Q7. Discuss the Contribution of either Julius Nyerere or Kwame Nkrumah, in the promotion of Pan Africanism.

Introduction

Pan Africanism is an ideology and movement that encourages the solidarity of Africans world wide.It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social, and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” people of African descent.
The ideology asserts that the fate of all African peoples and countries are intertwined. At its core Pan-Africanism is “a belief that African peoples, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, share not merely a common history, but a common destiny”
The largest Pan-African organization is the African Union.
Kwame Nkrumah
“I’m not African because I was born in Africa; I’m an African because Africa’s born in me.” Kwame Nkrumah

Early Life Education

Kwame Nkrumah, was born in approximately 1909 in the town of Nkroful, in the Nzima region of present-day Ghana. His father was a goldsmith by trade and kept many wives, although Kwame Nkrumah was his mother’s only child. His early education was conducted at local missionary schools, and his aptitude enabled him to attend the Government Training College in Accra in 1926. At the Government Training College, Nkrumah was trained to become a teacher and graduated in 1930 (Adi, 2003: 144).

He worked as a teacher for five years and although during this time period he also contemplated a move into the priesthood. In 1935 Nkrumah decided to take his studies abroad. After a shorter stint in the Gold Coast’s colonial overseer, Great Britain, Nkrumah traveled to the United States to further his education. He first completed undergraduate studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, whose alumni include such luminaries as poet Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall, former Supreme Court Justice. From there Nkrumah made his way to Philadelphia, where he conducted his post-graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from that institution, Nkrumah returned to Lincoln University, where he joined the faculty as a teacher (Adi, 2003: 145).

It was while studying in the United States that Kwame Nkrumah began to flesh out his views on Pan-Africanism, economics, and African development. He attended meetings of a multitude of political organizations, including the Council on African Affairs, the Communist Party, and Marcus Garvey’s UNIA (United Negro Improvement Association). In his book Pan-African History, Hakim Adi describes Nkrumah’s time in the United States as a time when he “became active in the African Students’ Association, which was formed in 1941 by West African students, the majority of whom were from Nigeria and the Gold Coast. Nkrumah was elected president of this organization, wrote for its publication African Interpreter and spoke at numerous meetings” (Adi, 2003: 143).

In 1945, Nkrumah chose to attend London University. It was at London University that Nkrumah fully threw himself into pan-African politics. In London, Nkrumah came face-to-face with the colonial question, and loved the symbolic aspect of fighting for colonial freedom in the heart of the world’s greatest colonial power (Nkrumah, 1962: 31).

It was also in 1945 that Nkrumah wrote his famous pamphlet, “Towards Colonial Freedom.” In the essay he laid bare his issues with capitalism, colonialism, the hypocrisy of “mandates” and “trusteeship” colonies, and his solutions to the colonial oppression. In one passage, Nkrumah lays out his plan for a colonial liberation movement: One of Nkrumah’s biggest accomplishments of this period was playing a large role in helping to organize the historic fifth and final Pan-African Congress. The event, held in 1945 in Manchester, England, was organized by Nkrumah and fellow Pan-Africanist George Padmore, and was attended by such luminaries as Kenyan independence activist Jomo Kenyatta and American intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois (Adi, 2003: 143).

After the success of the conference, Nkrumah helped found the West African National Secretariat. He was also the general-secretary of the group, which was formed with a goal of united West African independence. During his remaining time in Britain, Nkrumah also became more and more closely associated with the British Communist Party, and became the leader of the “Circle,” a group dedicated to creating a Union of African Socialist Republics (Adi, 2003: 144). In 1947, with the intention of turning his plans for independence into reality, Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast.

In Ghana/ Schooling.

While in Achimota College Nkrumah led the rise of influential organization known as National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA). The objective of this organization was to create united British West Africa. Leaders of NCBW were drawn from western-educated and trained African businessmen. They were to create constitutional, legal and educational reforms that would lead to unification of Africans. They lobbied for opening senior administrative positions to Africans and actively protested against colonialism and the ruling power given to the ancestral orders. They confronted the issues of imperialism and served as inspiration for the formation of numerous African Nationalist Organisation (Birmingham David, 1995).

Nkrumah joined the NCBW where he was introduced to Pan Africanism and communist theories which was easy because he had witness colonial domination. Nkrumah believed that for him to make a difference for Gold coast and Africa as a whole was to travel to United States for his education hoping that education opportunities and political atmosphere of the united stated would allow him to refine his theories against colonialism (Nkrumah Kwame, 1974).

In USA

In USA, he was inspired by the black revivalist movement in New York and attempted to get fellow African students to be involved in the power of religious fever by preaching in the university community centers and local churches. His sermons possessed both religious and political content. He also educated on the necessity of ending global imperialism (Biney Ama, 2011).

In completion of his Master of Philosophy, he gave a speech on topic “Italian occupation in Ethiopia”. He urged Ethiopians to reach for God as he believed an end to occupation and imperialism was on the horizon (Milne June, 1999).

In a letter dated July 1, 1942, Nkrumah wrote to fellow Ghananian friend Jones Quartey. He wrote this “it is our task to build, not to make a choice, but to unite and develop so that no matter who wins this war, those who hope to exploit and maintain empire whether they be British, German or anything else, will find a living hell in Africa(Milne June, 1999).

In the University of Pennsylvania, he was employed as an instructor in the Philosophy department at Lincoln teaching introductory Greek, Negro history and social philosophy. He used this chance to educate on the need for decolonization. He chose the topic of “The philosophy of imperialism which special reference to Africa” as his master of education thesis topic proving that the issue of colonial Africa was ever-present in his mind and anyone with whom he interacted. He form several African students associations i.e. African studies section, African studies’ association of America and Canada, a Pan-African group that taught for global awareness for fight for African independence. (Milne June, 1999).

In his spare time, he educated himself in traditional political and social theory. He studied the works of Karl Marx and Lenin, Sigmund Freud to understand contemporary nationalist social and political theory. He felt that these works contained the answer on how to end imperialism. He later wrote in his Autobiography that “The writing of these the men did much to influence me in my revolutionary ideas and activities and Karl Marx and Lenin particularly impressed me as I was sure that there philosophy was capable of solving problems. (Milne June, 1999).

In 1940s, Nkrumah joined other leftwing organization while in the United States. This was the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). It helped him formulate his belief in creation of a United states of Africa (Nkrumah Kwame, 1974).

In London

In 1944 while sick and bed ridden he decided not to complete his dissertation and to return home to begin his campaign to free Africa from imperialism. On his way home he decided to participate in Pan African movement in England. He became a member of Pan African groups i.e. west Africa Student’s Union (WASU) (Milne June, 1999).

Apart from being Vice-president of WASU, Nkrumah was also appointed General Secretary of West African National secretariat in 1945-1947, and elected regional secretary of Pan-African federation (PAF) in 1945 (Milne June, 1999).

Nkrumah in Manchester England created two new organizations, West African National Secretariat (WANS) which operated under socialist theories. It discussed creation of a West Africa Soviet Union, from West Africa to Kenya. The Circle, a secret society that brought together Africans living in London with the purpose of actively strategizing a plan for the creation of a union of African Socialist Republics to be implemented upon the member’s return to Africa. (Milne June, 1999).

In Ghana

In 1947, Nkrumah was invited to serve as General Secretary of the Newly Formed United Gold Coast Convent ion (UGCC) (Milne June, 1999). Nkrumah supported young men returning from the Second World War and political Gold Coast that of the Young men through UGCC did not support. Nkrumah saw the young men as entity that provided the decolonization movement with powerful political force (Biney Ama, 2011).

He reorganized/organized UGCC by creating bank account, branches and doing mass recruitment. In 1948, Nkrumah was arrested and accused of causing a riot that ended in looting. He was also accused of communist ideas (Milne June, 1999).

When released from prison, since to him knowledge was power, he opened first Ghana National College in Gold coast on behalf of the UGCC. UGCC refused to finance the college. Nkrumah used his own money (Milne June, 1999).

Due to frustration from UGCC, he was suspended in August 1948; he formed the committee of Youth organization (CYO). He believed in the youth held great potential for independence movement (Milne June, 1999).

Nkrumah and Gbedemah started a newspaper, Accra evening news, which was an anti-colonial publication that attacked the wealthy out of touch leaders of the UGCC (Nkrumah Kwame, 1961).

In June 1949, there was tension between UGCC and Youth faction, Nkrumah took advantage of this and formed the conventional people’s party (CPP). Its goal was to be a party of the people regardless of class or economic distinction (Nkrumah Kwame, 1971). CPP was the only way to achieve real democratic centralism. In CPP all opinions and ideas were heard and voted for (Nkrumah Kwame, 1974).

As a Prime Minister

When Nkrumah became first African Prime minister of Gold Coast in 1951, he wanted Gold coast to be a beacon of Pan-Africanism, in order to do this Gold coat had to be independent nation. He took six years in the government to make it independent (Nkrumah Kwame, 1971). Nkrumah struggle to bring separate region of the country together to be on the same development and economic plane. British had divided the them (Biney Ama, 2011).

He began five year development plan with improved education to create knowledge and trained Africans for the next phases of development by widening the availability of educational opportunities for all Gold Coast (Milne June, 1999). New schools were built, access and affordability of teacher training colleges was expanded. Free universal primary education was introduced. New technical schools were built across the country. Literacy drives and community development education was conducted in rural areas. Health sector was also improved (Nkrumah Kwame, 1974).

In 1957, Nkrumah created the Bureau of African affairs. It objective was to organize conferences for African independent nations and nationalists. They were organized to discuss development and the creation of a united states of Africa (Biney Ama, 2011). The Bureau and Nkrumah organized the conference of independent African states (CIAS). It was convened in Accra in1958 (Birmingham David, 1998).

Nkrumah organized All African People’s Conference in December 1958 to build Pan African success or Ghana-Guinea union. It focused on importance of conducting non-violent independence struggles, the necessity of African unity for the survival of the continent and ridding Africa of imperialism and racialism (Milne June, 1999).

Nkrumah in Conference in 1963, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia with attendees formed African union. They form organization of African unity (OAU). OAU objective was to facilitate African unity, dispel colonialism from the continent and to aid African nations in obtaining a better way of life (Nkrumah Kwame, 1974).

Nkrumah spent most of time away from Ghana fighting for a united states of Africa and less time attending to the needs of Ghana. This led to downfall of Ghana’s economy (Birmingham David, 1998) which later to Nkrumah being overthrown my military regime through a coup in 1966(Nkrumah Kwame, 1976).

In exile

After the coup, Nkrumah went to exile to Guinea. He used to make regular broadcast on Radio Guinea in the hope of reaching out Ghanaians. Nkrumah instructed Ghanaians to continue their resistance to the coup and to organize for his return. He continued his plea for an African Union. He published several works on how to create an African Revolution, while deploring Western neocolonialism. Nkrumah die in exile in 1972(Milne June, 1999).

References

Adi, Hakim and Marika Sherwood. 2003. Pan-African History: Political Figures from AfricaAnd the Diaspora since 1787. New York: Routledge.

Biney Ama, 2011. The political and social thought of Kwame Nkrumah. First edition. Palgrave Macmillan, new York, USA

Birmingham david. 1998. The Decolonization of Africa. Athens: Ohio University press,1995 .. Kwame Nkuramah: The father of African nationalism. Athens ;Ohio university press.

Milne June, 1999. Kwame Nkrumah; A Biography. London panaf books.

Nkrumah kwame.1976. Dark days in Ghana London: panaf Books.

Nkrumah kwame.1971. Ghana : The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah. New York international Publishers Co.

Nkrumah kwame.1961. I speak of freedom: a statement of African ideology. New York: Fredrick A. praeger publisher.

Nkrumah kwame. 1974. Africa must Unite. London Panaf books.

Nkrumah, Kwame.1962. Towards Colonial Freedom. London: Panaf.

Nkrumah, Kwame. 1962. Towards Colonial Freedom. London: Panaf.