About one century ago a man by the name of Marcus Garvey started one of history’s most progressive movements that shook the entire world.

After traveling through different countries he realized that the black populaition around the world faced similar obstacles to freedom, and that the causes that produce those obstacles are also similar. That spurred him to establish in 1919 the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League; UNIA-ACL. The main purpose was black upliftment and African unity.

Although the headquarters and base for this remarkable Pan-African organisation were in the United States, there were several important divisions in the Caribbean, Central- and South America, Asia and of course Africa. What these divisions all had in common was consciousness of being Africans. Regardless if they spoke Spanish, English or French they were Africans.

Although the organisation did not reach its final destination, it has inspired movements and activsts from the very beginning, and still continues to exert tremendous impact on the world today. Kwame Nkrumah, Malcolm X, and The Black Panthers are just some of those who found inspiration in this great Pan-African movement.

One of the head cornerstones of the UNIA was the Black Star Line. This was a shipping line incorporated to link Africans around the world and create an independent economic development. Hence to take controll of our own destiny.

Our name the BLACKSTARLINE is a symbolic tribute to its predecessor, and a continuation in the spirit and tradition of African consciousness.

The speaker of the Ivorian National Assembly said in an interview:

“What is required is that all those who are today concsious of the dificulities encountered in the attempt to reform the UN, difficulities encountered by the African Union to resolve crises due to influence exerted over the leaders by ex-colonial powers, must mobilise to spread information in African countries, create networks across Africa to defend the rights of the African masses wherever they are violated.”

Ghanian writer Ayi Kwei Armah wrote:

“What is needed is an intelligent recognition that the addiction to old colonial habits and boundaries is poisoning life in Africa on a daily, hourly basis. Change would come in the form of unity. To work toward unity significant numbers of Africans would have to grow into a new and active sense of continental identity. It sounds obvious but needs stating: it will take concsious, active Africans, individuals and groups ready to live purposefully as Africans, to create the human Africa of the future.”

We the BLACKSTARLINE crew find all this as obvious calls to organise and activate ourselves and our fellow Africans. One person can not do everything, but all of us can do something. BLACKSTARLINE intends to contribute to the Panafrican tradition by providing our visitors with up to date information about what is going on in the African world. In addition to this, we are working on a community to function as a platform for dedicated Africans to meet and interact with each other.

Welcome aboard the BLACKSTARLINE!

Executive Editor
Samson Beshir