Ajamu Baraka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ajamu Baraka
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Baraka in 2016
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Ajamu Sibeko Baraka
October 25, 1953 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Green |
| Education | City College of New York University of South Florida (BA) Clark Atlanta University (MA, PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Ajamu Sibeko Baraka (born October 25, 1953) is an American activist who works for social justice. In 2016, he was the Green Party candidate for Vice President of the United States. He ran alongside Jill Stein and they received over 1.4 million votes.
Baraka is currently a national organizer and spokesperson for the Black Alliance for Peace. This group works for peace and justice for Black communities.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ajamu Baraka was born in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up on the city's South Side. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After leaving the army, he moved to the southern United States. There, he became involved in activism against segregation.
Baraka studied international relations and political science. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in 1982. He then earned his master's and PhD degrees from Clark Atlanta University in 1987. He has shared that the ideas of W. E. B. Du Bois helped shape his views on global Black movements. Baraka also supported the Nicaraguan Revolution and organized trips to Nicaragua. He later became a volunteer for Amnesty International.
Career and Human Rights Work
From 2004 to 2011, Baraka was the first executive director of the US Human Rights Network. This group grew to include over 300 organizations. He has also been on the boards of several human rights groups. These include Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Africa Action.
As a director at Amnesty International USA, Baraka helped create a campaign in 1998. This campaign aimed to show human rights problems in the United States. He also led Amnesty's program to end the death penalty in the United States. He worked on many important death penalty cases.
Baraka has taught political science at universities. Today, he writes for Black Agenda Report and CounterPunch.
Activism and Protests
In 2008, Baraka worked with over 400 groups. They created a report about how the U.S. followed a treaty against racial discrimination. They felt the U.S. government's reports did not fully address issues like racial profiling.
In September 2016, Baraka protested against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He and Jill Stein were involved in a protest where he spray-painted a bulldozer. Baraka said this action was a way to resist "corporate America."
Views and Writings
Writings by Baraka have appeared in many publications. These include Black Agenda Report, Common Dreams, and CounterPunch.
Foreign Policy Ideas
Baraka often shares his views on global issues.
Israel and Palestine
Baraka has been a strong critic of Israel. In 2014, he visited the Palestinian territories. He was part of a group that called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. They also said that the growth of Israeli settlements was a form of "colonialism." Baraka supports the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" (B.D.S.) movement. He sees it as a key tool for Palestinian freedom.
Syria and Iraq
Baraka has spoken about U.S. involvement in Iraq. He believes U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East has been harmful. He suggested that the U.S. played a part in creating groups like ISIS. He thinks this was done to gain public support for military action.
He also believes that control over natural resources, like natural gas pipelines, is a reason for conflicts in the region. Baraka has said that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is a legitimate leader. He believes that Western media has unfairly portrayed Assad.
Ukraine
After events in Odesa in 2014, Baraka said he was upset by the deaths of people defending their rights. He also suggested that the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine might have been a "false flag" operation. This means he thought it was an event designed to look like it was done by someone else.
Nigeria
Baraka has spoken against Western military action in Nigeria against the group Boko Haram. He argues that military action alone will not solve the problem. He believes the roots of the conflict are complex and historical.
Je suis Charlie Movement
In 2015, Baraka described the "Je suis Charlie" movement as supporting "white supremacy." This movement followed the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris.
Critiques of Public Figures
Baraka has shared his strong opinions about various public figures.
Bill Clinton
In 2016, Baraka criticized the family of Muhammad Ali for inviting Bill Clinton to speak at Ali's funeral. Baraka called Clinton a "petty opportunist politician."
Barack Obama
Baraka has been critical of President Barack Obama. He criticized Obama's response to the 2014 Ferguson unrest. Baraka has also argued that Obama showed too much respect to "white power." He believes Obama and others are part of a group that has been influenced by the state.
Baraka was also critical when the Obama administration did not attend a UN conference against racism in 2009. He said inviting Obama to the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington was an "insult." In 2016, he called Obama a "moral disaster."
Cornel West
In 2015, Baraka initially criticized Cornel West for supporting Bernie Sanders. West later supported the Stein/Baraka campaign.
2016 Vice Presidential Campaign
On August 1, 2016, Jill Stein, the Green Party's presidential candidate, announced that Baraka would be her running mate. They were officially nominated at the 2016 Green National Convention on August 6, 2016. In his speech, Baraka said he joined the Green Party to "build a multinational movement." This movement would be based on the needs of working people.
The Stein/Baraka ticket received over 1.4 million votes in the 2016 election.
Awards and Recognition
In 1998, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan honored Baraka as one of 300 human rights workers. In 2001, he was named "abolitionist of the year." This was for his efforts to end the death penalty in the United States.
In 2019, the US Peace Memorial Foundation gave Baraka the US Peace Prize. This was for his "bold antiwar actions, writings, speeches, and leadership." In the same year, he also received the Serena Shim Award. This award is for "Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism."
