'America was built on racism and genocide': Abayomi Azikiwe

The claim that the American officials make about the United States not being a racist country is nothing but a “lie” because America was in fact "built on racism and genocide," an African American journalist in Detroit says.

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor at the Pan-African News Wire, made the remark during a phone interview with Press TV on Friday while commenting on athletes that have been boycotting historic sport events in protest at the police shooting of African American Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.  

The US basketball team, Milwaukee Bucks, became the first to announce it was calling off games in response to the police violence.

US faces historic sport boycott over police shooting of black man

The United States is facing a historic sporting boycott over the police shooting of African American Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.

US Police on Sunday shot African American Jacob Blake in the back multiple times in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in front of three of his children.

The shooting of the unarmed 29-year-old, which is said to have left him paralyzed from the waist down, has since triggered protests in Kenosha as well as other cities across the country, with protesters setting buildings and cars on fire.

“This week the Republican National Convention (RNC) is taking place and all we're hearing from the RNC is that America is not a racist country. They're saying that it's a lie to say that America is a racist country when in fact America was built on racism and genocide,” Azikiwe told Press TV.

“They're saying that the economy is improving which is not the fact for millions upon millions of people in the United States,” he added. “And they are also saying that COVID-19 is not a major problem when in fact, COVID-19 has killed more people in the United States that any other nation in the world.”

Calling for voters’ vigilance and discernment ahead of the US election on November 3, Azikiwe said, “It's important that African Americans and all conscious people be aware of what's going on. The outcome of the elections, it is my opinion, is going to be heavily influenced by the unrest and the lockdown here in the United States.”

The United States remains the worst-hit country by the pandemic, with over six million infections and more than 185,000 deaths.

US President Donald Trump and his administration have been under fire for an untimely relaxing of lockdown measures as well as a blatant disregard for personal protection equipment since the flu-like pathogen erupted in the US early in January.         

Moreover, police violence and racial injustice protests that followed the brutal murder of unarmed African American George Floyd in police custody have dealt a heavy blow to the president's approval rating.

Thousands pay tribute to George Floyd as calls for US police reform grow

Thousands of mourners honor African American George Floyd, whose killing by a white US police officer ignited nationwide protests against US police violence.

The 46-year-old died after a white officer knelt on his neck and pinned him to the ground for nine minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25.

His death unleashed protests against police brutality and for racial justice in the US and many world countries, rejuvenating the Black Lives Matter movement.

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