Seventy-eight years some of the leading lights of the independence movement descended on the northern English city of Manchester for the historic Fifth Pan-African Congress (PAC). Unlike the previous events, W.E.B. Du Bois had least to do with organising it (much of that work was undertaken by George Padmore) (1) and the event is seen as having a direct impact on the wave of liberation movements that swept the Afrikan continent a decade later. (2)
Tonight, in a special broadcast, Afrika Speaks comes to Manchester to celebrate sixty years of Afrika Liberation Day (ALD) at the Pan-African Congress Movement’s observance under the theme The Grand African Renaissance Part 2.
The idea of a renaissance in current context would suggest that the optimism of the 5th PAC and the ensuing independence has not been sustained to the present. Indeed, within the first decade of the indepedence thrust, the scepter of neo-colonialism was rearing its head to devstating effect. As the first president of independent Ghana, the Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah argued in 1965 that the neo-colonial state has all the outward trappings on international sovereignty but that its:
“Economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.” (3)
It’s a state of affairs that has dominated the continent ever since and not just at the hands of global Europe. Warrior scholar Baba Chinweizu said back in 2007.
“The history of Black Africans demands that we replace the Arab-castrated OAU/AU with a blacks-only collective security organization, and not with yet another Arab-castrated outfit called the UsofAfrica.
Unless the members of a group are keen for their group to survive, the group will most probably not survive; for its members will fail to do what must be done for their group to survive. And any such group does not deserve to survive. If Black Africans wish to survive, they must profoundly change their priorities: Not slothful consumerism here on earth, not paradise for their souls in the hereafter, but collective security here on earth must become their ruling passion.” (4)
Baba Chinweizu advocates Black Power Pan Africanism (BPPA) that he describes as:
“Political Afrocentrism in operation and it aims, above all and by any means necessary, to stop the extermination of the Black race which is now in process.” (5)
He concludes:
“Black Power Pan Africanism (BPPA) is different from and implacably opposed to Continentalist [i.e. Afro-Arab] Pan Africanism which is a disaster for Black Africa. BPPA’s basic teachers are Marcus Garvey, Amilcar Cabral and Steve Biko. In the task of solving the problems of Black Africans in the 21 st century, BPPA will be guided by their ideas.” (6)
(1) Christian Høgsbjerg (12/04/16) Remembering the Fifth Pan-African Congress. Leeds African Studies Bulletin No. 77 (2015/16).https://lucas.leeds.ac.uk/article/remembering-the-fifth-pan-african-congress-christian-hogsbjerg/
(2) Hakim Adi and Marika Sherwood (200) Pan-African History: Political figures from Africa and the Diaspora since 1787. Routledge. p. 144
(3) Kwame Nkrumah (1965) Neo-Colonialism The Last Stage of Imperialism. International Publishers. p. ix
(4) Chinweiz (2007) Garveyism not Continentalism is what Black Africa Needs.
(5) Ibid
(6) Ibid
we ask the question:
What does Liberation look like in 2023? Part 2: LIVE FROM MANCHESTER!!!
1) Why is there a need for a Grand African Renaissance?
2) Is the alternative to Renaissance extermination?
3) What will be the mosy effective stategy?
4) Are continental governments and help or a hinderance?
Our Special Guest:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
*******
SIGN: Justice for children wrongly classified as ESN: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631043
SIGN: Stop Anti African racism in Tunisia – https://chng.it/5MVRbCD2sn