KWAME NKRUMAH

(21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972)

• September 21, 1909 Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, was born in Nkroful, Gold Coast (now Ghana). In 1935, Nkrumah came to the United States to further his education, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939 and his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1942 from Lincoln University and his Master of Science degree in 1942 and his Masters of Arts degree in philosophy in 1943 from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1947, Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast and became the leader of the United Gold Coast Convention which was working on independence from Britain. In 1950, the colonial administration arrested and sentenced Nkrumah to three years in jail for his political activities. As the result of international protests and internal resistance, Nkrumah was released from jail in 1951 and elected Prime Minister of the Gold Coast in 1952. On March 6, 1957, Nkrumah declared Ghana independent and in 1960 was elected president. In February, 1966, Nkrumah’s government was overthrown in a military coup which was backed by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and he went into exile in Guinea. Nkrumah died April 27, 1972. He is best remembered for his strong commitment to and promotion of Pan-Africanism and his significant influence in the founding of the Organization of African Unity. In 2000, he was voted Africa’s Man of the Millennium by listeners of the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service. Nkrumah was a prolific author and published his autobiography, “Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah,” in 1957. Other works by Nkrumah include “Africa Must Unite” (1963), “Dark Days in Ghana” (1968), and “Revolutionary Path,” published posthumously in 1973.

>via: http://thewright.org/explore/blog/entry/today-in-black-history-9212014