As part of the Grade 12 World History unit exploring African Resistance movements, Grade 12 student Jada Nyanor explores Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a titan of Pan-Africanism and the architect of Ghana's independence. From his early days as a student and activist, deeply influenced by the ideas of Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois, to his relentless "Positive Action" campaign, Nkrumah ignited a fire that would spread across Africa. Join us as we unpack the strategic brilliance, charismatic leadership, and unwavering commitment that propelled Ghana to become the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule, setting a powerful precedent for liberation movements throughout the continent.
Sources used for this episode:
Lincoln University. (n.d.). Kwame Nkrumah Digital Information Site. Lincoln University. https://www.lincoln.edu/langston-hughes-memorial-library/kwame-nkrumah-digital-information-site.html
Nkrumah, K. (1963). Africa must unite. Council for Contemporary African Studies. https://ccaf.africa/books/Africa-Must-Unite-Kwame-Nkrumah.pdf
Lawson, A. A. (2010). Kwame Nkrumah’s quest for Pan-Africanism: From independence leader to deposed despot (Master’s thesis, Wichita State University). Wichita State SOAR. https://soar.wichita.edu/bitstream/handle/10057/3731/t10102_Lawson.pdf
Swarthmore College. (n.d.). Ghanaians campaign for independence from British rule, 1949-1951. Global Nonviolent Action Database. https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/ghanaians-campaign-independence-british-rule-1949-1951
Stanford University. (n.d.). Nkrumah, Kwame. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/nkrumah-kwame
University of Wisconsin. (2024, March 16). Kwame Nkrumah: Wrestling with Nonviolence. The Nonviolence Project. https://thenonviolenceproject.wisc.edu/2024/03/16/kwame-nkrumah-wrestling-with-nonviolence/
GhanaWeb. (2023, January 8). Today in History: Kwame Nkrumah declares Positive Action campaign. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Today-in-History-Kwame-Nkrumah-declares-Positive-Action-campaign-1691780
Mérida, M. (n.d.). Imperialism, Decolonization, and Kwame Nkrumah. Avery Research Center. https://avery.charleston.edu/imperialism-decolonization-and-kwame-nkrumah-by-mateo-merida/
University of Pretoria. (2022). Kwame Nkrumah and the Pan-African Ideal: Debates and Contestation. African Journal of Political Science. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajps/article/view/243089/229905
Mensah, E. O. (2016). Kwame Nkrumah and the Independence of Ghana. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 9(4). https://jpanafrican.org/docs/vol9no4/JuneJuly-5-Mensah.pdf
Getachew, A. (2019). Kwame Nkrumah and the Quest for Independence. Dissent Magazine. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/kwame-nkrumah-and-the-quest-for-independence/
University of Pretoria. (2022). Kwame Nkrumah and the Pan-African Ideal: Debates and Contestation. African Journal of Political Science. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajps/article/view/243089/229905
Mérida, M. (n.d.). Imperialism, Decolonization, and Kwame Nkrumah. Avery Research Center. https://avery.charleston.edu/imperialism-decolonization-and-kwame-nkrumah-by-mateo-merida/
Lartey, S. (2024). The Influence of Kwame Nkrumah in Promoting Pan-Africanism: Linking Various Freedom Fighters for the Cause with Future Recommendations. The African Review. https://www.africanreview.org/articles/the-influence-of-kwame-nkrumah-in-promoting-pan-africanism/
