us africa leaders summit Archives

Activists from across the United States joined together for the African Peoples' Summit held December 11 in Washington, D.C. / credit: Julie Varughese

Role Media Plays in U.S.-Africa Relations: Third Panel of African Peoples’ Forum

Toward Freedom Editor December 21, 2022 Toward Freedom Editor

Sean Blackmon, activist, organizer and broadcaster, currently serving as co-host of Radio Sputnik's "By Any Means Necessary"; Jacqueline Luqman, Black Alliance for Peace Mid-Atlantic Region Co-Coordinator, co-host of Radio Sputnik's "By Any Means Necessary" and host of "Luqman Nation" on the Black Power Media YouTube channel; Kamau Franklin, former practicing attorney, first program director of New York City Police-Watch and co-founder of Black Power Media; executive director of Community Movement Builders and co-founder and host at Black Power Media; and Karanja Gaçuça, a U.S.-based Kenyan journalist, publisher of thebriefscoop.com and executive editor of panafricmedia.org; discussed the power of story at the first-ever African Peoples’ Forum.

U.S. President Joe Biden (center) at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held Dec. 12-16 in Washington, D.C. On left is U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and on right is Senegalese President and African Union Chairperson Macky Sall / credit: The White House

Why One Organization Dubbed the U.S.-Africa Summit the ‘Meeting of Uncle Tom and Uncle Sam’

Julie Varughese December 20, 2022 Julie Varughese

African-led anti-imperialist organization Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) has referred to the Biden administration's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit as a "Meeting of Uncle Tom and Uncle Sam." Meanwhile, a Bill Gates-backed startup bought a $150 million stake in a Zambian copper deposit. TF editor Julie Varughese reports.

‘U.S.-Africa: How the Peoples’ Struggles Connect’: Second Panel of African People’s Forum

Toward Freedom Editor December 16, 2022 Toward Freedom Editor

Paul Sankara, consultant, activist and brother of assassinated Burkina Faso leader Thomas Sankara; Eugene Puryear, community organizer and host at BreakThrough News; Erica Caines, a Black Alliance for Peace Coordinating Committee member, co-editor of Hood Communist and founder of Liberation Through Reading; and Nebiyu Asfaw, co-founder of both the Ethiopian American Development Council and the #NoMore Movement discussed connecting African peoples' struggles across the continents at the first-ever African Peoples’ Forum.

Speakers of three panels that took places December 11 at the first-ever African Peoples' Forum in Washington, D.C. / credit: Abena Disroe-Morris

‘Economic Development As a Human Right’: First Panel of African Peoples’ Forum

Toward Freedom Editor December 15, 2022 Toward Freedom Editor

Journalist and activist Elias Amare, U.S./Africa Bridge Building Project Director Imani Countess, American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) organizer Elias Hiruy, and medical doctor and #NoMore Movement co-founder Simon Tesfamariam discussed economic development as a human right at the first-ever African Peoples' Forum. This was organized to counter the Biden administration's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

Toward Freedom board member Jacqueline Luqman (left) and Kamau Franklin spoke about their work as media makers for Radio Sputnik and Black Power Media, respectively, on a panel held December 11 as part of the first-ever African Peoples' Forum, organized to counter the Biden administration's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. / credit: Julie Varughese

U.S.-Based Africans Organize Events to Counter Biden Administration’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit

Julie Varughese December 12, 2022 Julie Varughese

Hundreds of people of African descent convened this past weekend at two events that aimed to be the people's opposition to the Biden administration's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which is taking place this week amid a military buildup to enforce the summit's security in Washington, D.C.