Posted by maestro on 9/20/2026, 9:00 am [ In 1981, the world watched something extraordinary happen at the United Nations — and most people never heard about it. Salim Ahmed Salim, Tanzania's brilliant and fearless diplomat, was the frontrunner to become UN Secretary-General. He had the backing of the entire African bloc, strong support from the Global South, and a reputation as one of the sharpest diplomatic minds of his generation. But the United States vetoed him. Not once. Not twice. Eleven times. Why? Because Salim had once voted to give China its seat at the UN — a move that embarrassed America deeply. And because a powerful, independent African voice leading the world's most important institution was not something Washington was prepared to accept. So instead, the U.S. pushed for Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru — a man they considered more aligned with Western interests. Africa had the numbers. Africa had the candidate. Africa had the argument. But geopolitics doesn't always bow to merit. This is what power truly looks like. Not armies. Not borders. A single veto, used eleven times, to keep the right man out of the right room. We don't usually step outside African and Black stories here, but when the story is this deeply tied to how the West has historically suppressed African leadership on the global stage, it becomes our story too. Follow @african.echo for the history they never taught you. And if you believe African women deserve the same recognition — grab our debut book, 20 African Wonder Women That Changed History. Link in bio. Source: United Nations Security Council voting records, 1981. /url] Message Thread Salim Ahmed Salim - maestro 9/20/2026, 9:00 am Re: Salim Ahmed Salim - anonymous gm 9/20/2026, 9:50 am I've NEVER heard of Salim Ahmed Salim back in 1981!! hahahaha - The Great Black Discoverer 9/20/2026, 10:45 am Re: I've NEVER heard of Salim Ahmed Salim back in 1981!! hahahaha - grimreaper 9/20/2026, 4:24 pm Re: I've NEVER heard of Salim Ahmed Salim back in 1981!! hahahaha - Almighty 9/21/2026, 1:23 am « Index | View all »
Post a Response WARNING! You have Javascript disabled in your browser, this form may not function correctly.Your Name Message Subject Message clear [quote] [ In 1981, the world watched something extraordinary happen at the United Nations — and most people never heard about it. Salim Ahmed Salim, Tanzania's brilliant and fearless diplomat, was the frontrunner to become UN Secretary-General. He had the backing of the entire African bloc, strong support from the Global South, and a reputation as one of the sharpest diplomatic minds of his generation. But the United States vetoed him. Not once. Not twice. Eleven times. Why? Because Salim had once voted to give China its seat at the UN — a move that embarrassed America deeply. And because a powerful, independent African voice leading the world's most important institution was not something Washington was prepared to accept. So instead, the U.S. pushed for Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru — a man they considered more aligned with Western interests. Africa had the numbers. Africa had the candidate. Africa had the argument. But geopolitics doesn't always bow to merit. This is what power truly looks like. Not armies. Not borders. A single veto, used eleven times, to keep the right man out of the right room. We don't usually step outside African and Black stories here, but when the story is this deeply tied to how the West has historically suppressed African leadership on the global stage, it becomes our story too. Follow @african.echo for the history they never taught you. And if you believe African women deserve the same recognition — grab our debut book, 20 African Wonder Women That Changed History. Link in bio. Source: United Nations Security Council voting records, 1981. /url] [/quote] 😀 😁 😂 🤣 😊 😉 😍 😘 😎 🤔 😐 🙄 😮 😲 😱 😢 😭 😡😴 🤪 👍 👎 👌 👏 🙏 ❤️ 🎉 🤗 😇 😛 😜 😬 😞 😕 😤 🤯 Image URL Link TitleLink URL Notify me by email of all message replies. By posting, you confirm that you have read and agree to the board's usage terms. Upload
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