Kwame Nkrumah
21 September 1909 - 27 April 1972
“I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me”
Image taken from BlackPast
Dr Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary, politician, and the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana. Nkrumah is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and important freedom fighters that Africa and the world have seen being a passionate nationalist and Pan-Africanist. Through his radical vision and bold vision, Nkrumah was able to inspire millions and lead the people of Ghana to independence. Nkrumah was one of the main figures in the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). His influence was widespread and even served as inspiration for Martin Luther King Jr. Nkrumah influenced many Pan-Africanists and nationalists.
Early Life
Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was born Francis Nwia Kofi Nkrumah, on 21 September 1909, into the Nzima tribe in the British colony of Nkroful, on the Gold Coast (now known as Ghana), Nzema region.
Nkrumah attended a Catholic mission school in Half Assini before training and working as a teacher at the Accra-based Government Training School, Achimota School. Nkrumah eventually earned a teacher's certificate in 1930 from Prince of Wales College. Nkrumah was exposed to anti-colonial resistance movements and ideologies during this period of his life, including black nationalism, which influenced his decision to immigrate to the United States of America.
United States of America
In 1935, Nkrumah founded a course at Lincoln University in the United States, which he attended from 1935 to 1939. Nkrumah earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and sociology and a Bachelor of Theology from the University of Lincoln in 1942. He was then offered a position at the university as an assistant lecturer in philosophy. He enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1939 and earned a Master of Arts in philosophy and a Master of Science in education from the university.
At the time Nkrumah arrived in the United States, black nationalism and Pan-Africanism were gaining popularity and prominence in the northern states as a result of the migration of many African Americans from the southern states. Nkrumah became increasingly involved in Pan-Africanism, particularly at the university level, where students formed associations and he assisted in the establishment of the African Students Association of America and Canada. Furthermore, he studied socialist literature, particularly that of Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, as well as nationalist literature, particularly that of Marcus Garvey.
London
In 1945, Nkrumah departed from the USA and headed for London to enroll in a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the London School of Economics but the following year he deregistered and joined the University College in London and pursued philosophy. Nkrumah prioritized his political work over his philosophical work. He developed a relationship with George Padmore and was exposed to various approaches to black nationalism through him, one of which contended that the end of racial prejudice was inextricably linked to the end of the capitalist system. He was appointed general secretary of the West African National Secretariat in 1945, a position he held until 1947, and was elected regional secretary of the Pan-African Federation in 1947. (PAF).
The Fifth Pan-African Congress 1945
Nkrumah assisted in the organization of the fifth Pan African Congress, which took place in Manchester from 15 to 19 October 1945. The event was significant because it marked a turning point in the British West Indies and Africa's struggle for national independence. The precedent established in Manchester boosted Nkrumah's international profile and facilitated the development of relationships with luminaries such as W.E.B Du Bois.
Return to the Gold Coast
Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast in 1947 and joined the newly formed United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) upon invitation from lawyer Dr. J. B. Danquah. The UGCC sought to liberate the country by exploiting the British's waning control as a result of World War II. Nkrumah was initially skeptical of them but used them to establish relationships throughout the territory. During his tenure at the UGCC, Nkrumah founded the Ghana National College without the organization's financial support, which served as a stepping stone to the establishment of the country's first national university, the University of Ghana.
By 1949, tensions within the UGCC had grown to the point where Nkrumah and his supporters founded the Convention People's Party (CPP). At the CPP's launch party, Nkrumah urged the Gold Coast's people to fight for self-determination, as prompted by the party's pamphlet, "What I Mean by Positive Action." Positive Action's primary objective was to oppose the British Empire through nonviolent civil disobedience and industrial strikes. Nkrumah was arrested by the British in 1950 as a result of his political activities. He was released the following year, following the CPP's stunning victory in the general elections, which resulted in his appointment as Prime Minister in 1952.
Independence
Between 1951 and 1957, the CPP's strategy included the adoption of a five-year plan of rapid industrialization, efforts to significantly improve access to basic health care, addressing literacy through the implementation of free primary education, and developing institutions of higher learning. As Prime Minister, Nkrumah led an aggressive campaign for independence that eventually forced the British to relinquish control and resulted in Ghana gaining independence on 6 March 1967 and becoming the Republic of Ghana. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta attended the independence ceremony on the day of the ceremony at Nkrumah's invitation. King and Nkrumah had a private meal together and discussed nonviolence, during which King expressed his admiration for Nkrumah's leadership.
As an ardent Pan-Africanist, Nkrumah sought to unite all African states and establish a league of self-governing states. This concept became a reality in 1963, when the Organization of African Unity was founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
During his presidency, Nkrumah faced numerous challenges, including nation-building in the aftermath of colonialism. Economic difficulties exacerbated discontent with Nkrumah, and Ashanti nationalism posed an additional threat to his presidency. Finally, in 1966, Nkrumah was deposed in a coup led by the military, and he fled to Guinea, where he spent the remainder of his life in exile. Nkrumah died of cancer in Romania on 27 April 1972, while seeking treatment.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was one of the twentieth century's most prominent leaders and thinkers. He was a globally influential figure, with his ideas influencing the likes of W.E.B Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. He was a driving force behind the development of black nationalism and Pan-Africanism in Ghana, and he was genuinely committed to Africa's people uniting and working as a single force.
References
A timeline of Ghana’s political journey under Kwame Nkrumah (2019). Available at:https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/A-timeline-of-Ghana-s- political-journey-under-Kwame-Nkrumah-783175 (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Fifth Pan-African Congress | StaffNet | The University of Manchester (2021). Available at: https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/display/?id=24525 (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Dr Kwame Nkrumah | South African History Online (2021). Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/dr-kwame-nkrumah (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Hurst, R. (2009) Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972), Blackpast.org. Available at: https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/nkrumah-kwame-1909-1972/ (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Kwame Nkrumah (2021). Available at: https://biography.yourdictionary.com/kwame- nkrumah (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Kwame Nkrumah: why, every now and then, his legacy is questioned (2019). Available at: https://theconversation.com/kwame-nkrumah-why-every-now-and-then- his-legacy-is-questioned-120790 (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Kwame Nkrumah | Biography, Education, (2021). Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kwame-Nkrumah (Accessed: 6 January 2021).
Nkrumah, Kwame (2017). Available at: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/nkrumah-kwame (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
Organisation of African Unity (OAU) | South African History Online (2021). Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/organisation-african-unity-oau (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
10 quotes from Kwame Nkrumah (2015). Available at: https://thisisafrica.me/politics- and-society/10-quotes-by-kwame-nkrumah/ (Accessed: 5 January 2021).
