The Pan-African Movement

Pan-Africanism by definition is a movement for the political union of all African nations (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). However, to me Pan Africanism has two meanings. The first meaning is all Africans and African Americans whether in Africa or in the diaspora coming together as brothers and sisters unifying as one. The second meaning is all the African nations coming together as one. The Pan African movement was brought about because the Africans and African Americans in the diaspora were tired of colonialism and slavery that was so reliant on their people. The movement began in the mid nineteenth century and it was led by people from the diaspora and leaders in Africa. Many people and events that played pivotal roles in this movement. Some

He was a political activist from Ghana. In 1957, Nkrumah brought his country to independence from Britain and he was a major advocate for African nationalism. Nkrumah’s dream was for the wntire continent of Africa to be free from colonial rule. He put together the Organization of African Unity, this group promoted peace and harmony between all of the African nations. In 1960, He became the President of Ghana however, he began using harsh methods to carry out things he wanted to get done, this made him create enemies and he was overthrown in 1966. He then fled to Guinea where he stayed in exile and later died in 1972 from prostate

He was a very instrumental person in the Pan-African movement. He was a founder of the Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). However, just because he was a great man for the African American community doesn’t mean he was loved and appreciated by everyone. He was hated by white Americans in the United States because he demanded for equal rights and justice amongst African Americans and he demanded that Africa be free from colonialism. Because he was hated and hunted down in the United States, he fled to Ghana where he began his own movements. As a result of him creating his own movements, the 5 Pan-African Congresses were birthed. The role he played in the Pan-African movement was seen as a platform for many other African leaders such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta and Hastings Banda.

The First Pan African Congress was held in Paris in 1919 and W.E.B Dubois played a huge role. He was heavily involved in getting this congress together. There were 57 delegates and they represented 15 countries including: Liberia, Haiti, the British West Indies, and the West African Colonies. These delegates at this conference demanded 3 major changes in the colonial policy: 1) for African Americans to be able to own land, 2) Equal educational opportunities and health care and 3) For Africans to be able to play a role in the