Ghana: The Black Star of Independece in Africa

Kwame Nkrumah (September 21, 1909 - April 27, 1972)
Led Ghana to Independence on March 6, 1957.

He emerged as one the most influential Pan-Africanist

of the 2oth Century.

Today marks the 5oth anniversary of Ghana's Independence from British rule. The achievements of Dr. Nkrumah and the support from the people of Ghana remains to be a Black Star in the history of liberation and freedom on the African continent. Ghana is known today as the first African country to gain it's independence. Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Morocco became independent in previous years before Ghana in 1951-1956. They are not considered predominantly "Black" countries by the West so Ghana is considered the first "Black" African nation to achieve it's independence. However, the achievements of all of these African nations created a fervor and determination that spread throughout the continent.

Note: I had previously referred to Ghana as the first "Black" African nation. This term was something that I adopted in my research of this subject. However, as my best friend pointed out to me, the term "Black" African is redundant since Africa is just Africa. Yes, I know there are white, yellow and brown Africans, but I will just say African for the sake of Black Liberation.

Chronological History of African Independence

Liberia~1847

Egypt~1951
Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco~1956

Ghana~1957

Guinea~1958

Chad, Benin, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Togo, Zaire, Somalia, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon~1960

Sierra Leone~1961

Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda~1962

Kenya, Tanzania~1963

Malawi, Zambia~1964

Gambia~1965

Botswana, Lesotho~1966

Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, Swaziland~1968

Guinea-Bissau, Libya~1969

Angola, Cape Verde, Comoros, Mozambique, Sao Tome~1975

Seychelles~1976

Djibouti~1977

Zimbabwe~1980

Namibia~1990

Honorable mention: From the 26th to 29th of April 1994, the South African population voted in the first universal suffrage general elections. The African National Congress won the election and Nelson Mandela became the first native South African president to be democratically elected by the "people" on May 9, 1994.

Soul Food: Cornbread, Mack, And Me

I wanted to share with you guys a little of my family life. Over the weekend, my family got together for a little reunion. My uncles, Mack and Carlton decided that the family doesn’t get together enough so they invited everyone over for some good ol' southern cooking. I’m talking they roasted half of a hog. You ever heard of a “pig picking?” I realize this may be disgusting to some, but some of y’all out there know exactly what I’m talking about. Yeah, Soul food!

There was corn on the cob, mac and cheese, cornbread, fried chicken, grilled chicken, ribs, string beans, collard greens, pasta salad, and baked beans with strips of bacon across the top! Haa haa!! I mean a real trip to the doctor, but it was so delicious! Oh, and you can't live in the DC/Maryland area without trying some of the Chesapeake Bay's finest crustaceans! Yes, Crabs!

This was also a chance for the family to meet my wife because I was just married at the end of 2005. They loved her and they loved the South African dish she fixed for the occasion. I learned some things about me as well at this family gathering. One of my younger cousins who attends FAMU (Florida A& M University) wanted some advice on what books to read. I suggested Aimé Césaire's book, Discourse On Colonialism. There was also a moment when we were all sitting in the family room just catching up. We were having discussions about current events and various topics. This sparked conversations about black history and culture. They started asking me questions and I gave my 2 cent. If I didn't know the answer they were surprised! In other words, I have a reputation of being the family smart guy. I honestly don’t know how I got this reputation? Perhaps some of the family are speaking well of me. Nevertheless, I like the reputation because I love to talk about history and culture. It’s the reason I first went into teaching. I was also told that I was a man who loves his family whether we’ve met or not. This is true. I've met more than a couple of cousins I’ve never met before and I embraced them instantly. It might be a different story if I had to live with them, but the love is there upon initial contact.

Overall, it was good to see everyone. I hope that you all get a chance to see and get together with your family this Summer. If you haven’t then maybe you should be the one to get everyone together. Peace and enjoy the rest of this Summer. It’ll be over before you know it.