Today, on Sojourner Truth:
We continue our coverage of African Liberation Week, which kicked off on Monday, May 25, with African Liberation Day. On April 15, 1958, in the city of Accra, Ghana, African leaders convened the first Conference of Independent African States. The conference included representatives from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Republic (which included Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of Cameroonian Peoples. This was the first Pan-African Conference held on the continent. It represented the unity of African people to the racist systems of colonialism and imperialism.
Among other provisions, the conference called for the founding of African Freedom Day. Five years later, after the First Conference of Independent African States in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, another historical meeting occurred. On May 25, 1963, leaders of thirty-two independent African States met to form the Organization of African Unity. At the historic Organization of African Unity meeting, the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from April 15 to May 25 and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day. African Liberation Day has been marked annually on May 25th in every corner of the world ever since. This year is no different.
Africans Rising, a grassroots Pan-Africanist movement on the continent, kicked off a week-long mobilization on African Liberation Day. The movement has been hosting online conversations, actions and events dedicated to keeping all Africans safe during this global health crisis. The theme of their mobilization is Active Citizenship in the Fight Against COVID-19. Africans from all over the world " including the U.S., the U.K., the Caribbean and Latin America " have been taking part in it. Other Pan-Africanist movements have been hosting similar mobilizations focused on COVID-19, given its hard impact on African people.
Today, you will hear audio from an African Liberation Week webinar hosted by the Advocacy Network for Africa. The virtual event briefed audiences around the world about COVID-19 in Africa and the diaspora, the responses taking place, and what needs to happen to mitigate COVID-19. The event was moderated by Robtel Neajai Pailey, a Liberian academic, activist and author. Speakers included Coumbe Toure of Africans Rising, Nana Gyamfi of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Abdiqadir Yousuf Abdullahi, a doctor with the organization Save the Vision, and Nyeleti Honwana with Global Black Youth.
