DOCSLIB.ORG

Ghana at Fifty: Reflections on Independence and After Author(S): Emmanuel Akyeampong and Ama De-Graft Aikins Source: Transition, No

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ghana at Fifty: Reflections on Independence and After Author(S): Emmanuel Akyeampong and Ama De-Graft Aikins Source: Transition, No W.E.B. Du Bois Institute Ghana at Fifty: Reflections on Independence and After Author(s): Emmanuel Akyeampong and Ama de-Graft Aikins Source: Transition, No. 98 (2008), pp. 24-34 Published by: Indiana University Press on behalf of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20204244 . Accessed: 12/04/2011 21:07 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=iupress. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Indiana University Press and W.E.B. Du Bois Institute are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Transition. http://www.jstor.org Ghana at Fifty reflections on independence and after Emmanuel Akyeampong and Ama de-Graft Aikins Ghana was a hive of activity in 2007 as it prepared for the fiftieth anniversary of its political independence from the British, effective March 6,1957. The Jubilee celebrations spanned the entire year, peak ing around the anniversary date itself. Final preparations for the a independence anniversary reached fever pitch in January and February of 2007 with the transformation of public spaces in Accra. At the new man Tetteh Quarshie Interchange?commemorating the Ga who had to cocoa returned the Gold Coast in 1878 with pods that he planted in the Mampong, Akuapem (to north of Accra), thus popularizing the crop among local farmers and making the colony the world's leading cocoa was exporter of by 1911?grass frantically grown tuft by small swarms men women tuft by of young and (including nursing mothers) every single day until the evening of March 5, 2007. Across the city, major circles (rotaries) named after Kwame Nkrumah, J. B. Danquah, and Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey?three of the "Big Six" in the United Gold Coast Convention, the Gold Coast's first political party?were as on shrouded by raffia matting restoration work monuments and structures was a progressed. Liberation square transformed into public shrine for the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now renamed the African Union (AU). Throughout the city, large billboards and customized State Transport current vehicles featuring pictures of Ghana's president, John Agyekum and its first Dr. Kufuor, president, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, in imag to to comment on ined dialogue began appear. As if the contrasting political spirits of 1957 and 2007 Ghana?the former strident, the latter conciliatory?one prominent image juxtaposed Nkrumah's rallying cry of Forward Ever, Backward Never!-with Kufuor's tentative assurance that was Ghana slowly but surely moving toward its development goals. The was transformation of public spaces followed by the influx of memorabilia. The flags arrived first?in mini, midi, and maxi versions? no on in time becoming fixtures the windscreens and bonnets of private as an cars, taxis, and tro-tros, infectious patriotic spirit filled the streets. Ringtones of the national anthem and patriotic songs of the 1950s sneaked 24 Transition 98 Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Akyeampong Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Akyeampong Akyeampong and Aikins Ghana at Fifty 25 their way into the noisy repertoire of soul, hip-life (a distinctly Ghanaian blend of high life and hip hop), reggae, and gospel so beloved tomobile phone-obsessed urbanit?s. Shops, wayside kiosks, markets, and the vend were soon ing trays of street traders filled with anniversary cloth, T-shirts, even fashion accessories, mugs, baskets, and foldaway garden chairs. was Accra swathed in the national colors of red, gold, and green, and an filled with air of anticipation and jubilation. was The atmosphere of jubilation reminiscent of the euphoria that marked the independence celebration of March 1957. As the first black to accom sub-Saharan African country gain independence, Ghana's enormous plishment had international significance. Because Western as a powers viewed Ghana's strong economy in the 1950s sign of the an or no economic potential of emerging Africa, those with little expe on to rience the continent began accelerate their intelligence-gathering was activities. Nkrumah noted for his commitment to pan-Africanism, were and people of African descent around the world ecstatic about this beacon of "black pride." Many African Americans flocked to Ghana in the 1950s and 1960s to assist the new Ringtones of the national anthem Nkrumah government in the exPeriment at nation building in black and patriotic songs of the 1950s Africa. In 1951 Nkrumah formed the sneaked their into the way noisy first African government in Ghana when his the Convention repertoire of soul, hip-life, reggae, party, People's won the and so beloved to mobile ^ gospel in convincing ^uaryfashion. ]95]In June elect^1s 1951 urbanit?s. was com phone-obsessed Nkrumah invited to give the mencement speech at his alma mater, to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He used the occasion invite Afri can Americans to return to Ghana and aid in the development of the nation. Many responded to his call. The American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., later attended Ghana's independence celebra was tions in March 1957 and profoundly touched by his experience. He to to a sermon on returned the United States preach his visit and the lessons he had drawn, "The Birth of a New Nation." In this sermon, to King added his voice Nkrumah's invitation, encouraging African Americans to go and assist Nkrumah in this novel and important exper a iment of building modern African nation in sub-Saharan Africa. were Countries still under colonial rule also inspired by Ghana's was independence, the international significance of which underscored by the celebrations of 1957 throughout the African diaspora. Lord a Kitchener, the Trinidadian-born calypso singer, composed song in honor of Ghana's independence. Among other Caribbean Africans and African Americans who attended Ghana's independence celebrations were in 1957 George Padmore, who lived and died in Ghana, and after 26 Transition 98 whom the George Padmore Library is named; Norman Manley, who later became the prime minister of Jamaica; U.N. official and Nobel laureate Ralph Bunche; Lucille Armstrong, representing her husband Louis Armstrong; and labor leaders and educators from historically as black universities such Howard University and Lincoln University. an Then U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon led American delegation, was and Britain, the retreating colonial power, represented by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent. to A truncated?relative the turnout in 1957?but still impressive, lineup of foreign leaders and dignitaries attended the fiftieth anniver sary celebration on March 6, 2007. In terms of heads of state, every was came region in Africa well represented: from North Africa Abdelaziz was Bouteflika of Algeria; East Africa ably represented by Yoweri Musev eni from Uganda; from Central Africa Many African Americans came Joseph Kabila from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Levy Mwana- flocked to Ghana in the wasa from Africa was Zambia; Southern 1950s an(J ,?60s to^?^ the represented by Festus Mogae from Nkrumah in the Botswana, Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe, government and Thabo Mbeki from South Africa; and new experiment at nation severalWest African leaders turned out in bu?|d? ?Rb|ack Afr?ca# s full support, including Africa first female head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia. Though the list of West ern was not as as dignitaries extensive in 1957, it included notables such as the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward (representing Queen Elizabeth II), and Baroness Amos, leader of the British House of Lords. Representing were the United States Alphonso Jackson, Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, and civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson. was Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General, in atten dance, as well as the then World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. the barrage Despite of images featuring Kufuor and Nkrumah, there was amount public contention regarding the of official attention paid was an to Nkrumah's legacy. There very little of what El Shabazz, or African American resident in Cape Coast, young Ghanaian univer sity students in Accra had expected: the broadcasting of Nkrumah's over or era on speeches the airwaves, footage from the featured televi was sion. Nkrumah's family house in Nkroful?where he born?was to reported be in serious disrepair, and the Nkroful community threat to some ened boycott the anniversary celebrations. Indeed, opined that was an this independence anniversary celebration in the Danquah Akyeampong and Aikins Ghana at Fifty 27 ',y' -^s^^w- *''^i^^^^^^^^^^ Photo courtesy Busia tradition?two figures who had opposed Nkrumah. While Madam of Emmanuel Ama Busia, sister of the late Prime Minister Dr. K. A. Busia, was honored yeampong wjtj1 ^e Companion of the Order of the Volta by the government, and President Kufuor attended a "Dr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Language and Liberty in Ghanaian Political Communication: a Critical Discourse Perspective
    Ghana Journal of Linguistics 7.2: 199-224 (2018) ______________________________________________________________________________ http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v7i2.9 LANGUAGE AND LIBERTY IN GHANAIAN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE PERSPECTIVE Samuel Gyasi Obeng Abstract The object of this study was to illustrate the entwining between language and liberty in Ghanaian political discourse. Using three letters written by Dr. J. B. Danquah (two addressed to President Nkrumah and one to the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament) and working within the framework of language and liberty (Obeng, in press), I demonstrate that even though by being candid, Ghanaian political actors in opposition risked personal danger, such actors had communicative ways for pursuing and defending their negative liberty and positive liberty and for challenging powerful political actors’ oppressive and illegitimate actions. The discursive features employed to pursue liberty include: deferential mode of address, candour, inferencing, glittering generalities, emotional valence, politeness and intertextuality. The syntactic features used included conditional sentences, pronouns, physical verbs, lexical collocation and uppercase letters. The study concludes by submitting that liberty relies on language to become actuality and that political actors’ views on liberty and the historical, legal, political and cultural contexts of the discourse ecology in which they operate all impact their discourse performance in their fight for liberty. Keywords: language, liberty,
    [Show full text]
  • Civitatis Ghaniensis Conditor: Kwame Nkrumah, Symbolic Nationalism And
    Nations and Nationalism 14 (3), 2008, 520–541. Civitatis Ghaniensis Conditor:Kwame Nkrumah, symbolic nationalism and the iconography of Ghanaian money 1957 – the Golden Jubilee HARCOURT FULLER International History Department, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK ABSTRACT. During his tenure as premier from independence in 1957 until he was ousted by a military and police coup in 1966, Kwame Nkrumah was the living personification of the Ghanaian nation-state. As the self-proclaimed Civitatis Gha- niensis Conditor – Founder of the State of Ghana – his image was minted on the new national money and printed on postage stamps. He erected a monument of himself in Accra, changed the national anthem to make references to himself, customised the national flag to match the colors of his CPP party, made his birthday a national day of celebration (National Founder’s Day), named streets and universities after himself, and amended the constitution whereby he became Life President. Since the coup, many of the symbols of nationhood that Nkrumah constructed have been debated, demolished, reconsidered and reengineered by successive governments to rewrite the Ghanaian historical narrative. This article analyses the contentions of one of Nkrumah’s first expressions of symbolic nationalism – that of the national coinage. KEYWORDS: Civitatis Ghaniensis Conditor; Ghana Cedi; Ghana money; icono- graphy and money; Kwame Nkrumah; nationalism; symbolic nationalism. The act of coining or producing currency has been synonymous with an expression of independence since the earliest years of coinage in Ancient Greece (Mudd 2005). r The author 2008. Journal compilation r ASEN/Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008 Iconography of Ghanaian money 521 I want the Queen and the people of Britain to know .
    [Show full text]
  • Ghana-Pedia Listings Main Menu
    • Visiting Ghana? • FAQs About Ghana • HIV/AIDS Awareness • Contact Us Home G-P Listings Ghana-pedia Listings Submit a Listing | Top Rated | Most Popular Search for: All | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Main Menu Home G-P Listings About Us Contact Us Visiting Ghana? G-P Job Listings G-P Classifieds Ghana's Currency "419" - Internet Scams HIV/AIDS Awareness Ghana-Blog FAQs About Ghana Vehicles/Roads/Driving In Ghana The Greater Accra Restaurant Guide European Exploration & Slavery Modern Ghana: A Proud Nation The Gold Coast: Colonial Rule Nkrumah, Dr. Kwame Dr. Kwame Francis Nwia Kofie Nkrumah was a pan-Africanist, and a member of the activist group known as The Big Six, and one of the founders of the United Gold Coast Convention. In 1951, Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of Ghana , and was instrumental as an activist in gaining independence from colonialism. He served as Prime Minister from the 22nd of February 1951, and became the first leader of the independent country of Ghana from the 6th of March 1957. He became the first President of Ghana when Ghana became a republic on the 1st of July 1960. He remained as President of Ghana until the 24th of February 1966, when he was removed from power in a coup d'etat by members of the Ghana Army & Ghana Police, codenamed Operation Cold Chop. 'Osagyefo' - the first Prime Minister of the independent country of Ghana, and later, first President of the Republic Of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
    [Show full text]
  • Ghanaian “Monument Wars” the Contested History of the Nkrumah Statues
    Cahiers d’études africaines 227 | 2017 Renouveau monumental Ghanaian “Monument Wars” The Contested History of the Nkrumah Statues Carola Lentz Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/etudesafricaines/20822 DOI: 10.4000/etudesafricaines.20822 ISSN: 1777-5353 Publisher Éditions de l’EHESS Printed version Date of publication: 1 September 2017 Number of pages: 551-582 ISBN: 978-2-7132-2686-1 ISSN: 0008-0055 Electronic reference Carola Lentz, « Ghanaian “Monument Wars” », Cahiers d’études africaines [Online], 227 | 2017, Online since 01 September 2019, connection on 10 December 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/ etudesafricaines/20822 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/etudesafricaines.20822 © Cahiers d’Études africaines Carola Lentz Ghanaian “Monument Wars” The Contested History of the Nkrumah Statues In January 2012, Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills unveiled an imposing­ statue of “Osagyefo (‘The Redeemer’) Kwame Nkrumah,” as the inscription reads, at the forecourt of the new African Union building in Addis Ababa. The three-and-a-half meter high bronze statue was cast in Ghana,1 but modelled on the very first Nkrumah statue, which had been created by the Italian sculptor Nicola Cataudella and inaugurated in front of the Old Parliament House in Accra at the eve of the first independence anniversary in 1958. The statue shows Nkrumah dressed in his famous fugu, the popular Northern Ghanaian smock, which he was wearing when he declared independence,­ his right hand lifted in greeting, his left hand holding a walking
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of the Independence Movement in Ghana Angela Howard
    SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad DigitalCollections@SIT African Diaspora ISPs African Diaspora Collection 10-1-1999 When the People Decide: A Study of the Independence Movement in Ghana Angela Howard Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp Recommended Citation Howard, Angela, "When the People Decide: A Study of the Independence Movement in Ghana" (1999). African Diaspora ISPs. Paper 41. http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp/41 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the African Diaspora Collection at DigitalCollections@SIT. It has been accepted for inclusion in African Diaspora ISPs by an authorized administrator of DigitalCollections@SIT. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHEN THE PEOPLE DECIDE: A Study of the Independence Movement in Ghana By Angela Howard CONTENTS Acknowledgements Summary Introduction Methodology Colonialism in the “Gold Coast” Resistence in the Colony The Movement Takes Shape Positive Action Independence is Achieved A Global Perspective Why was Ghana First? Conclusion SUMMARY In this paper, I examine the struggle for independence in Ghana. I explore what factors inspire the quest for freedom that emerged in Ghana as well as all over the world during the 1940’s and 1950’s. I explore the life of Kwame Nkrumah, the movement’s leader, and how his political consciousness developed. I examine the major events that took place in Ghana during the late 1940’s and early 1950’s that set the stage for independence. Finally, I examine some possible reasons why Ghana was able to become the first African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence.
    [Show full text]
  • 64Th Celebration of Independence Day of the Republic of Ghana in Spain
    64TH CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA IN SPAIN Sixty-four years ago, today, that Ghana’s forefathers’ dream of independence became a reality. Indeed, Ghana on the 6th of March, 1957 became the first African country, south of the Sahara to gain her freedom from colonial rule and domination from Britain. Such a monumental achievement gave Ghana the added responsibility of demonstrating to the black race and colonial regimes across the continent that, the African was in a position to manage his own affairs. This early drive for national excellence has guided the path of our leaders since we gained sovereignty more than six decades ago. Today, Ghana is a bastion of democratic governance and the rule of law on the African continent. Following last year's successful general elections, the country remains a haven of peace and stability devoid of the unrest and civil strife that have defined the political reality of other African states. Ghana is currently into the 28th year of its Fourth Republic, the longest, uninterrupted period of political tranquility and constitutional governance in the nation’s history. 6th March every year has become the day when Ghanaians honour the heroes and statesmen whose efforts culminated into the country’s independence. On this day, Ghanaians also remember the valiant efforts of the Big Six: Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, William Ofori-Atta, J.B. Danquah and Edward Akufo-Addo. We honor them for the very important role they played in the nation's collective effort towards political freedom from colonial rule.
    [Show full text]
  • Finally, I Am Indebted to My Family and Their Unflagging Support Throughout These Last Several Years and Beyond
    The ‘Cat’s Paw of Dictatorship': State Security and Self-Rule in the Gold Coast, 1948 to 1957 By Chase Andrew Arnold A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Graduate Division Of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Tabitha Kanogo, Chair Professor Bruce Hall Professor Daniel Sargent Professor Leonardo Arriola Fall 2019 !1 Abstract The ‘Cat’s Paw of Dictatorship’: State Security and Self-Rule in the Gold Coast, 1948 to 1957 by Chase Andrew Arnold Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Berkeley Professor Tabitha Kanogo, Chair On February 28th, 1948, a deadly police shooting at a veteran’s demonstration in the Gold Coast sparked three days of rioting in the capital city of Accra and surrounding communities. It was the first crisis of its kind for the British colony and a clear indication of the shifting political realities of the post-war era. Though colonial rule had been in place for several generations, the people of the Gold Coast would increasingly balk at an imperial system that denied them a voice in their own government. The following nine years would witness the Gold Coast’s extraordinary transition from British colony, to self-ruled territory, and eventually an independent state that renamed itself the Republic of Ghana. In the more than sixty years since Ghana’s independence in 1957, scholars and commentators alike have recognized the February riots as a turning point in Ghanaian and imperial history, signaling the new wave of decolonization that would sweep across sub-Saharan Africa in the years to follow.
    [Show full text]
  • The Commission Shall Advise the President on Development Planning Policy and Strategy
    The Commission shall advise the President on development planning policy and strategy [and] shall, at the request of the President, make proposals for the development of multi-year rolling plans taking into consideration the resource potential and comparative advantage of the different districts of Ghana. Article 87 (1) and (2b) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana Ghana@100 Published by: National Development Planning Commission, No.13 Switchback Road, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana. © National Development Planning Commission All rights reserved. First printing: November 2019 Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted. Acknowledgement is requested together with a copy of the publication. This document is available on the NDPC website: www.ndpc.gov.gh Designed and Printed by: Print Innovation www.print-innovation.com +233 267 771 670 ii National Development Planning Commission Presidents of the Fourth Republic of Ghana 2017 - Ghana@100 I November 2019 iii Foreword n 7th January, 2017, when I swore the oath, Ghana was faced with a myriad of socio- economic challenges, characterised Oby poor macroeconomic conditions; rising rates of unemployment, especially amongst the youth; declining private sector, industrial and agricultural growth; disaffection for the political class arising out of perceived insensitivity to the plight of ordinary citizens; worsening health care services; pervasive corruption among public office holders; destruction of the environment and water bodies through illegal mining; amongst others. These challenges demanded a new direction and a new approach. This is what informed the Ghana@100 document. The vision for this new direction is informed by the need to establish a strong economy, that creates opportunities, inspires people to start businesses, stimulates expansion of existing businesses, and, ultimately, leads to the creation of jobs, increased economic growth and higher incomes.
    [Show full text]
  • Essential History Primary 6 Teacher's Guide
    ESSENTIAL Teacher’s Guide Teacher’s Primary 6 History History Primary 6 Teacher’s Guide ESSENTIAL History Primary 6 Teacher’s Guide Jacob Agbedam • Dorothy Glover NNF Esquire Limited P.O. Box AN 8644, Accra - North, Ghana. University Printing House, Cambridge cb2 8bs, United Kingdom One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, ny 10006, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, vic 3207, Australia 314–321, 3rd Floor, Plot 3, Splendor Forum, Jasola District Centre, New Delhi – 110025, India 79 Anson Road, #06–04/06, Singapore 079906 The Water Club, Beach Road, Granger Bay, Cape Town, 8005, South Africa Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. www.cambridge.org © Cambridge University Press and NNF Esquire Limited 2020 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press and NNF Esquire Limited. First published 2020 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 isbn 978-9988-8964-1-6 Editor(s): Nikki Anderson Designer(s): Brenda Smal Typesetter(s): The Purple Turtle Publishing CC Illustrators(s): Emmanuel Lawsom; Senyo Kwame Adzoro; Nicholas Bimpong; Edgar Jeffrey Kwesi Baidoo; Danquah Andrea Nana Ekua; Sarbah Israel; Angela Ayitey Adzoro Photograph acknowledgements The publisher and authors would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for permission to use their material in either the original or adapted form: Cover: © mtcurado/Getty Images Cambridge University Press and NNF Esquire Limited have no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • Kwame Nkrumah's Quest for Pan Africanism: from Independence
    KWAME NKRUMAH’S QUEST FOR PAN AFRICANISM: FROM INDEPENDENCE LEADER TO DEPOSED DESPOT A Thesis by Autumn Anne Lawson Bachelor of Arts, Acadia University, 2004 Submitted to the Department of History and the faculty of the Graduate School of Wichita State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts December 2010 Copyright 2010 by Autumn Anne Lawson All Rights Reserved KWAME NKRUMAH’S QUEST FOR PAN AFRICANISM: FROM INDEPENDENCE LEADER TO DEPOSED DESPOT The following faculty members have examined the final copy of this thesis for form and content, and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts with a major in History. _________________________________________ George Dehner, Committee Chair ___________________________________________ Robert M. Owens, Committee Member ____________________________________________ Chinyere Grace Okafor, Committee Member iii DEDICATION For my beloved and greatly missed father Robert K. Edmiston and my darling Maggie iv The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones … - William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Dr. George Dehner. Without your continued guidance, support and understanding I would never have found the motivation to finish. The great deal of time, encouragement and advice you have given over the years has proved to be invaluable. You are a true rarity in the academic world and I will be forever grateful that you agreed to take on what seemed like a hopeless thesis student. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Chinyere Okafor and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Ghana's Competing Independence Narratives After The
    Strife Journal, Issue 5 (May/ June 2015) History Production after Undemocratic Regime Change: The Impact of Ghana’s Competing Independence Narratives after the First Coup d’État on Peace and Political Stability Clement Sefa-Nyarko Introduction since defended the airing of the documentary and insisted on its neutrality in all its The turbulence that accompanies undemocratic broadcasts. regime changes often shakes the socio-political and economic structures of societies that The dominance of the victor’s narrative is a experience them. Among others, the new common phenomenon in all post-conflict centres of power restructure history through societies, especially those conflicts which are the manipulation of memory, ‘since they decide resolved through outright victory of one party. which narratives should be remembered, Conflicts that end through settlements have preserved and disseminated’.1 Controversies different dynamics, since main actors in the over the memory of the 1994 genocide in conflict come together for peace-building and Rwanda, and the different narratives about state-building, and by implication, production Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana’s First Republic of history for society. Educational policies and typify this scenario. Narratives are subjective curricula are designed to achieve certain agenda recall of events, real or abstract, and form suitable to the victor or main actors. These are fundamental part of collective memory. It is in likely to affect peace-building and fact sine qua non for national history reconciliation, since collective remembrance has reconstruction. Some scholars believe that the healing effects on people who are grieved.4 official Rwandese government narrative of the genocide ‘selectively highlights some civilian The complexity of post-conflict history memories of violence, and represses others in production is characteristic of post-Cold War order to hide complicity of the Kagame regime Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
    Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) A Short Biography Kwame Nkrumah Photo Gallery Excerpts from Speeches The Big Six I Speak of Freedom - 1961 Africanism and Culture - December 1962 Meeting of the Editorial Board of the Encyclopa edia Africana - September 24, 1964 Continental Government for Africa Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for De-Colonization [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Na'im Akbar ] [ Marimba Ani ] [ Molefi Kete Asante ] [ Ishakamusa Barashango ] [ Yosef Ben-Jochannan ] [ Jacob H. Carruthers ] [ Chinweizu ] [ John Henrik Clarke ] [ Cheikh Anta Diop ] [ W.E.B. DuBois ] [ Marcus Mosiah Garvey ] [ Ray Hagins ] [ William Leo Hansberry ] [ Asa Hilliard ] [ John G. Jackson ] [ Leonard Jeffries ] [ Maulana Karenga ] [ Martin Luther King, Jr. ] [ Patrice Lumumba ] [ Nelson Mandela ] [ Gerald Massey ] [ Kwame Nkrumah ] [ Théophile Obenga ] [ Kwaku Person-Lynn ] [ Runoko Rashidi ] [ Arthur A. Schomburg ] [ Professor James Small ] [ Ivan Van Sertima ] [ Frances Cress Welsing ] [ Chancellor James Williams ] [ Amos Wilson ] [ Carter G. Woodson ] [ Malcolm X ] Biography of Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) Kwame Nkrumah became the first prime and later president of Ghana. He was born on September 21, 1909, at Nkroful in what was then the British-ruled Gold Coast, the son of a goldsmith. Trained as a teacher, he went to the United States in 1935 for advanced studies and continued his schooling in England, where he helped organize the Pan-African Congress in 1945. He returned to Ghana in 1947 and became general secretary of the newly founded United Gold Coast Convention but split from it in 1949 to form the Convention People's party (CPP). After his 'positive action' campaign created disturbances in 1950, Nkrumah was jailed, but when the CPP swept the 1951 elections, he was freed to form a government, and he led the colony to independence as Ghana in 1957.
    [Show full text]