Zimbabwe HU Resist Imperialism Forever
By
Obi Egbuna Jr
Because of its relationship to the Mid Atlantic Slave Trade and its role as the modern-day anchor for their extended relatives who crafted the blueprint for European Colonialism and Imperialism, Africans everywhere keep the US Government and what is referred to as the Nation’s Capital Washington DC, under a rather intense microscope. This has become a prerequisite for all daughters and sons of Mother Africa regardless of where we fall on the ideological spectrum, in other words from the left to the right, Washington DC has and always will receive our undivided attention.
This explains why we must extend a heartfelt congratulations to the 400 students at Howard University, who will eternally be remembered in the annals of history simply as HU Resist, for their historic nine-day occupation and protest of the Mordecai Wyatt Johnson Administration building.
Based on the tone and expression HU Resist represented a continuum of the administration building takeovers in 1968 and 1989, which explains why central figures in both of those previous efforts, were very forthcoming when lending their voices and expertise to this movement.
The HU Resist movement used this platform to address immediate issues IE Gestapo like tactics by HU campus police, the impact of gentrification on campus-community relations, their living conditions in the dormitories, mental health and sexual abuse.
Arguably one of HU Resists most unique maneuvers was the decision to temporarily name the administration building the Kwame Ture student center in honor of the world-renowned Pan Africanist freedom fighter, who is one of Howard’s most beloved and revered graduates.
Ironically 20 years after his passing Kwame Ture’s Pan Africanist track record and pedigree continues to make him appealing on the campus he considered his home away from home, Howard is also home to a campus-based organization called the Kwame Ture Society. Four years ago a community-based children’s history and theater company called Mass Emphasis, debuted a play entitled Same Neighborhood Different Perspectives: A Conversation Between General Colin Powell and Kwame Ture in the Armour J. Blackburn Center.
During his 31 year effort to build the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party, that was first called into existence by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare, Brother Ture stressed the invaluable contributions of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois to the Pan African Movement, it was none other than the Osagyefo who called Dr. DuBois the father of modern-day Pan Africanism.
The image of a banner with Kwame Ture’s name on it being placed over the name of Howard’s most decorated President Mordecai Johnson had broader historical implications than the students themselves perhaps realized.
Back in 1951 Dr. E. Franklin Frazier who was teaching at Howard University was selected to chair a dinner tribute to Dr. DuBois to celebrate his 83rd birthday, Dr. Johnson had agreed to be one of the honorary chairpersons of the sponsoring group of this monumental occasion, however when Dr. DuBois was indicted as a criminal for not registering as an agent of a foreign power in the peace movement, Dr. Johnson who was a speaker on the program suddenly declined to appear.
The venue chosen to host this tribute dinner coincidentally canceled was the Essex Hotel in New York City, where another distinguished Howard Alum legendary recording artist Donny Hathaway committed suicide 28 years later. Our beloved Brother jumped from the 15thfloor battling the same mental depression HU Resist raised as one of its key issues.
Whereas Dr. Johnson oversaw the ruler of Ethiopia His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie in January of 1954 received an Honorary Degree for Howard, Brother Kwame and the AAPRP provided key support to the Eritrean Revolution under the leadership of the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front, whose quest for self determination put them on a collision course with the Emperor due to his feudalistic and reactionary declaration as ruler of Eritrean and Somalian territory.
When the brain trust of HU Resist discussed students and alumni having input in the future of the University’s direction, this was a call for intensification what Brother Kwame called to struggle in the ideological arena, and what Commandante Fidel Castro framed as the 21stcentury becoming an intensification for the battle of ideas.
Since the beginning of the 3rd Chiumrenga the government and people of Zimbabwe, who study and pay close attention to the role of so-called African Americans in facilitating the US-EU Imperialism’s regime change agenda, have kept activity at Howard University under a watchful eye.
One year after her historic election victory as the first so-called African American woman to become Mayor of Atlanta in 2001, Shirley Franklin during her commencement address heaped praise on the Government and People of Zimbabwe. Later that year former Mayor Franklin informed the former Zimbabwe Ambassador to the US Dr. Simbi Mubako that she was interested in developing a Sister City link with Zimbabwe.
In his capacity as a Fulbright fellow, HU Professor Dr. John Trimble who is also a member of one of the factions of the AAPRP helped organize international conferences on appropriate technology in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya.
It is no secret that Amnesty International under the guise of Human Rights is a full-fledged participant in the US-EU Imperialism’s Zimbabwe regime change agenda. During his brief stint as Amnesty International’s program coordinator a former Howard University student government President and Student Rep to the Board of Trustees, Jonathan Hutto shared confidentially that Amnesty International was using the banner of gay rights to demonize and isolate Zimbabwe.
On June 3, 2003, the former President of Zimbabwe H.E. Robert Mugabe received a rather condescending and accusatory open letter from the President of the now defunct Trans Africa Forum Mr. Bill Fletcher. One of the main signatories was none other than the former US Ambassador to Botswana Dr. Horace Dawson who established the Ralph J Bunche International Affairs Center in 1993 and became its director in 1997. Ambassador Dawson is primarily responsible for Howard ranking no 1 among HBCU Peace Corps Volunteers. Howard’s current President Dr. Wayne Frederick who was the main target of HU resist movement was quoted as saying “When Howard students and alumni travel to other countries as Peace Corps Volunteers, they represent Howard’s long history of leadership and understanding through education and service”. What Ambassador Dawson, Dr. Frederick and their main benefactor former Congressman Charles Rangel will have to answer are who fosters these student’s understanding and who exactly are they serving. Rangel also was an ardent supporter of US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Another distinguished HU alum Dr. Kwame Agyei Akoto who is one of the founders of NationHouse Positive Action Center and its Executive Director and author of Nation-building: Theory and Practice in Afrikan- Centered Education has a son who is married into the Movement for Democratic Change diaspora network inside US borders.
In 2007 the current Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka who was a former HU student government Vice President, who is 2007 when it was a councilman for the Southward in Newark signed a resolution denouncing the Bush and Blair administrations for using political muscle to prevent Zimbabwe from having access to Global Fund resources to fight the deadly HIV-AIDS pandemic.
Since Newark is the political stomping ground of the late Congressman Donald Payne who was the loudest Democratic voice for regime change in Zimbabwe on Capitol Hill a baton that has been picked up by current US Senator and former Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Mayor Baraka has a decision to make concerning using his platform to fight to have US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe lifted once and for all.
During his tenure as chair of the New Black Panther Party HU alum, Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz made a splash by visiting Zimbabwe and meeting with former Zimbabwean Vice President Joice Mujuru, in 2009 Shabazz and NBPP were signatories on a historic appeal sent to the Obama administration calling for the lifting of US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe.
The internationally acclaimed filmmaker Haile Gerima who has been a Professor at Howard teaching film for many years has been very critical of ZANU-PF, primarily for the decision to grant political exile status to former Ethiopian President Mengistu Haile Miriam. Gerima’s bitterness led him to roll out the red carpet for the wife of former ZANU leader Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, Mrs. Vesta Sithole when she was on tour promoting her book My Life with an Unsung Hero. One of Mrs. Sitole stops on her book tour was Sankofa Video Books and Cafe which is direct across the street from Howard and owned by Professor Gerima. Howard is also where Mrs. Sithole’s nephew Chandiwana Sithole who is currently the Special Projects manner at the US State Department and USAID was enrolled in a Ph.D. program.
Howard’s TV station WHUT-TV is currently home to the Rock Newman show whose host is currently on Howard’s Board of Trustees and has on numerous occasions openly expressed his support for the Government and People of Zimbabwe. Mr. Newman was a student when former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe visited the campus and stated his open invitation for so-called African Americans to come home to Zimbabwe. Mr. Newman describes this gesture as one of the turning points in his life.
Two key figures who are Howard Alum who have defended Zimbabwe against US-EU propaganda have been Dr. Wilmer Leon and Dr. Fahima Secka. For the last 15 years, Dr. Leon on his nationally syndicated radio show on Sirius XM Inside the Issues has aggressively defended Zimbabwe’s people and government and denounced the sanctions. For 12 years Dr. Secka has used platforms on PACIFICA Radio and Radio-One owned by Cathy Hughes who Howard’s school of communications is named after, to counter the regime change narrative by US-EU Imperialism.
The existing divide concerning Zimbabwe inside the Howard community is a microcosm of the broader African community at home and abroad. We will either stand with the people and government of Zimbabwe or with those aiming to uphold the colonial legacy of the war criminals Oliver Otis Howard and Cecil John Rhodes.
Obi Egbuna Jr is the US Correspondent for the Herald and External Relations Officer of ZICUFA(Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association) his email is obiegbuna15@gmail.com
