Unless you have been living under a rock, you must have heard about the rape allegations from a maid at the Sofitel in New York- managed by Europe’s leading hotel group & French multinational corporation- Accor Group. With the former head of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) already immortalized in the press as DSK, this story seems to be a made for Hollywood style modern day reality television blockbuster with many explosive turns involving major global players with the future of global presidencies hanging in the near distance as debt ceilings,costs of wars, international bailouts, global class warfare aimed at eliminating entitlements of both sides, political careers continuously being toppled by one sex scandal after another & famine continues to plague Africa, constantly forcing Africans to flee Africa as unprecedented profits are made by multinational corporations of nations outside of the continent of Africa causing artists like Emmanuel Jal -former child soldier of Sudan who gained his freedom & used his voice to bare witness to South Sudan seeing its freedom as the newly minted 193rd nation of the world, to proclaim “Divide & Rule tactics, practice…pimp & thieves in Italian cat suits. stop raping Africa like she’s your prostitute“!

This case is not only the case of Nafissatou Diallo Vs DSK, but the case of Nafissatou Diallo VS The USA. A nation that has accepted her as a tax paying citizen with the same rights to representation for her taxation. A nation that says in their court of law you are innocent until being proven guilty. This concept of law is the same constantly forgotten rule of law that has gotten the USA via the prosecutor’s office on Manhattan, NY  -the capital of the world  in International & national heat because of its overzealous pursuit of making one’s name with the next big story with the subsequent messy leaks, arrest, possible acquittal & accusations toward the victim that has now rendered Nafissatou Diallo’s case all but over without giving her her day in court to defend her story.

“I didn’t want to lose my job.” She grew up without electricity or running water and never learned to read or write, but with that job she had a nice home and her daughter was doing well in school. The fear of losing it could explain why she did not fight Strauss-Kahn so fiercely as to leave marks on him, why he was able to overpower her, why she was so overcome and panicked that she did not clench her teeth or at least bite, as some have suggested she should have…The desperation for a better life for herself and her child also explains the lies on her application for political asylum, lies such as nearly everyone tells because being tired and poor and yearning to breathe free are no longer qualifiers for being admitted to the United States…” READ MORE

As I a watched the the documentary Big Fat Gypsy Wedding speaking of the European Traveler culture which condones grabbing and the many other cultures worldwide who condone  or turn a blind eye to the prostitution, raping & marrying of young children deemed under US  criminal law as child molestation & rape, yet we behave as if it doesn’t go on right here in this nation with direct global links in western complicity in direct or indirect consent.  I can only think of the fact that if we are going to be a global culture then we must come to a point of global laws & etiquette which protects the most vulnerable of many world societies- girls & women in their systematic rape, abuse & terror at the hands of cultural acceptance.  Does a traveler who happens to arrive in New York & practice his cultural ritual of grabbing deserve a pass if or if not the girl who he grabs is part of that culture any more than head of the IMF  who is well versed in international law deserve a pass for breaking US law whether it was rape or consensual prostitution? There is a global culture set up by men & often cosigned by women who deem young girls & women as property- never to have their full worth & world contribution legitimized & recognized, that is fully accepted with silenced dissenting voices who know there are certain parts of accepted worldwide culture that should be unacceptable to us all as human beings.

More trouble for the New York Post’s reporting on the DSK accuser…The first round of trouble came with the revelation that the New York Post was sent information challenging the credibility of its only sourcefor the contention that the DSK accuser was working as a prostitute when she cleaned rooms in the Sofitel Hotel…Now, Round 2: Information that just surfaced in a Newsweek story raises questions about another New York Post story on the accuser’s alleged conduct. This story hit the streets a day after the initial piece about prostitution in the Sofitel. It told of the accuser’s “turning tricks” while she was in a hotel on the dime of the New York City taxpayer. Here’s some copy for you: ”The Sofitel maid who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a sex attack in his suite wasn’t just a hotel hooker — she continued to work as a prostitute in a Brooklyn hotel where she was stashed by prosecutors, The Post has learned…”READ MORE

With a pending lawsuit against the New York Post, Nafissatou Diallo spoke out to claim back her name from unsubstantiated defamatory allegations  hurled at the mother of a young girl.

“The Post reported on Saturday that the Sofitel housekeeper “was doing double duty as a prostitute, collecting cash on the side from male guests.” An article the following day reported that the housekeeper “continued to work as a prostitute in a Brooklyn hotel where she was stashed by prosecutors”…”All of these statements are false, have subjected the plaintiff to humiliation, scorn and ridicule throughout the world by falsely portraying her as a prostitute or as a woman who trades her body for money and they constitute defamation and libel per se,” the suit said…” READ MORE

Does a woman not have a right to her day in court no matter what her past maybe? Was DSK’s past lies, affiliations & dealings taken into account in questioning his credibility in saying that the sex was consensual at a time when other women are accusing him of the same crimes toward them? Did they record DSK’s phone conversations to see who he called to cover up his international mess, that would cost him his position at the IMF & possibly a run for the presidency of France? Now after discrediting the alleged victim as the stereotypical African prostitute who like many immigrants working in the service industry in places serving wealthy powerful men who expect happy endings, DSK can possibly now be free to become the president of France without neither Nafissatou Diallo nor his new French accuser having their day in court.

No matter the outcome of his or her truth to come that has forced Nfissatou Diallo to come out to defend herself publicly, just in case her day in court never comes; Nfissatou Diallo’s trial & story will hopefully bring to light the story of Africa, IMF, Men of Power, the unprecedented number of rapes of African women on the continent in places like the Congo & outside of the continent who are denied their day in court to tell their own stories in their own words in order to shape their future & the future of their daughters since rape, power & the concept of consent of young girls & women who are given no choice are blurred- brought up in places where one man’s rape is another man’s accepted culture mixed up in the Murdoch staple of Journalism boasting unsubstantiated secret recordings in evidence that has many ready to believe labels of an African prostitute who was just looking for a payday either as a pawn of super power conspiracy or by her own orchestrations in looming stereotypes. Only Time will tell if putting a face, voice & soul to it changes any of that?

The way this story pans out will determine  many things in the future for Africa, her women & the value & way women around the world are treated when it comes to the issue of rape. If African men are raping, abusing & devaluing the worth of African women, it is no wonder why they are still unable to protect their African women against the continued cross atlantic rape at the hands of the offspring of  former slave owners & colonizers who never learned the value of the African woman beyond her sexual lure in delivering a happy ending. The people of France have stood of for DSK  saying he was pursued overzealously & humiliated with the televised perp walk, but where are the African men, the people of Guinea, the AU etc. to speak up for Mrs. Diallo’s maltreatment in this case?  The acceptability of rape in global culture goes beyond Africa, Rich & Poor , Black & White, religion & gender. As Congolese rape survivor & global activist Rose Mapendo said “one person alone can not push an elephant, but many people together  can push an elephant..” The elephant in the room must be pushed by us all to make a diffrence.

Follow The Story

‎”When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
Jimi Hendrix

Until then our leaders will continue to hold their heads down in shame in claiming they are for peace while bringing wars & instability.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Azumah “The Professor” Nelson will also be making his first appearance to the International Boxing Hall of Fame since he was inducted in 2004, for a June 11, 2011 ring side chat to bring international awareness to the Azumah Nelson Foundation & its efforts, along with welcoming the new inductees who include: Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sylvester Stallone and Kostya Tszyu. When asked if Champ as vibrant & powerful as he looks minds being called a senior amongst other boxing champs like Mike Tyson, Azumah laughed & said:

“In my country being called a senior is great because it gives you a certain reverence amongst the next generation in a passing of age ritual that all cultures need for growth & the passing down of tradition. So, Yes I am happy to be part of the senior class & to have the opportunity to extend the Azumah Nelson Foundation’s motto of ‘Mentoring for a Brighter Future’ to the IBHOF by serving as a mentor to the new class of inductees as well as future inductees from Ghana & other parts of the world. This new class is special to me because many of my history making career highlights were with great fighters & promoters of their respective nations- USA, Mexico & Australia. The UN has declared 2011: International Year of African Descendants and this year’s theme of Africa Day is “Africa and the Diaspora, so I want to reach out more to my brothers & sisters in the Diapora in unity and working together to give all of our children all over the world a brighter future. ”

Azumah Nelson holds his title of “The Professor” to heart, as he has made it his life’s mission to educate the children of the black star nation of Ghana, West Africa. Azumah Nelson has dedicated all proceeds from his new documentary entitled Zoom Zoom -The Professor, which made its US debut at the National Geographic Headquarters in Washington DC on April 2, 2011, along with his book Azumah Nelson, The Professor: 12 rounds of Boxing & Life, to raising money for the Azumah Nelson Academy building project.

Azumah Nelson holds the high reverence of being dubbed the Mohammed Ali of Africa, a man who is bigger than life to most Africans and boxing fans throughout the world, whom he has inspired not only through his globally recognized accomplishments, but also through his compassion & dedication to giving back to his nation & to Africa as a whole. Today hip-hop artists from Africa name check him in their raps & young boxers from Ghana like Joshua Clottey, who has garnered international fame, fight in his name & shadow because he paved the way to respecting the strength, power & intelligence of the African fighter.

Press Contact: Aretha A. Sarfo- VISIONS Entertainment & Publicity/Global Fusion Productions Inc.  info@visionspublicity.com or info@globalfusionproductions.com

AZUMAH NELSON @INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WEEKEND-June 9-12,2011

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PHOTOS FROM ANF MEET & GREET CHARITY EVENT AT GLEASON’S GYM HERE:

Spring of the Artful Renaissance: Creating an Innovative Eco-Chic World Where Art Meets Technology

Immediate Release

Friday, May 13th 2011, MoCADA located at 80 Hanson Place in Brooklyn, NY will host Spring of the Artful Renaissance: Creating an Innovative Eco-Chic World Where Art Meets Technology, preparing & giving the tools of an open door to endless possibilities in creativity for the new generation of future leaders. Spring of the Artful Renaissance: Creating an Innovative Eco-Chic World Where Art Meets Technology is an artists & art connoisseur’s fundraiser event benefiting the Summer 2011 Street Academy Project in Accra, Ghana. The TKAFoundation in association with AKOSIA aims to bring awareness and to make the dreams of 40 children from the Street Academy come true this summer as they learn & enjoy a creative filmmaking journey that brings storytelling to life by writing, creating, directing and producing two short films on their own.

The TKAFoundation (Tomorrow’s Kaleidoscope of Artists Foundation) is the brainchild of filmmaker Sam Kessie, born in London to Ghanaian parents who later raised her in Ghana where she developed her love for filmmaking as a way to cross-global boundaries. TKAFoundation was created to support the global arts community by fundraising & contributing to charities that encourage arts education. TKAFoundation’s 2011 charity of choice is AKOSIA, a non-profit organization that develops and facilitates creative projects for underprivileged children and women all over the world. For the past two summers, (2009/2010), the AKOSIA team has been in Accra, Ghana working with the students from the Street Academy – a school that provides free education to children aged 8-18, as well as uniforms, books, and a decent meal each day for abandoned and homeless youth in Accra. The aim of the month long filmmaking program is to provide underprivileged youth with tools and technical skills where necessary, in order to produce their own films as independently as possible. The TKAFoundation for the 2011 summer project will join the cause to provide an engaging and safe environment where underprivileged children’s natural abilities can be expressed and nurtured, while providing a way out of poverty with useful skills in an ever growing African Film Industry that has rebuilt itself from the ground up with local skills & funding to create an internationally recognized multi-million to billion dollar industry within the last decade.

Come & Join TKAFoundation, tastemakers, innovators, artists & art connoisseurs from 6-9PM at MoCADA as they set the direction for the future of art in its collaborations & dedication to giving back to future generations. Be part of the Spring of the Artful Renaissance as you indulge in a special cocktail fundraiser that will entertain, inform and inspire everyone who attends to see the future promise of global art collaborations. There will be an opening reception cocktail, an auction, a fashion showcase featuring clothes and accessories from several designers including Onyz Noiz, PGF (Product of Global Fusion), Wow Wow by Wunmi, Kira Sherrine, Farai Simoyi along with performances by two amazing African Diasporan artists M3NSA (London/Ghana) and Iyadede (Brooklyn/Rwanda). This free fun-filled fundraiser’s goal is to raise  $10,000, which will go towards our 2011 summer program in Accra, Ghana with AKOSIA.

Support the TKAFoundation and AKOSIA as we make a difference by helping young children discover themselves artfully. In our commitment to AKOSIA, we aim to impact the less fortunate and less encouraged in some way through something as magical as art and in turn, help work toward eradicating poverty through arts education.

If you can’t attend the event but still want to support TKAFoundation and AKOSIA on their summer program you can still give support through our website: http://www.indiegogo.com/AKOSIA

For more information about our cause please visit one of our sites
www.tkafoundation.org
www.akosia.org
Press Contact:
Aretha A. Sarfo
VISIONS Entertainment & Publicity/Global Fusion Productions Inc.
P: 212-280-0699 /E: aretha@visionspublicity.com or info@globalfusionproductions.com

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…..

For me Africa , Ghana in particular, will always represent my beginning & my future. As I go back to my beginnings to reach out for my future, I realized that I am a stranger in this land, in this land that I love, in this land of mine. Ghana is the rapture of nature, the keeper of ancestral history, the smell of jaloff rice, grilled tilapia, kontonmire stew with ampesi & the special nighttime aromas of kelewele, wakye & grilled plantains with groundnuts on an open fire by the road side, putting a most intoxicating spell on me with the most freeing jubilation of rhythmic sounds & motion in an inviting surround sound type of blaring sound system that only the black star nation can deliver. From the kpanlogo drum to the seperewa, to the funky guitar strings of hi-life; from the borderline insanity & fanaticism of football that brings the nation to a standstill, to the overwhelming crowds, banter & fast paced motion of mokola market; from triumphant Ashanti kings & queens, to the painful history of our global fusions in the slave trade from Elimina to Cape Coast; from colonization to the freedom of independence; from libations of apeteshie, palm wine & black star beer poured in honor of celebration & mourning, to mother nature’s blessings of bountiful cocoa, diamonds, gold, richness of culture & beautiful, smiling, shining black stars -This is Home!

I feel so alive upon my arrival as I see the colorful welcoming of Akwaaba! From the peaceful serenity of my grandmother’s village in Awukuga- where I learned to give & receive the love, respect & protection of an entire village as one family, to the gritty city hustle & bustle of Accra, where I learned how to be tough & hard in order to fight for what was rightfully mine, as I embarked on the journey back to my place of birth, the toughest city around -where they say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere –New York, New York- so nice they had to name it twice! As I journey on to find the innate feeling of roots & belonging where Africa is the future, I look to the innocent, powerful, curious & smiling faces of the children, who represent my childhood days in Ghana, bringing me a sense of welcoming with something to believe in!

Explore the 10 regions of Ghana with a collective & separate rich history of cuisine, sites, people, language & culture!
Ashanti Region (Kumasi)
Brong-Ahafo Region (Sunyani)
Central Region (Cape Coast)
Eastern Region (Koforidua)
Greater Accra Region (Accra)(Tema)
Northern Region (Tamale)
Upper East Region (Bolgatanga)
Upper West Region (Wa)
Volta Region (Ho)
Western Region (Sekondi-Takoradi)

Akwaaba- Welcome Home to Ghana http://www.touringghana.com/

Credits:
Photos:Aretha Amma Sarfo (Global Fusion Productions Inc.), Stanley Lumax (Stone Face Photography), Craig muMs Grant
Music: Joy Denalane (Stranger in this Land), Nina Simone (I put a Spell on You), Osibisa (Welcome Home), C.K. Mann (Asafo Beson), DJ Spinna Ft. Heavy (We Can Change this World), Wanlov the Kubolor (Human Being),Blitz the Ambassador (Something to Believe) & sax over VO by Marquis ‘q’ Sayles (Amazing Grace)

I found it very interesting to read this article in the New York Times, stating the fact that there are many Africans living today that have never been exposed to White people/Anglo-Saxons/Caucasians. Can you imagine walking on to a picturesque beautiful island in West Africa, with dark brown & black skinned people speaking Portuguese who have never seen a White person before in the 21st century?

I recall my uncle, a native of Ghana, West Africa, who was studying engineering in Bulgaria telling me how little children in Bulgaria would come up to him & wipe his face to see if his skin was really Black or just dirty because they had never been exposed to Black people before & during the winter months he had to cover every part of his body except his face because he had never been exposed to such cold. I also recall the same uncle while I was growing up in Ghana, telling me how my European teacher looked so weird because she had pale skin & blue eyes-so I guess it all depends on perception & exposure. My uncle moved to New York after attaining his degree in Bulgaria. We had Russian neighbors in a predominately Black neighborhood , who instantly bonded with him because he spoke their language since he had studied in Bulgaria & had to learn the slavic languages to survive. Language can bring about a bond from distance that goes beyond color or social class, whether you have ever been exposed to a certain area of the world & its people or not-the bond can come from being able to communicate in the same language.

I had a conversation with a Black American who said just the opposite about Blacks in America-that they have all had to be exposed to White America all their lives, whether in their towns, work or school yet they still did not feel a sense of real bonded connection, while at the same time there are still White Americans that have never been exposed to Blacks in America whether in their towns, workplaces or schools. We are all living in a world that is becoming more & more globally fused in terms of everyone being exposed to one another whether in the physical sense or virtual sense with the growth of the internet & other technological advances fusing our interactions globally. I look forward to the day when there are truly no borders virtual nor physical. Explore your world because the world is Ours!

The past couple of years have seen more & more Africans brutalized & murdered in Italy & other Western & Eastern nations under the guise of anti-immigration & racism. In Italy in particular, the real core issue is the battle over wealth, drugs & territory incited by the Italian mafia. It is easy to cry racism & anti-immigration without holding accountable African, European & global governments’ lackadaisical anti-drug enforcement & implicit involvement in the economic profiteering of global drug trafficking.

West Africa has become the new hot bed transport destination for European drug trafficking. The rise of global poverty, particularly in Africa, along with rampant drug abuse globally have left many West Africans to be left with little choice but to pin their hopes of a better tomorrow in a life of drug trafficking & prostitution. War torn African countries like Guinea Bissau & many West African countries with corrupt governments have been bought to turn a blind eye to the influx of drugs trafficked thru their nations.

Africans need to start pinning their hopes of a better tomorrow in themselves, fighting their own corrupt governments, who have refused to serve the people of Africa for decades & centuries. Why risk your life to fight a war for survival in another man’s land instead of taking the fight for survival to your own governments in greater numbers of effected people, in hopes of at least giving a better future for generations to come? Africa’s hope & dreams can only be fully realized in Africa & it is time that Africans hold themselves & their governments accountable & take them to task to better their conditions in order to have the opportunity to live & thrive in their own homelands as free human beings.

Using the guise of immigration as a reason for hate & racism instead of seeing another human beings plight & burden has become the European way toward the plight of Africans immigrating to Europe in hopes of a better life, only to find out that they are far from welcomed because the European natives are also in search of their own better lives in their own countries & often times even in African nations where they find a much better life & a welcoming that is not afforded to Africans at home or in Europe. Human beings should be free to move about wherever they want to be, but often times because of the mental enslavement embedded thru slavery & colonialism, Africans never seem to find their freedom & dreams in their own homeland or in the western world, yet westerners flock to Africa and find benefit from the never ending mental enslavement that continues to plague Africans who still see Westerners & now those from the East as the ones to bring them salvation & emancipation.

I was surprised to see the large number of Asians, Europeans & other westerners flooding into Africa for business prospects & opportunity to live a much more luxurious lifestyle than they could ever afford in their own homelands, while Africans still continue to be the servants and the ones never reaping any opportunities, whether in their homelands or abroad. The only way Africans can ever find their freedom is to fight for it in large numbers by taking the fight to their own governments without the tribal & class divides because African governments have been selling their own people out since the time of slavery & continue to do so centuries later.

With all the natural resources, fertile land, oil & people capital, how are African nations still unable to provide for their people & evoke a sense of pride of being African, fighting for Africa & staying in Africa beyond just flag waving during football matches? Africans must wake up & hold themselves, their governments & the western world which needs Africa in a constant state of patheticness in order for them to thrive easily without doing much of the work in so many ways. 2010 starts a new decade that must be Africa’s decade -coming up from under the belly of the beast to rise like the phoenix from the flames, soaring over our nations & continent as the new decade Sankofa birds- returning to get what is rightfully ours! In this new decade we must learn, embody & have the desire to Feel Free to Feel Free!

“Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. Thy claim it as their own and none can keep it from them. We face neither East nor West: We Face Forward -Freedom, Freedom , Fredom”- Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure..We ask ourselves -Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented & fabulous? Actually, WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE “-Nelson Mandela

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/world/europe/11italy.html?hp

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/opinion/25saviano.html

http://centurean2.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/yet-in-africa-it-is-not-when-white-farmers-are-slaughteredfascism-only-applies-to-whites/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/nyregion/20africans.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=african%20immigrants%20in%20bronx%20face%20atatcks&st=cse

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/world/africa/21zambia.html

http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/20614

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/03/200932663136741480.html

http://www.france24.com/en/20090124-beyond-business-morocco-china-oriental-slippers-souk-market-low-cost

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/travel/08Bijagos.html

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/european-solar-power-from-african-deserts/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5327/is_347/ai_n31003678/