Far From the Africa Crowd

Every week-at least when other interesting things dont carry me away, i spend some time watching C-SPAN. It is my favorite in a fish bowl and sea of TV channels. I like to see and know whats happening in washington and around the world. C-SPAN covers everything and does so in a true unbiased and non-partisan fashion. All the different C-SPAN channels are funded by US cable operators and provided as a public service.

If i did not listen or see what happened around the world on NPR, PBS and those channels and media that are truely out to serve the public-on any given day, then i go to C-SPAN and see whats up in the news and in what fashion things occured and were reported.

If you know the US media market-you realize there is a plethora of 24×7 news channels all over the place-all competing for our eyes and ears-but to be unique-to distance oneself from the crowd, you can only do what C-SPAN does. C-SPAN is not CNN, not MSNBC, not FOX News nor is it the BBC world. Its C-SPAN

The original C-SPAN idea was for gavel-to-gavel coverage of the US house and senate, but today-focus has shifted to include general public affairs. At C-SPAN-it is journalism at its best. C-SPAN was founded in 1979. Today, it has 3 TV channels-C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 There is also C-SPAN radio. Brian Lamb-the man you see doing the short, quiz type interviews on Q& A and Washignton Journal-is president and CEO.

I have been watching for several years- now i am an admitted disciple-follower.

This Saturday morning, it is Washington Journal and the national teacher of the year award. The young African American recipient teacher from Maryland is elated but calm and answering questions from a live phone in interview. The day before, she was shown with US president GW Bush receiving her award in the presence of the first lady and also education secretary Margaret Spellings.

Most weeks on C-SPAN, it is the top newsmakers of the day, events around the globe; Iraq, Iran, China, Africa, India, senate hearings on all kinds of issues. C-SPAN is also the prime ministers questions-Canadian, British, Australian, Indian etc, pentagon briefings, Q&A with Brian lamb and much more.

Here-the top media practitioners show their talents and skills-asking tough questions, seeking for answers and solutions from whatever events they are covering. It is here that the daily white house briefings are aired live for the most part, defense secratary Rumsfeld stands behind the podium to answer reporters questions, the state department spokesperson briefs the press on the whereabouts of Secretary Rice and how she is pushing the administrations diplomatic initiatives around the world. Its the world’s agenda from far and near-thats what is shown on C-SPAN-with a careful and thoughtful consideration for the public’s right to know.

The cool thing is that all sides of every issue-are presented without bias in a balanced fashion-mostly unedited That is my best guess. I also like the announcers-interviewers-voice overs-they are unique-the transitional background music between segments. It is highly inspiration and makes me want to stay around to know more about the world. Just now-one annoucer is annoucing a White House correspondents dinner scheduled for later in the day and to be attended by the president.

The other day-i was talking about how C-SPAN has become the medium where everyone goes to watch-if they like to know what matters in this day and age. My other guess is that a lot of us think the other news channels don’t portray the same issues-fair and square. But i think- the folks at C-SPAN there decide what is of public interest that can be covered. Plus-i imagine-they have too much material that can’t all be aired-but the best get aired-based on the consequential merit of each material.

Speaking about what gets aired-very recently-it was Tavis Smiley who really thanked C-SPAN for covering his state of the black union forum. I watched the entire thing. It was a typical showcase of black American leaders and the issues of the moment. Moreover-Tavis Smiley proved again that he is amongst the best and brightest of young leaders we have in the world today.

Very recently too-it was Michelle Singletary-a financial genuis and syndicated columnist-who got me inspired in a Q& A session. At the end-i was scratching my head about where and what i do with all my dollars.

Its folks from every background and spectrum who get profiled on C-SPAN-with an ability to let their character and mission be known to the world. Its politicians on capitol hill and live debates on the US senate floor that get aired. Its where the think thank folks are seen and heard-The Council on Foreign Relations, The American Enterprise Institure, The US national press club, The Kennedy School of Government at harvard and a lot more. You get to know what is hot and trendy-who is doing what and what everyone is up from far and near.

Africa-it comes in sound bites or bit and pieces- vis-a-vis C-SPAN and other news media. I heard the other day that Anegelina Jolie plans to give birth in Namibia. Several of my high school buddies were from Namibians. I wonder where everyone is and what everyone is doing. My guess is-if Angelina is in Naminia-it means someone in America gets to learn about Namibia. Where is it on the map? Is Sam Nujoma still president of Namibia? And what is the capital of Namibia. Now-someone’s got to look that up.

On the NBC nightly news-i heard George Clooney-is spear-heading efforts and drumming up more support for Darfur. Its a plus for Africa because someone cares and likes to see the rest of humankind live and prosper in Peace. On the downside, Africa and Africans continue to be seen in negative terms. But where is the the middle ground. A concern to help bring peace in Darfur by Mr. Clooney or a projection that tarnishes Africa’s image or Angelina Jolie staying in Namibia.
You tell me.

Put aside academics-they say, knowledge is power. The more stuff you know; movies, music, ancient history, rap, history and politics, computers, telecommunications and technology; the more power you seem to have in your own hands. Power in this case comes from the ability to compete past your peers-you get ahead and stay on top of the game-at work, in school and every where.

When it comes to the book and publishing industry in America-the country of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Bill Clinton et al-books and literature of their kind is where money and power have shifted. Its about presidential libraries for past and former presidents. Everyone starts to build their libraries right before they are out of office. Well-the presidential folks have only 8 years at the maximum and they are gone. The libraries that they build, mostly out of donations and gifts from foundations of all sorts, are filled with mountains of books, history, artifacts and all sorts of stuff. Then citizens and dignitaries alike would come in turns and drink from these fountians of knowledge.

The book publishers also would donate books to these and many other libraries. Have you ever been to a major public library these days. The best sellers sell like hot cake, the technology gadgets and other cool things are all published in the tech magazines, the business journals and more. There is all sorts of things to savor in this country of books. My favorite thing is to read the papers that talk about things in the far and wide; Newsweek, Time, Focus on Africa, Africa Today etc. There is also Ebony, Essence, Television Week, Broadcasting & Cable and the like. You can also spend some time and surf the web and check out other cool things.

Today-many of the dailys and weekly’s are talking about a young harvard author-writer. They say she was caught in the act of plagiarism and the story is now public.

They say-she has admitted lifting passages from the works of another writer. Suddenly-she’s become famous-she has already signed a six figure book deal with her publishing company. Yesterday-she made an appearance on the morning talk shows and apologized for her unintentional mistake. She said-it was the result of some sort of internalization. I don’t blame her-it seems like the kind of mistake we all make when we adore something and go back to it many many times out of love. The supposed lifted passages appear similar but not exactly the same. Is it stealing, copy-cat work, plagiarism or whatever? I don’t know.

But i know something else. In as much as we all like to jump and start to castigate this young author, i rather draw some lessons out of it. The fact is-we know that young folks have ambitions-not to steal material from the works of other writers-but rather that they can prove their worth-to be smart and intelligent in this day and age. Young folks can show and prove that they have read the words of many other writers and can sift through fact and fiction. Check this out-the initial allegations-were reported by a reporter for the Harvard Crimson online. Its true-writers, journalists and the average newspaper reader alike-are smart. Moreover the really smart folks are those who have read lots of stuff. I am amazed at the literature that i see being read every day in the book stores; The Davinci Code, Harry Potter and whatever, The World is Flat and you name it.

America is also a movie nation too-with hollywood churning out all kinds of stuff everyday. Sometimes-the ordinary folks will spend a lot of time checking everything out for themselves. Plus-today’s young folks know even more stuff to the extend of even internalizing some of them.

I will never get into an argument with a young high school folk-because they are getting on top of the game-even on African stuff-nowadays. There is a book out there about africa-Its called “Africa is not a Country” by Margy Burns Knight and targeted towards American kids. I have to go check it out.

I am left to wonder about other young African folks in Africa who don’t have a lot to read or even internalize. Maybe we should start to internalize African leaders-African writers-our own nobel leareates-peace activists.

In Africa, the shift is now from small school libraries to bigger libraries online. The band width is widening with many governments realizing the benefits of the internet and computers. Now-Africa folks will start to read more about their world and the other worlds outside their immediate environments. I will say-let Africa get even better with learning about Africa-Let Africa get better also with embracing the globalization challenge-of more democracy, of more free presses, of more accountability-because-that is how we meet the world.

How about we start to internalize good democratic values and principles-How about we continue to give every African child a good and better chance to a better life to live their full potentials.

We are gettign there-

Hu Jintao, President of the people’s republic of China just wrapped up a visit to the US April 21st, 2006. I love the people of China and respect them for their ingenuity and talents. President Hu’s visit reminded me of my Chinese friend and room-mate of several years ago, James Song, with whom I had the opportunity to celebrate a Chinese new year. James lived and worked in the US as a software engineer and was very wise and frugal in his living.

This visit to America by President Hu was said to be good and bad for America. Good because he stopped by and had high level meetings with Bill Gates of Microsoft and met with officials at Boeing, America’s aeronautics giant. At both instances, I heard, China signalled plans to pump tons of the Chinese Yuan into the US economy as a result of trade negotiations and agreements with Boeing and Microsoft respectively. Also, it is said, president Hu plans to help crack down and fight to protect intellectual property rights in China when he goes back home.

In DC, it was not so good, according to analysts for CNN and FOX news. President George W. Bush, news reports say, was not tough enough to press for better human rights in China. The issue of Taiwan and Tibet were left hanging in the balance-it is said. Mr. HU made no promises on fairer trade with the US and China is still the odd couple in the war on terror and nuclear weapons especially on Iran. Not so good because, it was reported ,a reporter with US press credentials, yelled at the Chinese visitor at a White House meeting and caused President Bush to apologize to his Chinese counterpart.

Now-it is reported that President Hu is on his way to Africa, with plans to visit Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco. Is a visit to Africa by a Chinese president good or bad for the continent? I am bound to ask the same questions I asked on trade, development, peace and security in Africa and how Mr. Hu’s travel to Africa will benefit the continent.

What will Africa gain from a visit to Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco by the world’s number one communist nation? Will it be trade, oil, and infrastructure, the spread of a communist ideology or to pit China against America in Africa? Will Africa learn anything from China’s sudden rise as a potential super-power? Will Africa lean anything about trade with the rest of the world? Will Nigeria be selling more oil to China or to the USA or will the international market price decide who gets more oil? Will it be fair trade and fair game to Africa? Does China support any form of democratic governance and human rights in Africa. Does China show support for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa?

And to be fair to both China and America, is America only in interested in oil in Africa for so-called geo-political and strategic reasons or does Africa deserve to be Africa and treated fairly and squarely on trade, democracy, freedoms and liberty. Does anyone really care that Africa can be a self sufficient continent and respected for its customs and values when it comes to these matters?

Is anyone thinking what I am thinking?

See you next time.