The Black-Ass Kenyan Youth Sparking Global Protest

Young people across the continent are rising up.

Welcome to This Black-Ass Life! This week, we want to discuss the young people in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria rising up through protest and demanding better of their leaders.

l. The Facts

Driven by shared grievances around income inequality, poor governance, inept old AF leaders, and corruption, Kenyans, Ugandans, and Nigerians have taken to the street.

• In June, Kenyan youth-led protests stormed Parliament over tax hikes, fueled by frustration with the governing elite playing in people's faces. In a country where 67% of young people aged 15-34 are unemployed or underemployed, Kenyan Parliamentarians just can't stop showing off their luxury cars. Economic inequality and misgovernance at its finest. 

• Inspired by their Kenyan neighbor, young people in Uganda ignored autocratic leader's Yoweri Museveni's call to "stoooooppppppp, or I'll get really mad!" and took to the streets last month rallying against government corruption, demanding accountability. Museveni, who will be 80 next month, has re-committed to banning protests. 

• This month, Nigerian youth launched mass protests against rising living costs given the cost of food has tripled and poverty has increased significantly. What does President Tinubu have to say? "I hereby enjoin protesters and the organizers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue." Hungry people should most definitely create room for dialogue. 

Why does it matter?

• When people organize they win. Young Kenyans scored an incredible victory last month and forced their President from moving forward with a regressive tax policy. 

• As we shared in our last newsletter, we’re all we’ve got with our liberation beginning in our own neighborhoods. 

• Wealth inequality is an issue across the continent, and very few hold the majority of wealth and resources. It means something that these mostly youth-led movements are declaring they are fed up with politics as usual, leaving whole communities hungry, disenfranchised, and without resources. 

• Also, protest moves the needle. Just look at how protest worked in the US to improve the response to clear calls against violence and genocide.

What can my Black ass do?

• First, trust and follow the lead of fed up young people. 

• Read up on the protests and strikes through the #RevoutionNow hashtags and through articles including here, here, and here (this read covers protests in additional countries including Senegal, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Ghana).

II. Other Things

Black-ass happenings.

• D.C. Library’s recommended reading for James Baldwin’s Centennial. 

• We have to discuss the stunning Black women of Olympics track and field. 

• This is a wild family tree.

• A spotlight of Black upcyclers tackling textile waste.

• On the work Halle Berry has put in to be the action star she is.

Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):

• I’m inspired by catching Missy and Ciara on tour, so I present Pass That Dutch and Lose Control.

Things we look forward to / Things we recommend:

• I (Jumoke) look forward to seeing Jaja's African Hair Braiding.

• I (Mitu) recommend Hunter Harris’s substack, which makes me laugh every week.

lll. Text from a Black-Ass Parent

Kamala’s campaign team may be working hard, but Nigerian WhatsApp is working harder. 

Stay Black, have a snack, and take a nap today.