Independent since 2002 Issue No. 1102 Week of November 7, 2026 Get the free email dispatch →

Category: The African World

The African World

The Vatican and Palestine

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

What the Vatican did was to say to the world that the Palestinian people are simply not going to be forgotten or dismissed.

The announcement that the Vatican is recognizing the state of Palestine knocked me out of my chair. Though the NY Times described this as largely “symbolic”…

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The African World

Zimmerman: The Question of Self-Defense and the Hunting of Black Folks

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

Were an African American to shoot and kill a white youth who s/he believed was a threat, there is little question but that such a person would be found guilty of something, assuming that they were not first lynched.

I could not help myself. I kept listening to the pundits, both the night before and the morning of the verdict. I need to say that…

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The African World

The Uprising in Egypt Is Not Over

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

The Egyptian military is an unreformed institution. There has been no purge. It is not led by revolutionary elements. It is both a military and economic institution that has been central to the stability of the Egyptian State. It has shown no interest in a progressive, democratic transformation of Egypt.

I have remained very cautious in responding to the events in Egypt. To this day it remains unclear to me whether what has unfolded is a…

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The African World

So, Why Do We Need a Minimum Wage?

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

if the federal minimum wage had kept up with the increases in productivity, it would stand today at roughly $22/hour rather than $7.25.

When I received a call from BlackCommentator.com publisher, Peter Gamble, the other day, I assumed that it was BC business. To my surprise he wanted to…

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The African World

Dangers Associated With The Syrian Proxy War

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

Try as they might, the pro-democracy movement, which was never under the leadership of any one organization, found it difficult to retain a commitment to non-violence. This was especially the case once a new factor entered the picture: Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

While it is positive that the USA and Russia have been discussing a peaceful resolution to the Syrian civil war, the reality is that this conflict…

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The African World

Emulating Malcolm X

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

Regardless of one’s analysis of the Nation of Islam - then or now - the reality is that it provided a stepping stone for numerous black men and women who were caught in the abyss of despair, and demonstrated a path through which they could rebuild their lives and their integrity.

On or around May 19th and February 21st, many Black activists reflect upon the life and work of Malcolm X, with the former his birthday and…

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The African World

She’s No Terrorist: The Bizarre Move By The FBI Against Assata Shakur

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

Label someone a “terrorist” and all sorts of actions can be justified, including targeted killings whether through drones or renegade bounty hunters.

Seemingly out of nowhere the FBI announced that fugitive Black activist Assata Shakur was now declared a “terrorist” on their Most Wanted list. In addition, a…

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The African World

Obama’s hostility towards Venezuela

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

It suggests that the USA will continue to exert its influence through implied threats.

When President Obama was first elected, in 2008, much of the world waited to see what sorts of changes he would introduce in the relationship of…

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The African World

How Do You Spell ‘Terrorism’?

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

terrorism is, in fact, being used in the USA as a word to describe political killings that serve a political motive that arbitrarily place white people in danger.

The bombings in Boston left me with a feeling of having been kicked in the stomach. They represented an atrocity. And in the immediate aftermath I…

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The African World

Watching Oliver Stone’s “The Untold History of the United States”

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Editorial Board

Am I hallucinating? Is this actually on mainstream television?

Showtime is re-running Oliver Stone’s ten part documentary, The Untold History of the United States. Truth be told, I stumbled across this when it was originally…

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