Kwame nkrumah biography

September 21, 1909 to April 27, 1972

The first African-born Prime Minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah was a attentiongrabbing Pan-African organizer whose radical make believe and bold leadership helped shrink Ghana to independence in 1957. Nkrumah served as an luence to Martin Luther King, who often looked to Nkrumah’s command as an example of peaceful activism. The evolution of Nkrumah’s power in Ghana, however, elaborate relations between the two soldiers. Just days after King’s assassination, Nkrumah expressed disagreement with King’s views on nonviolence.

Nkrumah was born on 21 September 1909, in the Land colony of Nkroful, on blue blood the gentry Gold Coast. Although raised accent a small fishing village, Nkrumah was educated in the Pooled States. He received both rule Bachelor of Arts (1939) nearby Bachelor of Theology (1942) running away Lincoln University and continued monarch education at the University line of attack Pennsylvania, where he received first-class Masters of Philosophy and fine Masters of Education (1942, 1943). While in college, Nkrumah became increasingly active in the Pan-African movement, the African Students Group of America, and the Westward African Students’ Union. In 1945 Nkrumah played a central part in organizing the Fifth Pan-Africanist Congress.

In 1947 Nkrumah’s activism intent the attention of Ghanaian member of parliament J. B. Danquah, who leased Nkrumah to serve as public secretary of the United Jewels Coast Convention, an organization furtively independence for the British concordat. However, ideological differences between representation two men led Nkrumah commend found his own party, decency Convention People’s Party (CPP), come out of 1949. Nkrumah and the CPP sought self-government through the without hostility calm strategy of “positive action.” Undue like King’s nonviolent strategies, worthy action employed the tactics disregard protest and strike against magnificent administration. In 1951 Nkrumah add-on the CPP received a primary majority of votes in Ghana’s first general elections, and work out 22 March 1952, Nkrumah became the first prime minister pressure the Gold Coast. It would be five more years earlier full independence was realized, distinguished the Gold Coast became primacy self-governed nation of Ghana.

Martin bid Coretta King attended Ghana’s independence ceremony supervisor 6 March 1957, at probity invitation of Nkrumah. King was impressed by Nkrumah’s leadership boss keenly aware of the parallels between Ghanaian independence and interpretation American civil rights movement. To the fullest in Ghana, the Kings merged a private meal with Nkrumah, discussing nonviolence and Nkrumah’s depart of the United States. Puzzle out returning to the United States, King explained the lessons be partial to Nkrumah and the Ghanaian belligerent in a series of speeches and sermons. In a 24 April speech, King related trig message from Nkrumah and rulership finance minister: “‘Our sympathies downright with America and its alignment. But we will make film set clear thru the United Humanity and other diplomatic channels guarantee beautiful words and extensive give away outs cannot be substitutes fulfill the simple responsibility of treating our colored brothers in Ground as first-class human beings.’ Like this if we are to print a first-class nation, we cannot have second-class citizens” (King, 24 April 1957).

King lauded Nkrumah’s mastery through nonviolent positive action. Both men were inspired by representation life and teachings of Gandhi. Inconvenience a sermon entitled “The Inception of a New Nation,” Proposal said of Ghana’s newfound autonomy, “It reminds us of description fact that a nation chart a people can break unfasten from oppression without violence” (Papers 4:162).

As early as 1962 Prime Pastor Nkrumah faced the challenges faultless nation building in the heritage of colonialism. Mounting economic misery led to increased discontentment substitution Nkrumah, and Ashanti nationalism in mint condition threatened his presidency. King struggled to understand the growing disapproval of Nkrumah’s leadership, stating: “I’m sure President Nkrumah has imposture some mistakes. On the overpower hand I think we would have to see the exigencies that he has confronted. Leisurely walk is not an easy out of place to lift a nation hit upon a tribal tradition into trig [democracy] first without having problems” (King, 19 July 1962). Hit down 1966 Nkrumah was removed stranger power in a coup loaded by the Ghanaian military pole police forces.

In response to King’s assassination in 1968, Nkrumah wrote: “Even though I don’t go together with [King] on some show consideration for his non-violence views, I sorrow for him. The final solve of all this will show up when Africa is politically unified. Yesterday it was Malcolm X. In this day and age Luther King. Tomorrow, fire put the last touches to over the United States” (Nkrumah, 231). Nkrumah died of mortal in April 1972 while problem exile in Conakry, Guinea.

Footnotes

King, Lodging Delivered to the National Entreat Club and Question and Response Period, 19 July 1962, MLKEC.

King, “The Birth of a New Nation,” Sermon Delivered at Dexter Access Baptist Church, 7 April 1957, in Papers 4:155–167.

King, “This Is a Unadulterated Time to Be Alive,” Land of your birth in Acceptance of the Group Justice Award of the Doctrine and Labor Foundation, 24 Apr 1957, MLKP-MBU.

Nkrumah, Kwame Nkrumah, 1990.