Caribbean

Hundreds, Angered by Inflation, Storm Parliament in South America’s Suriname

Hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police on Friday in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Several dozen of the protesters were able to force their way into the National Assembly building, but were driven back with tear gas, while others burned and looted shops across the city. The United Nations expressed concerns on Monday that more violence could be in store, possibly building into an effort to overthrow President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

Protests in Paramaribo, Suriname on February 17 2023. (Photo by RANU ABHELAKH/AFP via Gett

Cornell University: No ‘Intellectual Justification’ for Caribbean Studies Minor

Cornell University has rejected a proposal to create a “Caribbean Studies” minor. Other universities, including Rutgers, Wesleyan, NYU, and the University of Michigan already offer a minor in Caribbean Studies. Cornell’s Africana Studies department chair Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò argues there is no “intellectual justification” to create a Caribbean Studies minor.

cornell

Hayward: Give Thanks for Your Freedom as Everyone from Hong Kong to Iraq Fights for Theirs

Protest movements are sweeping the world, from Hong Kong to Iraq. Protesters in each country are aware of the other movements and frequently give them shout-outs or adopt their tactics. The fate of all these movements is uncertain, but they share a more unambiguous commitment to sovereignty than most global protest stories of the past few decades, and perhaps an understanding that national and cultural identity are vital weapons against authoritarian hegemonic powers. Smaller governments may not guarantee freedom and human rights, but big ones almost guarantee their absence.

Students hold the US flag and sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the Hong Kong University (H