy’s have done out here has finally bought some smiles to people’s faces. It has been so hard for us and my team fought so well and I am very proud of them for that. We have achieved so much here but we wanted to go one better and bring the gold back to our country. We gave everything we could for ourselves and for the people of Haiti but Bolivia were simply better tonight. They have been together 15 months while we have been together for six weeks but that is no excuse and they deserved it. We have a silver medal and for that, we very are grateful and grateful to FIFA for letting my players come here and away from the struggle they face at home.”

“Haiti coach Pierre Sonche says his side’s march to the boys football final has brought joy to a nation still suffering. ”We can’t give money to our people back in Haiti, but at least I know they are very happy with this result and our campaign here in Singapore,” Sonche said after his team’s 2-0 win over Singapore…” READ MORE

“August 25 – A brave Haitian team could not secure what would have been a fairytale finish at the Summer Youth Olympic Games as they were soundly beaten 5-0 by Bolivia in the boy’s football gold medal match at the Jalan Besar Stadium here tonight. Bolivia had beaten Haiti 9-0 in the first match of the competition before the heroic footballers from the earthquake-stricken nation defied all expectations by storming through to the final to set up a second encounter with their rivals. But, the footballers from the Caribbean island, who have captured the hearts of the world with their unexpected success story in Singapore, could not produce another shock and were forced to settle for a hard-earned silver medal as Bolivia were crowned boy’s football champions…” READ MORE

“Now there will, of course, be people who lose interest in the race, who feel that they have no dog in the fight. I hope Wyclef Jean is not one of them. What he has promised to do before — create jobs and educational opportunities and inspire young people who have already lost so much to the earthquake that inspired him to run — he can continue to do through a reformed version of his Yele Haiti foundation and his music. As our roving ambassador, he can now do this more freely, without the statesman straitjacket and forced political lingo. He can speak directly to us and from his heart. He can console his young supporters and urge them once again to remain calm. And he won’t have to do it en francais. That could be his most important contribution yet to a country for which he has proven his love and devotion over and over again. What could be more presidential than that……? READ MORE

DOES ANYONE ELSE NOT SEE THE IRONY IN TALKING ABOUT LAWLESS HAITIAN LEADERS, WHEN ONE IS ASKING TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS IN ORDER TO BECOME THE NEXT LEADER-HMMMM?

Many know Mario Balotelli as the now 19 year old Inter-Milan striker dubbed “Super Mario” for his superb talent on the football field, but do many know his true story & what simmers inside of a painfilled broken heart of an African boy who is given up for adoption, named & raised by Italian parents & not accepted by the only nation he has ever known as one of them by law or love? Mario’s story has always facinated  me & I have always wanted to sit down with him for an in depth one on one dialogue about his life off & on the football field.

“Whatever I do, they’re always talking about me. I don’t read what they write but they keep at it nonstop. Balotelli here, Balotelli there. Why?” READ MORE

Many had no idea of Mario’s Ghanaian heritage until the build up to the world cup which had many Ghanaians & true global football fans anticipating whether Super Mario would be the equalizer Ghana needed to take them far in the world cup, especially with the absence of Michael Essien, the injury of Stephen Appiah & the one too many problems played out in the press between his Inter-Milan teammate Sulley Muntari & the Black Star’s coach. From the coach, to the GFA to Black Star players & to the world football press- Mario’s life, adoption, race, heritage & his much publicized bad boy behavior was on their radar & up for global discussion & consumption. As the late great Bob Marley said “You can’t run away from yourself“!

“We wanted him back for more than 10 years but, every time we tried, the courts blocked it and as the years passed he became colder towards us. The Balotellis know people and are influential and we could do nothing…Mr Barwuah said: ‘Mario was convinced we had abandoned him in a hospital but that’s just not true. That is the Balotelli family putting something into his head and it really hurts. We have always loved Mario but he has changed. It’s the Balotellis — they have made him turn against us…”READ MORE

“Inter’s Palermo-born Ghanian striker Mario Balotelli officially received his citizenship papers on Wednesday and said he was ”proud to be an Italian”…Balotelli turned 18 the day before and was given his Italian identity card and certificate of citizenship at a ceremony at city hall in the nearby town of Concesio.”This is even more exciting that making my debut in Serie A. The best birthday present I could receive now would be a call to join the Italy squad, although I’d be happy to play for the Under 21 team,” he told the press.” READ MORE

“We as Ghanaians pushed our side of the argument very well but I am just wondering how many of us will feel Ghanaian if I was born and bread in, say England, and I have lived there my whole life and I had no association with my Ghanaian parents and I wasn’t raised in a Ghanaian community and I don’t speak the language and I don’t know the land. It will be difficult for me to consider myself full blooded Ghanaian,” he explained.He said the Italians are doing the Ghanaians a huge favour with their ‘no black Italian chants’ against Mario Balloteli…Balloteli, he said is a symbol of racial integration in Italy, but having been considered surplus thus far despite his raving performance, and the continuous racial chants against him, he doubts if that integration will see the light of day…On the contrary, he believed Balloteli will be loved and adored by the Ghanaian fans once he makes the switch.” READ MORE

Imagine being a young boy embarking on your 18th birthday which in many parts of the world officially makes you a man & in Italy officially allows you to receive citizenship even though you have been living all of your 17 years of life as an Italian- born in Italy &  adopted & raised by Italian citizens & to now have to face your past 17 years of life as a boy without a nation or official national identity made prevalent by the color of your skin amassed with the pressure of the world’s expectations on your shoulders? Let’s just say many adults have lashed out & behaved badly with less pressures & heartaches to face in their lives, so maybe we should give Mario the benefit of the doubt  & allow him the human compassion needed  by a young man who we have put on a pedestal as a football prodigy, but failed to see the emotional turmoil he maybe going through  in feeling betrayed by a nation who he has given everything to & wanted more than anything to be accepted by instead of being a subject of their racist sentiments as just part of the game.  I see Mario as the young boy who is bullied in school  with no one to turn to & internalizes it to a point where he has had enough & decides his only recourse is to act out, fight back & give his abusers the savage that they say he is & want him to become to justify their behavior towards him.

“It was a night to remember for Inter Milan soccer fans.Their team had just handed the glorious Barcelona squad a solid, 3-1 drubbing in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.But the morning after, the victory is tarnished by the image of an angry Mario Balotelli throwing his Inter Milan jersey to the ground in disgust at the end of the match…Super Mario,” the teenage Italian striker of African descent, came in off the bench with 20 minutes left in the game only the be jeered by the hometown crowd, something he quickly attributed to racism. As the Monitor has reported over the years, racist fans have been a problem for European soccer, perhaps nowhere moreso than in Italy. The summer before last the Italian city of Bologna hosted the Anti-Racist World Cup tournament in a bid to tackle the problem. Balotelli is no stranger to racism. Last year, the Italian soccer federation ordered the Juventus team to play one match in an empty stadium as punishment for racist insults hurled by fans at Balotelli.” READ MORE

As I watched Kevin Prince Boateng celebrate, make history & be embraced by Ghanaians/Global Africans & his Black Star teammates, I thought of Mario & how if he had not put all his hopes on finally being accepted as an Italian by being offered a spot on the defending champions national team after he had clearly proven his skills as an under-20 champ & with Inter-Milan, that he would have been there in the history making celebration & embrace of his roots & those who will never deny him. I often wonder if these same thoughts went through Mario’s head & if he wished he would have signed his allegiance with Ghana & chose the roots of his bloodline over his birth nation as Boateng had. I can only imagine how it feels to be heckled, talked about & disgraced by those who you want so badly  to be accepted by as you forego the open arms of the blood that runs through you, which you know nothing about or feel you have nothing in common with except blood & color.  I wonder what went through Mario’s mind as he watched Ghana being celebrated & embraced by the world as the shining star of Africa while sitting at home hearing more & more stories daily  about those in his birth nation wanting to cleanse themselves of the same African blood that runs thru him. Should Mario be seen as the unpredictable bad boy who is a ticking time bomb as we toss away the baby with the bath water, or should we show some human compassion to a young man going through an identity crisis of epic proportions with the entire world watching &  continuing to make it worse with constant criticism?

I was watching an episode of “The View” the other day when Rex Lee from HBO’s “Entourage” spoke of adopting a Black foster child & how it was rough at first because the child acted out & seemed not to bond with him & his partner, but the more time they spent with him showing him the love, acceptance & protection he desired he embraced them  & one day  said “I love you because you came back”. The child had been afraid that his new family was going to be yet another foster family who never came back for him when they dropped him off to school. The child could careless that he had two male gay parents or whether they were rich or poor, just that they came back for him; So I say to Italy & Ghana collectively that you owe your native son to come back for him, to love him, to accept him & to protect him & understand that this time in globalization & history calls for taking global nations/villages to raise a child. I truly feel that those who adopt children outside of their race/ethnic group should educate themselves & encourage their adoptive children to  learn about & embrace their roots because it is a harsh world out there & one can never know where they are going unless they know where they came from. Balotelli dismisses his Ghanaian heritage because his only association with it is one of abandonment & being given up to never have someone come back for him & it is wrong for his adoptive parents who were blessed with a child  whose biological parents probably only wanted to give him a better life than what they could provide to not take full responsibility in cultivating the whole person from his roots to the fruits that they now share & indulge in.   Our young men are more than just highly payed indentured servants on a field to play for our nations & to bring us the win -we owe them our love, praise & nurture as the beholders of our future accomplishments in history &  global forward movements!

As much as I wished Mario had made “The Decision” as Lebron James did to leave the ungrateful fans, team & town who he gave everything to just to have them turn on him the moment they couldn’t have him their way as puppet to puppet master,  by embracing the Black Stars, I am still behind him all the way because I know he is more than just two highly paid legs that are there to make goals & to bring wins.  Here’s to you Mario- No matter what the people say,  you are still Super Mario who continues to silence the naysayers & haters whenever you step on the field! Come and check for me because you have a story that the world must know through your own words, heart & soul of a gifted young boy who desired nothing but to play football & to be embraced by his birth nation, who became a man caught between two nations thru no fault of his own.

“It took Manchester City’s previous expensive striker of African descent 28 days of the last football season to plunge himself into a storm of controversy. To judge by his track record, the club will be lucky if the prospective next one waits that long. If Emmanuel Adebayor’s mind was a simmering ball of anger waiting to vent itself on the Arsenal fans who he felt had betrayed him, then Mario Balotelli, who City are confident of signing, is a timebomb ready to immolate any who stand in his way…City may discover soon enough if the 19-year-old has been a victim or a perpetrator during his short and controversial career at Internazionale and, more significantly, whether manager Roberto Mancini can tame him. The history is a complicated one and bound up in the question of the Italian nation’s seeming inability to embrace a multi-ethnic identity. At a casual glance, all that needs to be said is that Balotelli has been subjected to offensive terrace songs, of which at least one was openly racist. A particular favourite with supporters of Juventus is, “If you jump up and down, Balotelli dies”, though the really revelatory one is: “A negro cannot be Italian.” READ MORE