World Conference against Racism 2001

It was even eclipsed because it ended September 8th and then was eclipsed by the events of 9-11 25 years ago.

That eminently forgettable event, yet another UN conference that turned into a farce, has actually taught lessons to, I'm sorry to say, too many Americans and too many people around the world about colonialism, oppressor-oppressor, settler colonialism, the evils of Zionism, Zionism is racism, all these ridiculous cliches that were weaponized at the Durban Conference and entered into the intellectual bloodstream, especially on the far left in the progressive world.

And so it's heartbreaking to see, even as I talk about 9-11 as a story of redemption overall in the United States of America, we see now a division in America that is more and more toxic.

And we see, I'm sorry to say, a left wing in America and a far right wing in America that has absorbed anti-Americanism and at frustration with america that is disproportionate to the problems of america and so twenty five years later we do see a mixed bag

Would Abdul Saeed have won his election in 2016? Michigan, had it not been for these young students and talking about what was happening with the genocide? No.

Would AIPAC be on the back foot? AIPAC, that all, you know, powerful lobbying group that foundations dare not challenge? I remember coming back from the Durban Conference, which was the World Conference Against Racism and Other Forms of Discrimination in 2001.

And the Ford Foundation being absolutely eviscerated for having funded Palestinian groups and having had those groups be part of marches in Durban saying Zionism was a form of discrimination.

Here we are in 2026, and we owe young people a huge debt, young Jewish people a huge debt in particular.

Would Abdul Saeed have won his election in 2016? Michigan, had it not been for these young students and talking about what was happening with the genocide? No.

Would AIPAC be on the back foot? AIPAC, that all, you know, powerful lobbying group that foundations dare not challenge? I remember coming back from the Durban Conference, which was the World Conference Against Racism and Other Forms of Discrimination in 2001.

And the Ford Foundation being absolutely eviscerated for having funded Palestinian groups and having had those groups be part of marches in Durban saying Zionism was a form of discrimination.

Here we are in 2026, and we owe young people a huge debt, young Jewish people a huge debt in particular.

... we're gonna quiet get going on September 8th with some interviews and some articles and stuff.

Um, it's because that's when the Durban Conference ended in South Africa in 2001, and three days later was 9/11.

And-

Was that a coincidence, Richard?

Part four, as she was known, Swaminini, Teri Asgun Gitananda.

She was a swami she did this work swamini and when you listen to her music including the chance the meditation music that now survives there was a huge fire back in 2008 that destroyed a great deal of the back catalog of she lewis armstrong uh um the masters that is she armstrong her husband john coltrane many others disney gillespie but her music survives so cosmic music here at the end of Black August include Alice Coltrane in that work of remembering particularly cultural meaning makers and of course I want to mention as well today there is something called the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Durban meeting remember it was August 2001, when 400 plus Africans from around the world, mostly out of the United States, convened with others at the Durban Conference Against Racism and Xenophobia, sponsored by the United Nations.

The United States did not send the delegation.

Colin Powell wanted to go, but George W. Bush wouldn't let him.