A play about the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King, Jr. has been produced in China, with an all-Chinese cast, except for some Black gospel singers.

A Chinese man played the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. This is where I insert a joke about cheap immigrant labor displacing African-Americans in the US workforce, but since the play took place in China…I’ll skip it. And, given the economic situation for African-Americans…it just wouldn’t be funny.

China has long since been a flagrant abuser of human rights and free-speech in its own country and has turned a blind eye to the social turmoil and genocide taking place in countries like the Sudan, with whom China is their most prominent trading partner. China is also making major inroads into most African countries (colonization) seeking to become Africa’s number one trading partner and exploiter of the vast wealth of minerals (and cheap labor) the continent has to offer.

Now it seems that the Chinese government has determined the Civil Rights Movement and MLK to be safe for the Chinese people. Which says to me the Civil Right’s Movement is thoroughly dead and its political legacy no longer a viable and effective form of social and political protest, especially in more modern and global times. We need a more radical movement; one with less focus on peaceful protest and non-violence. The oppressors are just not afraid of us!

– To the producers’ surprise, the play’s themes of civil rights and religion did not trigger any government censorship The play’s director, Wu Xiaojiang, says that young Chinese minds are increasingly open to these sensitive topics. “As China makes gradual progress in politics,” he says, “I think people will get a clearer understanding of this play’s message. They won’t simply reject it because they think it differs from China’s ideology. We may even find things worth borrowing for our own social advancement.”

On the other hand, I hope China does borrow some elements of the Civil Rights Movement and the teachings of Dr. King. One thing that did happen during this time was the humanizing of Black people, and if China is to colonize Africa, and if China is to further govern its own people, seeing them as fully human is crucial.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11330396

*Diaspora Radio Network

As part of Black history month celebrations, Jean Jabouin, Betty Sylvestre and Steve Robinson discuss Nigeria and its connections to the Black Diaspora.

*AfrotBrit

Site of Black popular culture and history in the UK - click on media for a short video on the history of the Black Welsh in Britain - “ButeTown” in Tiger Bay.

*
Malcolm X on Zionism

Interesting to note that little has changed since he made this speech in 1964

*King Leopolds Ghost

King Leopold II of Belgium “genocidal plunder” of the Congo by Adam Horchschild is published online.

*Black History 4 Schools

Excellent project on Black history and not just for schools

*
I Love Jimi

Every you ever wanted to know about Jimi Hendrix.

*The Second Slavery Ship

Hakeem Babalola tries to answer some questions on Africa

Why did they murder my grandmother for being an oracle who was benevolent to her society? Who killed Fela Anikulapo-Kuti? What killed Bob Marley? What prevents African intellectuals like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ali Mazrui etc, from living permanently in their continent? Why do African rulers siphon money and, or prefer to die in white woman land? Is it because they have – at one time or another – aboard the Second Slavery Ship?

Tags: Black History

Ethan of My Heart’s in Accra recently posted a piece on China asking "Chinese trade with Africa - good or bad news? 

"I’m a firm believer that a positive transformation of the African continent will come from increased trade, both between African nations and with other continents. But it’s hard not to have mixed feelings about the  news that trade between China and Africa has increased 39% over the last year."

As Ethan points out African countries like to trade with China as unlike with the West there  are no conditions, no questions, just trade which especially suits  repressive regimes like those in Zimbabwe and Sudan. 

China’s latest move is a $2.27 billion deal to buy a 45 percent stake in a substantial offshore oil field in Nigeria

China needs oil, and China is working everywhere" said Shen Dingli, an international relations expert at Fudan University in Shanghai.

And what will be their approach towards the  Niger Delta, it’s ecology and people? Will they continue the abusive bully boy tactics of the Western multinationals such as Chevron and Shell destroying the environment and people’s livelihoods? Or will they use a more inclusive and respective approach negotiating directly with local communities?  Judging by China’s track record of human rights and respect of the environment in China and their record in Sudan, I suspect that little will change for the people of the Niger Delta and may in fact become worse. 

Tags: China Niger Delta Nigeria Oil