| Literature Review
Introduction Nkrumah's Speeches Nkrumah's Written Works -Overview -Theoretical works --Geo-Political Strategy --African Unity -Autobiographies -Testimony of Key -African Revolutionaries Primary Sources Secondary Sources Tertiary Sources |
Nkrumah's Written Works
African Unity
In regards to African unity, Nkrumah's outlook shifted from the earlier strategy of forming an initial nation from West African colonies[1] progressing to a union of socialist African states. This position was reflected in the works of the West African National Secretariat (WANS) but more particularly in the credo of The Circle (1973c). This early position was most clearly expressed in the previous mentioned tract titled, Towards Colonial Freedom, written between 1942 and 1945 (1971c). The following quote best describes his eventual shift in thought: When Towards Colonial Freedom was written, my ideas on African unity, important even as I considered them at that time, were limited to West African unity as a first step. Since I have had the opportunity of putting my ideas to work, and in intensification of neocolonialism, I lay even greater stress on the vital importance to Africa's survival of a political unification of the entire African continent. Regional groupings, specially [sic] when based purely on economic co-operation, in areas which are already dominated by neocolonialist interests, retard rather than promote the unification process. (1973c, 14) Nkrumah's Africa must unite (1970a) undoubtedly
his tour de force on the need for a continental union government
for Africa. It was originally published to coincide with the
formation of the OAU. As such, it is a significant work in this study
and shows Nkrumah's approach both to independent African states and the
ALM. This work is supplemented with Nkrumah's presentations to the
first three OAU summit meetings and to the Ghanaian National Assembly concerning
the OAU's charter (1973c, 1997d, e).
Nkrumah's approach to developing the optimal zone
for African development included roles for Africans throughout the world
but the development of the African population within Ghana was to fall
within a specific trajectory explained succinctly in Nkrumah's Revolutionary
Path (1973c). Nkrumah utilized the collective agency of Ghana
as an instrument of African liberation and a general Pan-African agency.
This was no surprise to all who listened to Nkrumah's pronouncement at
Ghana's independence celebration. It was at that celebration where
Nkrumah declared to the world that Ghana's independence was meaningless
as long as any part of Africa remained colonized. Ghana became the
first Pan-African liberated zone of the type that was summonsed by the
1945 Manchester PAC.
[1]
It should be noted that Nkrumah included the Belgian Congo in his category
of West Africa.
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