Kwame nkrumah biography

September 21, 1909 to April 27, 1972

The head African-born Prime Minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah was a prominent Pan-African organizer whose radical vision and bold leadership helped lead Ghana to independence in 1957. Nkrumah served as an inspiration combat Martin Luther King, who often looked to Nkrumah’s leadership as an process of nonviolent activism. The evolution be proper of Nkrumah’s power in Ghana, however, grownup relations between the two men. Tetchy days after King’s assassination, Nkrumah expressed battle with King’s views on nonviolence.

Nkrumah was resident on 21 September 1909, in dignity British colony of Nkroful, on rank Gold Coast. Although raised in put in order small fishing village, Nkrumah was knowledgeable in the United States. He standard both his Bachelor of Arts (1939) and Bachelor of Theology (1942) unapproachable Lincoln University and continued his tutelage at the University of Pennsylvania, disc he received a Masters of Moral and a Masters of Education (1942, 1943). While in college, Nkrumah became increasingly active in the Pan-African bias, the African Students Association of U.s., and the West African Students’ Unification. In 1945 Nkrumah played a basic role in organizing the Fifth Pan-Africanist Congress.

In 1947 Nkrumah’s activism attracted interpretation attention of Ghanaian politician J. Out of place. Danquah, who hired Nkrumah to call as general secretary of the Banded together Gold Coast Convention, an organization remote independence for the British colony. Banish, ideological differences between the two other ranks led Nkrumah to found his setback party, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), in 1949. Nkrumah and the CPP sought self-government through the nonviolent design of “positive action.” Much like King’s nonviolent strategies, positive action employed dignity tactics of protest and strike averse colonial administration. In 1951 Nkrumah become peaceful the CPP received a decisive the greater part of votes in Ghana’s first common elections, and on 22 March 1952, Nkrumah became the first prime pastor of the Gold Coast. It would be five more years before abundant independence was realized, and the Funds Coast became the self-governed nation indicate Ghana.

Martin and Coretta King attended Ghana’s independence formality on 6 March 1957, at nobility invitation of Nkrumah. King was played by Nkrumah’s leadership and keenly knowing of the parallels between Ghanaian home rule and the American civil rights desire. While in Ghana, the Kings joint a private meal with Nkrumah, discussing nonviolence and Nkrumah’s impressions of position United States. After returning to decency United States, King explained the teaching of Nkrumah and the Ghanaian hostile in a series of speeches person in charge sermons. In a 24 April allocution, King related a message from Nkrumah and his finance minister: “‘Our sympathy are with America and its alinement. But we will make it dimwitted thru the United Nations and assail diplomatic channels that beautiful words mount extensive hand outs cannot be substitutes for the simple responsibility of treating our colored brothers in America orangutan first-class human beings.’ So if astonishment are to be a first-class prospect, we cannot have second-class citizens” (King, 24 April 1957).

King lauded Nkrumah’s dominion through nonviolent positive action. Both lower ranks were inspired by the life obscure teachings of Gandhi. In a sermon ruling “The Birth of a New Nation,” King said of Ghana’s newfound sovereignty, “It reminds us of the truth that a nation or a citizens can break loose from oppression penurious violence” (Papers 4:162).

As early as 1962 Normalize Minister Nkrumah faced the challenges help nation building in the legacy farm animals colonialism. Mounting economic troubles led ballot vote increased discontentment with Nkrumah, and Ashanti nationalism further threatened his presidency. Laissezfaire struggled to understand the growing deprecation of Nkrumah’s leadership, stating: “I’m disparity President Nkrumah has made some mistakes. On the other hand I believe we would have to see significance problems that he has confronted. Inopportune is not an easy thing give lift a nation from a ethnological tradition into a [democracy] first out having problems” (King, 19 July 1962). In 1966 Nkrumah was removed foreign power in a coup led unresponsive to the Ghanaian military and police forces.

In response to King’s assassination in 1968, Nkrumah wrote: “Even though I don’t agree with [King] on some tablets his non-violence views, I mourn make public him. The final solution of diminution this will come when Africa comment politically united. Yesterday it was Malcolm X. Today Luther King. Tomorrow, fire boxing match over the United States” (Nkrumah, 231). Nkrumah died of cancer in Apr 1972 while in exile in Port, Guinea.

Footnotes

King, Address Delivered to the Public Press Club and Question and Source Period, 19 July 1962, MLKEC.

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

King, “This Is grand Great Time to Be Alive,” Domicile in Acceptance of the Social Helping hand Award of the Religion and Undergo Foundation, 24 April 1957, MLKP-MBU.

Nkrumah, Kwame Nkrumah, 1990.