News — USA

Those who are of the view that Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism is Kwame Nkrumah’s most important book are in the sound company of many.

The independence leader and Ghana’s first-ever president was an intellectual whose expertise on politics, ideologically and practically, outweighed all of his African counterparts. At least, so said a BBC Africa poll in 2000 that said Nkrumah was the “Man of the Millenium”.

Neo-Colonialism certainly adds to this widely-held opinion. This is one of the 15 books authored by Nkrumah but it is the only one that spoke exhaustively to a situation transcending Blackness and African identity. Rather, what Neo-Colonialism offered was an introduction to a novel sociopolitcal concept and an explanation of the material conditions that permit this concept.

That is to say before 1965, global political lexicography had not registered the term ‘neocolonialism’. It has since become an idea not only prevalent among those on the global left but also those interested in postcolonial studies. Neocolonialism was defined as such in the introduction of the book:

“The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.”

Neocolonialism was in effect, theorized as a critique of the way in which colonized countries seemed to view the end of their independence struggle as an end in itself. ‘Mere’ independence did not sit well with Ghana’s first leader because as he thought foreign capital would still be used “in such a way as to impoverish the less developed”. Richer countries were still dependent on poorer countries for so much even if the picture was drawn as if colonizers had attained self-sustenance.

Nkrumah’s book was premised on two simple axioms namely, the eternal cooperation of polities i.e. global affairs, and the recognition that the mighty would always look to have its way as Thrasymachus said in Plato’s Republic.

The book took into cognizance the ideological Cold War between the West and the East and the fight to have influence over underdeveloped nations. This meant that Nkrumah, despite his leftist leanings, realized that it was possible for the USSR to victimize formerly colonized peoples.

Ever the evangelist, Nkrumah shared his book to African leaders and other who attended the 1965 conference of the Organization of African Unity in Ghana’s capital Accra. But this bid to teach his fellows what he felt was in store after independence angered the United States.

The US thus withdrew a hitherto agreed $25 million aid it had promised Ghana.

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey was founded by Fawn Weaver to honor the memory of Nearest Green, an enslaved African American who helped Jack Daniel to start his distillery.

The 270-acre distillery became the first in U.S. history to honor an African-American whiskey maker, and one of the few distilleries in the country owned and operated by a Black, female lead. 

Today, the whiskey brand has become the best-selling African-American-owned and founded spirit brand in the U.S. after selling nearly 1.5 million bottles of its sought-after super-premium whiskey.

“The spirits industry has never seen anything like this in all the years that data has been tracked through the three major data collection agencies for the industry,” according to Donn Bichsel, creator of 3 Tier Beverages, a spirits data collection and analysis company.

“No African American founded and led spirit brand has ever come close to what the Uncle Nearest brand and the team have done. We analyzed every piece of credible data and Uncle Nearest is undoubtedly the top seller of all time, with the rest of the top 10 being so far behind, that they barely registered.”

The whisky brand, which debuted in 2017, is available in more than 21,000 locations and at least 50 states across the world. “Built on its knack for sourcing the best of Tennessee Whiskeys and Bourbons, the whiskey is made using a non- temperature-controlled aging process and a unique post-aging double filtration method, which is then blended to perfection by fifth-generation Nearest Green descendant and Uncle Nearest’s master blender, Victoria Eady Butle,” PRNewswire said.

From New York Times bestselling author to whiskey connoisseur, Weaver said this project ends when she is satisfied that Nearest Green is known anywhere around the world she visits.

“As I began working on this, I realized the significance of the story of Nearest Green. I didn’t really truly understand the significance until I began digging in. He wasn’t just the first African American distiller on record in the United States. He to this day remains the only one of any major brands — period,” she told Essence.

“And we’re not just talking about whiskey, we’re talking about of any spirit. When I learned that there was no African American ever that had been commemorated on the bottle that was crazy to me because we were apart of this industry from the very beginning.”

Despite the effect of COVID-19 on many businesses, particularly Black businesses, Weaver weathered the storm to top the chart of bestselling African-American-owned whiskey brands. “Our bottling and distilling partner did an incredible job of ensuring every area of the distillery was socially distanced and followed the strictest COVID-19 guidelines, which meant we could only move so quickly and had to cap our third full year at 120,000 cases sold,” said Weaver.

Nearest Green is on track to sell 250,000 cases this year, all things being equal. What is more gratifying about the spirit brand is the fact that it is the only major whiskey with an all-female executive team.

In a series of historic appointments under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Park Police (USPP) has appointed Pamela A. Smith to take command of the oldest federal law enforcement agency established in 1971, making her the first Black woman to lead the USPP in its 230-year history, the agency said.

Smith stepped into her new role on Sunday. She will work with the 560 officers in the force to continue to protect “public, parks and the nation’s most iconic landmarks in the Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco metropolitan areas.”

The 23-year-veteran of the USPP has served the force in different capacities including as patrol officer, deputy chief for the Field Operations Division, an academy instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and commander of the New York Field Office. She was the first woman to lead the New York Field Office as its Major.

In a time where Americans are vocalizing an end to police brutality and systemic racism mostly against people of color, Smith’s appointment is major and she aims to tackle the issues with honesty and integrity.

“I have dedicated my career to the professionalism of law enforcement, and it is my highest honor and privilege to serve as Chief of Police,” Smith said in a statement. 

“Today’s officers face many challenges, and I firmly believe challenges present opportunities. I look forward to leading this exemplary team as we carry out our mission with honesty and integrity.”

Within her first 90 days, officer Smith has plans to establish a compulsory wearing of body cameras for all USPP staff. The pilot will take off in San Francisco and later rolled out across the country by the close of the year.

“Body-worn cameras are good for the public and good for our officers,” Smith said in a release. “This is one of the many steps we must take to continue to build trust and credibility with the public we have been entrusted to serve.”

She made it clear that the footage from the body cameras will be available on request through the Freedom of Information act duly processed under the Privacy Act and laws and policies.

Smith’s commitment to policing and her excellent work ethic make her the “right person” for the job, according to Sawn Benge, deputy director exercising the delegated authority of the National Park Service.

The USPP has come under attacks, first in 2017 for the shooting death of Bijan Ghaisar in Virginia and most recently for dispersing peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters with smoke canisters and pepper balls at Lafayette Park near the White House where ex-president Donald Trump had a photo op.

“As federal law enforcement officers, the U.S. Park Police officers have a new opportunity each day to give their best to the American people,” added Jennifer Flynn, NPS associate director for visitor and resource protection.

“Chief Smith exemplifies that approach as a colleague and mentor, and she will be instrumental in refining and shaping the future of the organization.”

Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office in a historic ceremony Wednesday, becoming the first woman, first Black American and first South Asian American to hold the office. The daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, Harris was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first woman of color to serve on the Supreme Court.

The vice president took the oath dressed in a purple dress and overcoat with her husband and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff by her side.
Harris used two bibles in the ceremony. One belonged to the late Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black member of the Supreme Court and Harris’ political role model. The other was owned by family friend Regina Shelton, who was like a second mother to Harris. Harris first used this Bible when she took the oath of office as both California attorney general and U.S. senator.

For two decades in public life, Harris has achieved a lot of firsts: the first Black woman to serve as San Francisco’s district attorney, the first woman to be California’s attorney general, first Indian American senator, and now she will be working by Biden’s side.

Here’s what you should know about the prosecutor-turned-senator whose motto comes from her mom: “You may be the first, but make sure you’re not the last.”

Harris was born in Oakland, California on October 20, 1964, to Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, an economist from Jamaica. Her parents met at UC Berkley while pursuing graduate degrees and the two were active in the civil rights movement right from their days on campus. When Kamala was born, they often took her along to protests in a stroller.

The eldest of two children, Harris grew up embracing both her Black and South Asian identities, and one time visited India while young, where it is documented that she “was heavily influenced by her grandfather, a high-ranking government official who fought for Indian independence, and grandmother, an activist who traveled the countryside teaching impoverished women about birth control.”

Attending middle school and high school in Montreal, Kamala studied political science and economics (B.A., 1986) at Howard University, and then earned a law degree in 1989 from Hastings College.

She subsequently worked as a deputy district attorney from 1990–98 in Oakland, prosecuting cases of drug trafficking, gang violence, and sexual abuse. Despite her parents not being too comfortable with her career choice, Kamala said she wanted to change the system from the inside, and with that determination, she moved up the ladder, becoming a district attorney in 2004.

At the time, she had made a name for herself in San Francisco, not only through her work as a prosecutor but also through her friendships with the city’s elite and her relationship with former mayor Willie B. They would support her with funding when she campaigned for office to become district attorney in 2004. That same year, she made what has been described as one of her most controversial decisions; Kamala refused to pursue the death penalty against the man who killed San Francisco police officer Isaac Espinoza.

She was heavily criticized for that. And when she ran for California attorney general, many thought she would lose to Steve Cooley, a popular white Republican who served as Los Angeles’ DA. Why? Kamala was a woman of color from liberal San Francisco who opposed the death penalty, but she made it, winning by a margin of less than 1 percent, thus becoming the first woman to hold the post in 2010.

Even though she was criticized during her time as attorney general for not doing enough to cater to police brutality, especially when she refused to investigate the police shootings of two Black men in 2014 and 2015, she did demonstrate political independence while in office.

She clashed with the Obama administration when California was offered $4 billion in a national mortgage settlement over the foreclosure crisis. Fighting for a larger amount, Harris did not sign the deal, and at the end of the day, she was able to secure $20 billion for California homeowners, according to reports.

Getting elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 also raised her national profile as she went viral for her sharp interrogations of officials and nominees of the Trump administration, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the Russia investigation during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing and Brett M. Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

But her most viral moment occurred during her 2020 presidential campaign. During the first Democratic debate, Harris criticized Biden for his position on a federal busing program in the 1970s that benefited minorities, including herself.

Biden looked shocked when Harris told him on the debate stage last July: “There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools. And she was bused to school every day,” she said. “And that little girl was me.”

Though Harris’s support increased after that moment, by September 2019 she began falling behind in polling. Her campaign struggled due to internal staff rows and in December, she dropped out of the race.

She, however, continued to have a well-publicized presence, particularly becoming a leading advocate for social justice reform in response to the killing of George Floyd. Her stance silenced critics who had slammed her while she was attorney general over claims she refused to investigate charges of police misconduct though she explained that she was only committed to a fairer criminal justice system.

And amid the protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States, it was not surprising that many prominent Black male leaders called on Biden to select a Black woman as his vice presidential running mate to increase his election chances.

Last August, Biden picked Harris, and they will be now working toward an equitable and prosperous future for all Americans. “Black women have always been the backbone of this Democratic Party, and oftentimes not valued for our ability to lead,” said Barbara Lee, the congresswoman from Oakland, Calif., who was a co-chair of Harris’ own presidential bid.

“But I tell you now, Black women are showing that Black women lead, and we’ll never go back to the days where candidates only knew our value in terms of helping them get elected. Now they will see how we govern from the White House.”

The United States says it is not backing former Nigeria finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to be the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

America’s opposition to her candidature comes after the three WTO ambassadors charged with the task of finding the next WTO chief settled on the Nigerian, Reuters has reported.

The choice of the Nigerian to be the next chief of the WTO was relayed to the members of the organization by the head of the “troika” ambassadors at a meeting on Wednesday, the report added.

However, the US representative at the meeting reportedly insisted that South Korea’s candidate, Yoo Myung-hee remained a contender and that Washington will not recognize Okonjo-Iweala as the consensus candidate for appointment as director-general, according to Theafricareport. 

As a result of America’s opposition to Okonjo-Iweala’s candidature, the General Counsel has postponed its announcement of the new Director-General until a further meeting, which is scheduled for 9 November; after the US presidential elections, the report added.

If Okonjo-Iweala is approved by consensus, she will replace Roberto Azevêdo as the next WTO Director-General. Azevêdo stepped down as WTO Director-General on 31 August 2020, a year before the expiry of his mandate.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) will back Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director-General of the WTO. An EU official said the decision to back the Nigerian was “a strong signal to reinforce the multilateral order and clear signal towards Africa and a sign of mutual trust.”

Okonjo-Iweala’s vast experience makes her suitable for the job. Besides serving as Nigeria’s finance minister, she also served as a Managing Director of the World Bank where she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia.

Okonjo-Iweala spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during both the food and later financial crisis. She has chaired the replenishment of over $40 billion for the International Development Association (IDA), the grant, and the soft credit arm of the World Bank.

Her achievements as Finance Minister garnered international recognition for improving Nigeria’s financial stability and fostering greater fiscal transparency to combat corruption. In October 2005, she led the Nigerian team that negotiated the cancellation of 60% of Nigeria’s external debt ($18 billion) with the Paris Club. 

She was educated at Harvard and has a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous awards, including Honorary Doctorates from Trinity College, Dublin, Brown University, and Amherst College, among others. She is the recipient of Time magazine’s European Hero of the Year Award, 2004, for her work on economic reform in Nigeria among many other recognitions.