Chronicle Editor
Obi Egbuna Jnr Simunye —
For those daughters and sons of Mother Africa at home and abroad who began celebrating Kwanzaa this week, that begins with recognition of the concept of Umoja meaning Unity in Swahili, let us not forget to give President Mugabe and late Vice President and national hero Joshua Nkomo along with the two liberation movements they led on the battlefield, zanu and zapu, much deserved kudos for signing the Unity Accord on December 22, 1987.
Prior to signing the Unity Accord zanu and zapu not only shocked the entire world by trouncing the second most powerful colonial army ever assembled on African soil, but achieved this monumental plateau under the auspices and banner of a patriotic front, which in modern African history is without question one of the most uplifting illustrations of unity both in thought and action we have ever collectively witnessed.
Because 1987 is also the year one of Mother Africa’s brightest and bravest sons Burkina Faso’s 1st President H.E. Comrade Thomas Sankara was cowardly assassinated by the neo-colonialist puppet Blaise Comporare, it is only natural if in hindsight we consider that period bitter-sweet which linguistically speaking is an oxymoron.
This numerical year also happens to be when a 19-year-old woman of European ancestry named Heidi Russo gave birth to a boy today known to the world as Colin Kapernick quarterback of the NFL football team San Francisco 49ers.
According to the biographical account Kapernick’s father is a so-called African-American who had left the family before the actual birth of his son. Due to economic hardship Ms Russo decided to put her son up for adoption with Rick and Teresa Kapernick a Caucasian couple who already had two biological children but were craving another boy child after losing two more children due to heart defects.
From the moment Colin Kapernick decided he was historically obligated to use his platform as a world renowned athlete, not to stand up for the US national anthem that openly and defiantly demonstrated his displeasure with police terrorism and culture.
To the shock and disappointment of the Billion Dollar fraternity of NFL team owners Kapernick’s jersey emerged as the top seller. However, reactionary and brainwashed journalists, felt obligated to take Kapernick to task concerning patriotism to the land of his birth.
Kapernick responded by making the following comment “The media painted this as I’m anti-American anti-men and women of the military and that’s not the case at all I realise that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put themselves in harm’s way for my freedom and speech and my freedoms in the country and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee so I have the utmost respect for them I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way”.
What our young brother soon discovered was that nothing makes US Homeland Security and the US Military Industrial Intelligence Police Complex shake in their boots more than the potential of having US police terrorism and culture linked to its genocidal and white supremacist quest to police and conquer the world.
Who more than the so-called African-American has paid a greater price for exposing the naked aggression of US Imperialism both on its soil and anywhere else on the planet where we lay our heads every night?
If this was a court of law wouldn’t the bullet that pierced the skull of Dr King in Memphis Tennessee for condemning the Vietnam War or the decision to seize the passports of Dr W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson for challenging US Foreign Policy serve as the strongest of exhibits that could be provided to a judge?
Because Kapernick chose to wear a T-shirt with Malcolm X and Commandante Fidel Castro that was taken during their historic meeting at the Hotel Teresa in Harlem during one of his Press conferences when the San Francisco 49ers played the Miami Dolphins, Miami Herald reporter Armando Selguero decided to take the opportunity to question Kapernick about how he felt about Commandante Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. Our young brother responded by saluting Cuba’s investment in free healthcare and education and fighting for the eradication of Apartheid.
Mr Selguro should thank his lucky star that Kapernick did not condemn US Imperialism for supporting Apartheid through the Zionist state of Israel and emphatically state the same forces who tried to assassinate Commandante Fidel Castro on 635 occasions are responsible for sending Brother Malcolm to an early grave.
What US-EU imperialism appears to be concerned about is whether Kapernick will call for the lifting of the US blockade on Cuba and since he appears to have an understanding of Cuba’s love and solidarity for Africa, he might openly express his praise for President Mugabe and zanu-pf for the Land Reform Programme and the educational system which is Africa’s highest.
This would show Kapernick is adhering to the suggestion of US President elect Donald Trump who stated he should find a country that works better for him.
Kapernick’s cultural makeup automatically connects him to the colored community in Zimbabwe, his bravery reminds us of national hero Joseph Culverwell who was the Secretary of the Colored Community Service League and later became Secretary General of the National Association of Coloured Peoples. The Rhodesian authorities imprisoned Comrade Culverwell for 18 months for his political activities.
If Kapernick reaches the logical conclusion that the fight against police terrorism and the struggle to end the US blockade on Cuba and US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe, this goes well beyond throwing a monkey wrench in the plan of US Imperialism to use athletes and entertains to dilute the militant political expression and activity of this historical moment.
We witnessed Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade at the ESPY Awards make a pledge to resurrect the activism of the 60’s generation, which was applauded by freedom loving people all over the world.
What occurred shortly thereafter was Anthony playing in the summer Olympics and draping himself in the US flag when he won a gold medal and James along with teammate JR Smith appeared at a rally in Cleveland for US Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton.
This was after James let it be known he would not protest the US national Anthem to show solidarity for Kapernick but supported his right to do so. This was almost identical to pop superstar Beyonce paying homage to the Black Panther’s during her halftime Super Bowl performance, but at the same time along with her husband and corporate mogul Jay-Z performed in a concert in support of Hillary Clinton.
Unfortunately this is exactly what Muhammad Ali did in the 1960’s. He went to Ghana, embraced Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, refused to go to Vietnam, but in the 70’s ended up validating the butcher of Patrice Lumumba Mobutu Sese Seko by fighting George Foreman in Zaire. We see Kareem Abdul Jabbar who boycotted the 1968 Olympics serving as the Cultural Ambassador of the US State Department and Jim Brown ready to serve as Donald Trump’s eyes and ears in our community.
When questioned about voting Kapernick said: “I said from the beginning I was against oppression I’m not going to show support for that system and the oppressor isn’t going to allow you to vote your way out of oppression”.
The challenge for Kapernick is not only to state what you are against, but what you are for when he decides to join the Pan-African and global struggle to lift both the US blockade on Cuba and US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe. He is truly in tune with his African Fighting Spirit.
Obi Egbuna Jnr is the US Correspondent to The Herald and the External Relations Officer to ZICUFA(Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association). His email is [email protected]
Online Reporter