Unajua? – Most borders in Africa were not made by Africans but by Europeans during colonialism, which caused problems that African nationalists worked to fix.

African nationalists worked to free and unite Africans. They believed in African nationalism, which is an ideology close to Pan Africanism.

African independence movements brought independence but nations had to be made.

A nation keeps the people of a country together through values, culture and history.

During the Scramble for Africa, at meetings like the Berlin Conference, the continent was broken up for seven European nations, without Africans knowing or wanting it.

They made borders that made little sense for the ethnic groups living in Africa.

The Somali were divided in 5 colonies: French Somaliland, British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Luo between Uganda and Kenya.

African nationalists of the 20th century had to unite Africans in their new countries.

In 1963, African leaders signed a charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in which they agreed to respect borders in Africa, preventing much border conflict.

African nationalists were usually politicians and academics, part of political parties and trade unions, that went on to become leaders of independent African countries.

There were many types of African nationalism, however, African nationalists had similar struggles against colonialism and worked to build African nations.

People around the world supported African nationalists, like Ralph Bunch and Rajeshwar Dayal at the United Nations. Women African nationalists, like Andrée Blouin, are mostly unknown.

This article is about African nationalists and their contributions to the world. You will read about what 10 African nationalists did and left behind.

In short, modern states arrived in Africa well before any nation considered these states their own. – An Introduction to African Politics by Alex Thomson, 2000

AFRICAN NATIONALISTS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

KWAME NKRUMAH

As the president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah strongly supported African independence movements. He brought them together at the All African Peoples Conference in Accra.

In 1949, Kwame Nkrumah set up the Convention People’s Party (CPP). He led a Positive Action campaign through which Ghana became independent from Britain.

Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana after its independence in 1957. Among the many books he wrote is Neo-colonialism: the last stage of imperialism which is part of the African Writers Series.

FRANTZ FANON

At the All African Peoples Conference (1958), Frantz Fanon made a speech that changed African nationalists opinions about using violence as a way to become independent countries.

Frantz Fanon was a member of the Front de libération nationale (FLN; Algerian National Liberation Front) that fought the Algerian War of Independence against France from 1954 to 1962.

Frantz Fanon was born in Martinique, a French island. He was a psychiatrist, philosopher and writer of popular books like Black Skin White Masks.

PATRICA LUMUMBA

Patrice Lumumba did a lot to set up self-rule in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He made speeches that inspired Congolese and Africans to want independence from colonialism.

He was the leader of the Movement National Congolais (MNC; Congolese National Movement) which was an African Nationalist party made up of people from different political and ethnic groups that worked to become independent from Belgium.

Patrice Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at independence in 1960, the Year of Africa. He was assassinated less than a year later. He wrote many books like Congo, My Country.

KENNETH KAUNDA

In 1961, Kenneth Kaunda led the Cha Cha Cha campaign against British colonialism in Zambia. Possibly named after the song Indépendence Cha Cha by Le Grand Kallé and L’African Jazz.

Kenneth Kaunda was the leader of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). As the president, Kaunda was against apartheid and he helped African independence movements like ANC, SWAPO, ZANU and ZAPU.

Kenneth Kaunda was the president of Zambia at independence in 1964. He wrote on African nationalism and humanism in books like Zambia Shall Be Free from the African Writers Series

JULIUS NYERERE

With his ideology called Ujamaa Julius Nyerere made a huge contribution to African socialism. Ujamaa means familyhood in Swahili.

Julius Nyerere was the leader of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) which was a political party that led peaceful actions against British colonialism. They used newsletters like Sauti ya Tanu (Voice of TANU).

As the first president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere was called baba wa taifa (father of the nation) and Mwalimu (teacher). He wrote many books on Ujamaa and Africa.

LÉOPOLD SENGHOR

While in France, Léopold Senghor and other writers like Aimé Césaire started the Négritude movement to write about Africans in a positive way, different from European colonialists.

Léopold Senghor was the leader of the Socialist Party of Senegal.

Léopold Senghor was the first president of Senegal after independence in 1960 during the Year of Africa. He wrote many books, including poetry, like Nocturnes which is part of the African Writers Series.

NELSON MANDELA

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela led many actions against apartheid. He was charged in the Treason Trial among others like Alfred Hutchinston and was later imprisoned for 27 years. Nelson Mandela is a great inspiration to all people.

Nelson Mandela was the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) that led actions like protests and strikes against apartheid and white-minority rule in South Africa.

In 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected President of South Africa. He wrote No Easy Walk to Freedom (1974) which is part of the African Writers Series.

NNAMDI AZIKIWE

Using his love for sports Nnamdi Azikiwe united Nigerians by organizing sport games for all peoples where thousands of people would join and talk about the injustices of British colonialism, like segregation.

Azikiwe was the secretary of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). The political party was a mix of political and ethnic groups that worked to unite the Nigerian nation.

Nnamdi was the first President of Nigeria; he is known as a Father of Nigerian nationalism. He wrote many books like his autobiography, My Odyssey.

JOMO KENYATTA

As a leader of the independence movement in Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta was unjustly imprisoned for 9 years by British colonial forces, he was one of the Kapenguria Six. Kenyatta was among African nationalist leaders like George Padmore and Hastings Banda at the 1945 Pan-African Congress.

Jomo Kenyatta was the leader of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), a political party that joined Tom Mboya and Oginda Odinga’s KIM.

Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963. He wrote Facing Mount Kenya: the traditional life of the Gikuyu which is part of the African Writers Series.

AMÍLCAR CABRAL

Amilcar Cabral led the 11 year war against Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. He worked with leaders like Samora Machel and Agostinho Neto to bring about independent African countries.

Amilcar Cabral was the leader of the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC; African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde). PAIGC joined the independence movements FRELIMO, MPLA and MLSTP with the Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies (CONCP).

Amilcar Cabral was an agricultural engineer and politician. He was assassinated in 1973, before the independence of Guinea Bissau in 1974. He wrote Unity and Struggle: speeches and writings which is part of the African Writers Series.

Today

Thanks to the work of African nationalists that have worked to unite Africans there are independent countries in Africa.

• There were (and still are) nationalists all over the world. In every country, city, town and village! Who are the nationalists where you are from?

The work of Africans nationalists continues till today! There are many conflicts between different ethnic groups, sometimes called tribalism, that have caused major problems in some countries.

Word bank 📚🧑🏿‍🏫

Academic

Contribution

Country

Ideology

Nation

References

Books

An Introduction to African Politics by Alex Thomson

Links

Britannica – Amilcar Lopes Cabral

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amilcar-Lopes-Cabral

Organization of African Unity, OAU CHARTER (1963)

https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/7759-file-oau_charter_1963.pdf

Wikipedia – Convention People’s Party

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_People%27s_Party

Wikipedia – Guinea-Bissau War of Independence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau_War_of_Independence 

Wikipedia – Julius Nyerere

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Nyerere 

Wikipedia – Portuguese Colonial War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Colonial_War

Wikipedia – Nnamdi Azikiwe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nnamdi_Azikiwe

Read More !!!

Books

An Introduction to African Politics by Alex Thomson

Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins

White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa by Susan Williams

Links

Berkeley Political Review – Embracing Nationalism in East Africa

Embracing Nationalism in East Africa

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! ––––– Amos 5:24