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Ghana Steps Forward While Moving Sideways

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Ghana Steps Forward While Moving Sideways

By Kazembe Batts
IG: @kazbatts
Ghanian President John Dramini Mahama visited the United States last week. While in NYC he continued his countries vanguard role in encouraging Pan-Africanism and its current leadership in fighting for reparations for African people. He validated the long-time organizing of pan-Africanist by endorsing a historic anti-slavery resolution.

Also on that same recent March 24th Day, Ghana signed a new Security and Defense Partnership with the European Union marks a major strategic shift, making Ghana the first African country to enter this framework.


The “Declaration of the Trafficking od Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity” General Assembly resolution (A/80/L.48), led by President Mahama, was front and center last week on the East Side of Manhattan.

Veteran NYC based, human rights leaders Prof. James Smalls, Queen Mother Deloris Blakely, Dr. Ron Daniels, and others were among the attendees who witnessed and were acknowledged by presenter Rev. Al Sharpton when he shared an African American perspective during the March 24th “anti-slavery reparations resolution” hearings inside the United Nations Headquarters.

President Mahama stated “We come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a root to healing and reparative justice. The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting.”


The formal resolution passed by most of the world, including 123 countries, recognizes the transatlantic trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.” It calls for reparatory justice. Described as: 1) Full and formal apologies, 2) Restitution of stolen cultural artifacts, 3) Compensation and rehabilitation, 4) Structural reforms to address systemic racism, 5) Guarantees of non repetition and emphasizes the enduring global inequalities rooted in slavery’s legacy. Only three countries, the United States, Argentina and Israel voted “No” on the resolution.

The USA’s formal position is “to reject the notion that modern-day nations should pay compensation for historical actions that were not illegal under international law when they occurred. Does the United Nations have the capacity to implement the resolution? Historically, due to the structure of the Security Council, where five-member non-African nations possess veto authority, the implementation of African priorities and commitments has remained unfulfilled. Will the resolution be purely a symbolic victory?


Meanwhile, although not prominently mentioned in the American news media, an understanding that could immediately effect Africa was codified. On the very same day the anti-slavery resolution was debated Ghana signed a defense treaty with the European Union. The new Security and Defense Partnership with the European Union marks a major strategic shift.

The West African state becomes the first African nation to join the EU’s global security partnership network, which includes the UK, Canada, Norway and Japan.

The agreement deepens cooperation on counter terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security, and crisis response. The United States is known to have military assets stationed throughout Africa, including Ghana.


Some see Ghana’s leaning on “the West” for assistance as a practical necessity to maintain security of the state. Others, acknowledging history and current global geopolitical situation, see the agreement as entrenching a neo-colonial relationship between Africa and Europe that runs counter to true independence and sovereignty.

A step back from the promise of Ghana’s founding President Kwame Nkrumah’s vision. Ghana borders Burkina Faso, one of the three nations that make up the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Ghana is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which threatened to start a war with the AES after the AES withdrew from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025. The three West African allied states foreign relations have gone the opposite way with the expulsion of European military forces, especially France. This has inspired African people, especially youth, worldwide.


Initiating and moving within the global stage are responsibilities of African national leaders. Can words, meetings, and resolutions lead to a better quality of life for the masses of people. Are demanding reparations and resources as compensation for undeniable historic racial oppression, then agreeing to allow the outgrowth of that historic racial oppression to have a major say in how your nation maintains security a compatible strategy? Maybe or maybe not.

For sure, Black people need reparations and security to build a better future society. Can global Black leadership be strategic and get what we need? Are African leaders confronting the right issues and moving the masses of people forward? Demanding choices and hard decisions are needed in these fast-changing times.

A Strong Start: Mets Rise, Yanks Dominate

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A Strong Start: Mets Rise, Yanks Dominate

By Eddie Castro
The 2026 Major League Baseball season kicked off last week with many expectations once again for both the Yankees and Mets. The Mets are looking to take a few steps forward after taking a huge step back last year as the team struggled in the second half last year and missed the playoffs. The Mets began the season at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates while the Yankees were out west in the beautiful stadium of Oracle Park for a three-game set against the Giants.


If you are a Mets fan, their performance during the first three-game series is a very encouraging sign. The team was able to knock out opposing Ace pitcher Paul Skenes in the first inning of the game collecting five runs on four hits with two walks. It was the shortest outing for the 2025 National League Cy Young award winner in his career. The Mets offense showed poise and patience against Skenes. The second game of the series showed Pirates Pitcher Mitch Keller and Mets pitcher David Peterson go pitch for pitch.

With a 2-1 lead in the 11th inning, newly outfielder Luis Robert Jr. Made sure he properly introduced himself to the fans of Queens connecting on a game-winning walk-off three-run homer to seal Game 2. The Mets would drop the third game of the series by a score of 4-3. As we go to press, the Mets have already taken the first game of their new three-game set against the Cardinals. The team is currently locked in a four-way tie for first place in the National League East Division with a win-loss record of 3-1


If there were one concern the Yankees had going into the season, it was whether their starting pitching and bullpen would hold up. Because there are a few off days in the schedule, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone decided to go with a four-man pitching rotation leaving potential fifth starter Luis Gil to start the season in Triple A. The Yankees left San Francisco with a three-game sweep of the Giants highlighted by tremendous performances by Max Fried and Cam Schlittler. Both pitchers were sharper than a No.2 pencil in their first starts of the year. As we go to press, in four games, both the starting pitching and the bullpen have started strong giving up just 3 runs, two by the starters and one by the bullpen.

The bullpen is a more surprising stat considering out of the 24 returning players that came back with the Yankees, the two players that did leave were bullpen arms in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. It is also important to point out that the rotation is subject to change with the incoming returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, both of whom are expected to return by late May or early June.

The offense has also raised some eyes brows with their timely hitting and run production that has not come by via the home run. In four games played, the Yankees have hit just three home runs, two by Aaron Judge and one by Giancarlo Stanton. Although the season is still young, it is a great sign for both the Yankees and Mets to make a statement not only to their respective divisions, but to the entire league in general. We’ll see if both teams can continue to build on their hot starts.


Sports Notes: (Baseball) The Mets head to the West Coast to begin a four-game set against the San Francisco Giants tonight. After beginning the season with a six-game road trip, the Yankees finally return to the Bronx for their home opener on Friday afternoon against the Miami Marlins.

Helped Me Find My Voice

David Mark Greaves
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Helped Me Find My Voice

by Hortensia Gooding

On Dr. Norma Raybon, Spelman College

“To inspire” originally carried a literal sense of breathing life into something. Its meaning expanded later to include an external influence animating a person’s mind or spirit. It is the sentiment I apply to my resilient college music instructor, Dr. Norma Raybon, who inspired me to sing by breathing life into my voice.

I first joined my church’s choir around age 11, and from grades 6 through 12 I had an “average” voice. But my church choir was filled with loving, maternal women who were always gracious and supportive. My choir director was my mentor & protector, making sure I always had a ride to and from rehearsal to whichever random foster home the State of Massachusetts had assigned to me. 

Because of my disorganized childhood, I nearly missed my opportunity to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. I registered for classes over the phone and most of the required first-year classes were already full. The registrar asked if I had any hobbies or interests that would translate into courses. I casually mentioned the debate team, working after school at the Red Cross and singing in the choir. I never guessed how important the choir would be. The next thing I knew, I was enrolled in Music Theory and The Spelman College Glee Club (SCGC) under the direction of Dr. Raybon. 

Unlike my church choir that rehearsed once a week and learned music by ear, SCGC met Monday through Friday, and I learned music via sheet music. Prior to Music Theory class, I had no idea how to read sheet music. Dr. Raybon seemed not to care. She held us responsible for singing every song with breathtaking beauty and an exhausting amount of power. 

Dr. Raybon was different in that she focused on demanding intentional skill instead of rewarding genetic talent. Singing beautifully went from being forever impossible to presently difficult. Becoming an effective and reliable singer meant stacking certain habits until they became instinctive.  Singing requires very deep and consistent breathing; the engagement of muscles in my abs and my back; constantly accurate posture; keen listening; uninterrupted observation and a good memory. 

I also learned under Dr. Raybon that “singing beautifully” also requires: Punctuality. Organization. Practice. Rehearsal. Articulation. Volume. Precision. 

I was so busy absorbing these new skills and alien concepts that I had no idea I was finally learning to create art with my own body. All I knew was that Dr. Raybon was always asking for more and I was always willing to give it. 

What Dr Raybon did not tell me was as important as what she knew and perhaps intentionally did not share.  Dr. Raybon never warned me that singing could take over my identity. She did not promise free travel, billboards, hotels & beautiful clothes. She made no mention of applause, awards or financial gain. 

Yet she gave me what she knew I already had inside: tools for life.

In the fall of 2000, I was on tour as a professional gospel vocalist singing both lead & background vocals in a whirlwind tour of Australia, New Zealand, Hungary & Italy. Since then, I’ve added many cities in France, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico and here in the US. 

In New York City, I’ve had the honor to perform multiple times at Carnegie Hall, Radio City, The Apollo, City Center, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, and Aaron Davis Hall and innumerable sacred spaces and performance venues.

Dr. Norma Raybon gave me tools, and directives and standards. Because of her consistent reminders, I have permanent mental, physical and spiritual habits. Because of her expectations I am always seeking to learn music and to improve how I learn music. Because of her groundedness, being a professional vocalist is a fact instead of a compliment.

Because of her artistic generosity, I can honestly say that I sing to live and I live to sing and to inspire others coming after me. For that, I am eternally grateful.

View From Here

David Mark Greaves
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By David Mark Greaves

It is widely acknowledged, and has been for some time, that our president is a sociopath.
We looked to the midterms as being a chance at salvation, aware that the Trump regime, like the Iranian regime, will use all its levers to retain power, and law be damned.


But while the war of the midterms will intensify into November, the war with Iran is now and this president is acting as though he intends to put our soldiers’ lives at risk because of his delusions and complete absence of empathy.


Already 13 soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded. And a wound can be a piece of shrapnel and a dressing, or a lifetime with a concussive brain injury. And these may only be the beginning, because there are reports of airborne paratrooper units and marines, deploying to the area.


On the one hand, no, they can’t possibly be really thinking of putting “boots on the ground,” on Iranian territory. If so, then the thirteen men and women already lost, could be joined by 130 or 1,300 more, and the Republicans in the Senate, not having voted to stop this man, will be complicit in their deaths.


There is no one in his orbit who will tell him “No”, that’s why they’re called “Yes” people. However, he will hear “No” and hear it loudly this weekend at the “No Kings” rallies across the nation. They refuse to be complicit in the deaths of soldiers or institutions.


The rallies will be an expression of the deep frustration and even fear of what is happening to the country and the quickening pace of an AI future that we don’t feel ready for.
This is a dangerous time in the nation. There are scenes of tear gas in the air, protestors being shot, and armored masked men acting with no restraint regarding individual rights or dignity. Americans should know that this is not the first time that scenes of noise and tumult against authoritarianism have played out.


In October, 1997 we published Police Control of the Slave in South Carolina written in 1914 by Howell M. Henry, and we can see that what is happening now is not new. Henry wrote, “The precautions against insurrections, however, were rigid, one section prohibiting beating drums, blowing horns or the like which might on occasion be used to arouse slaves to insurrectionary activity.”


And Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents, are part of a long tradition that includes the abolitionists, that was so strong that Howell writes, “Some fear apparently had come to be had of unprincipled and irresponsible whites who for any reason might aid in insurrectionary movements.

The act of 1805 made it treason punishable with death for “any person” in any way to aid in an insurrection.”
These challenges to the idea of America come and go, but they don’t leave on their own accord. Only constant vigilance keeps the worst among us at bay. This is our time to fight.

Kristen Clarke Named General Counsel of the NAACP

Editor, Our Time Press
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Kristen Clarke Named General Counsel of the NAACP

The NAACP today announced that Kristen Clarke, one of the nation’s most respected civil rights attorneys and legal advocates, has been appointed General Counsel of the Association. The move comes as the Trump Administration works to erode democratic institutions and dismantle civil rights protections.

To meet the moment, the NAACP is expanding its own capabilities and ramping up its investment in its legal advocacy efforts by hiring the former senior Justice Department official to fight back.

Clarke’s appointment marks a pivotal moment for the NAACP as it mobilizes its legal firepower to protect the right to vote and doubles down on its mission to secure the civil and human rights of Black Americans and all people across the country.


“Kristen Clarke is exactly the legal mind this moment demands,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Her record of fearless advocacy, leadership, and deep commitment to justice makes her the ideal General Counsel to help chart our path forward.

As we face unprecedented attacks on voting and civil rights, having Kristen Clarke at the helm of our legal operations brings strategic vision, disciplined leadership, and innovative advocacy. It’s a new day at the NAACP’s Office of General Counsel.”

“Our communities are under relentless attack — from the ballot box to their wallets — and this moment demands that we use the full weight of the law to promote justice and accountability.”


As General Counsel, Clarke will oversee the NAACP’s legal strategy and operations, leading litigation efforts and the Association’s team of legal scholars, advising senior leadership and the Board of Directors on legal matters, and representing the Association in key legal proceedings addressing the most pressing civil rights and social justice issues of our time.

She will work closely with NAACP program teams to ensure the Association’s advocacy, policy, and legal work remain coordinated and impactful, and rooted in the lived experiences of the communities across the country that are the lifeblood of the Association’s efforts.


“The NAACP has stood on the front lines of justice for over a century, and I’m deeply honored to join this historic organization at this critical moment in our democracy,” said Kristen Clarke, NAACP General Counsel. “Our communities are under relentless attack — from the ballot box to their wallets — and this moment demands that we use the full weight of the law to promote justice and accountability.

Together, we will protect the right to vote, challenge discrimination in all its forms, and ensure that Black America’s voice is heard loud and clear.”

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