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Do Black lives matter, especially when they are being extinguished on the African continent rather than in the Global North? This was a question that emerged in conversations online and off over the past 18 months, as conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan have continued to rage with little news coverage. The wars in eastern Congo and Sudan, in different ways, are rooted in and fueled by the desires of overseas powers – national and corporate – for the rich natural resources possessed by these two African countries. The Democratic Republic has seen one of the most protracted wars in modern history, with unrest and violence in eastern Congo persisting for almost thirty years. Over these three decades, a tense and imbalanced relationship between the DRC, its neighbors, Rwanda and Uganda, and Western governments (in particular Belgium) and transnational corporations, have played a prominent role.
Since taking office, one of Donald Trump’s recurring talking points has been reclaiming U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland. During last week’s State of the Union Address, Trump smugly declared, “To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal,” prompting a standing ovation largely from his cabinet members.
As a 1.5 generation Panamanian immigrant in the United States, Trump’s inflammatory remarks trigger a deep rage within me.
“The story of my journey to the United States across the Mexican desert parallels the experiences of many migrants, yet each one of us comes to this country with our own unique stories that do not always get the chance to be told. What we do share in common, however, are the experiences of having lived through systems that pushed us out of our homelands.”