Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire
  • omnibus

Farewell to Glen Ford, A True Friend to Eritrea
Elias Amare
03 Aug 2021
Farewell to Glen Ford, A True Friend to Eritrea
Farewell to Glen Ford, A True Friend to Eritrea

Ford's reporting on Eritrea exemplified his commitment to African liberation.

It came as shocking sad news for us to learn of the passing of a good friend of #Eritrea, comrade Glen Ford, the co-founder and Executive Editor of the Black Agenda Report. Brother Glen was one of the sharpest critics of U.S. imperialism's interventionism in Africa. Glen was also one of the few radical left Black intellectual analysts who truly understood and was able to appreciate Eritrea's steadfast struggle for genuine independence, social justice, and people-centered development.

His consistent solidarity with Eritrea's struggle was a source of inspiration. Bitsai/comrade Glen was always there for us whenever we needed him to speak at Eritrea festivals and youth conferences. He also wrote with clarity and sharp analysis about Eritrea's struggle and the complex politics of the Horn of Africa.

Listen to this brilliant keynote address of Glen Ford at the Eritrean Festival in Oakland, California, in August of 2012.

I am honored to have known brother Glen closely over the years and learned a great deal from him. He stood by us through thick and thin. I would call him every now and then to keep him posted on developments in Eritrea and the region. When on June 11, 2018, he made this interview with the Real News Network, I was very impressed with how sharp he was in his analysis. I remember having called him on June 20, a week after this interview, to let him know about Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki's speech on Martyrs' Day, in which he announced that he was sending a peace delegation to Ethiopia to assess the situation on the ground. Glen was happy to learn about the peace breakthrough for Eritrea, Ethiopia and the region. He was especially glad after the lifting of the U.S.-engineered sanctions on Eritrea at the United Nations Security Council later that year in November 2018. But he also knew that the peace would not be well-received by the powers-that-shouldn't-be in Washington and that there would be challenges and obstacles ahead.

The last I was Brother Glen Ford was four years ago in August 2017 at the Eritrea festival and conferences in Seattle – three days of lengthy discussions, debates, intense conversations and learning from an older brother and, dare I say, revolutionary mentor. At that conference Glen was especially happy to see young Eritrean Americans fully engaged in political activism and the struggle to defend Eritrea. It warms our hearts to know that, according to investigative journalist Ann Garrision, Glen thought of Eritrea and his Eritrean friends till the very end. We’ll always cherish and honor his memory and legacy.

We in the Eritrean communities in the diaspora extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Brother Glen Ford, as well as to his comrades at Black Agenda Report. We mourn the loss of such a great intellect and analyst, a powerful voice for the voiceless and a principled friend for Eritrea. He will be greatly missed.

Rest in peace, gallant fighter and honorable comrade, Glen Ford!

This article originally appeared in #Eritrea. Elias Amare’s work can be found @eliasamare on twitter.

Eritrea
Glen Ford

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles. Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


Related Stories

Humanitarian Hawks Demand War on Ethiopia, National Guard Deploys to the Horn
Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
Humanitarian Hawks Demand War on Ethiopia, National Guard Deploys to the Horn
14 December 2021
News of the deployment of National Guard troops to an unspecified location in the Horn of Africa is an indication that US interference in the r
How the Left Can Get Ethiopia Right: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with #NoMore
Filmon Zerai
How the Left Can Get Ethiopia Right: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with #NoMore
14 December 2021
The best way for leftist anti-imperialists to support Ethiopia is to not take a hardline position on the internal politics of the country.
U.S. military outposts, port facilities, and other areas of access in Africa, 2002-2015 (Nick Turse/TomDispatch, 2015)
Dina M. Asfaha, Tunde Osazua
Eritrea Versus AFRICOM: Defending Sovereignty in the Face of Imperialist Aggression
01 December 2021
The rapid expansion of AFRICOM on the African continent should be a cause for concern as African nations are quickly surrendering their soverei
#NoMore Censorship of Africa’s Roving Digital Army of Peace
Simon Tesfamariam
#NoMore Censorship of Africa’s Roving Digital Army of Peace
01 December 2021
The removal of Twitter accounts advocating for peace in the Horn of Africa shows the connection between the state and big tech companies.
Glen Ford's Journalism Fought for Black Liberation and Against Imperialism
Margaret Kimberley, BAR senior columnist
Glen Ford's Journalism Fought for Black Liberation and Against Imperialism
04 August 2021
Ford was among the few journalists who took a stance for Black liberation and against imperialism.
Glen Ford: A Remarkable Revolutionary
Danny Haiphong , BAR contributor
Glen Ford: A Remarkable Revolutionary
04 August 2021
Glen Ford was a revolutionary in all that he did.
Glen Ford: Revolutionary, Friend, Leader, Lover of Black People
Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, BAR editor and columnist
Glen Ford: Revolutionary, Friend, Leader, Lover of Black People
04 August 2021
The brilliant writer was also a dear friend and mentor.
Glen Ford: In Memoriam
Peter James Hudson and Jemima Pierre
Glen Ford: In Memoriam
04 August 2021
Glen Ford's persona and dedication inspired analysis and created many friendships.
Nellie Bailey
Glen Ford, Presente!
04 August 2021
Glen Ford was deeply committed to liberating people everywhere. 
U.S. Corporate Media Watch: An Interview with Richard Medhurst
Richard Medhurst and Roberto Sirvent
U.S. Corporate Media Watch: An Interview with Richard Medhurst
03 August 2021
Glen Ford was a fierce champion of the anti-imperialist cause.

More Stories


  • Drone Whistleblower Thrown in Pen With Terrorists
    John Kiriakou
    Drone Whistleblower Thrown in Pen With Terrorists
    19 Oct 2021
    In a cruel act of revenge, the U.S. government sent Daniel Hale, who exposed U.S. drone civilian killings, to a maximum security prison where he is housed with convicted terrorists. 
  • Black families Passed Their Homes from One Generation to the Next. Now They May Be Lost.
    Sarah Sax
    Black families Passed Their Homes from One Generation to the Next. Now They May Be Lost.
    13 Oct 2021
    Unstable property rights mean Black southerners may survive a flood but lose their home, and it’s causing the racial wealth gap to grow larger.
  • Anti-Black Racism in Canadian Prisons Remains Rampant, Despite Government Pledges
    Simon Rolston, Nora Demnati
    Anti-Black Racism in Canadian Prisons Remains Rampant, Despite Government Pledges
    13 Oct 2021
    Systemic racism is built into Canada’s prison system, but federal parties have little to offer incarcerated Black Canadians and their families.
  • The Obama Presidential Center Will Displace Black People
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    The Obama Presidential Center Will Displace Black People
    13 Oct 2021
    The Obama Presidential Center will inevitably displace a working class Black community in Chicago.
  • I’m no nuanced Negro, but…
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    I’m no nuanced Negro, but…
    13 Oct 2021
    I’m no nuanced Negro, but…   I’m no nuanced Negro—never have been—never will be. I’m a lower the forks, pick up the pallet, put it on the
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us