[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF DR. KWAME NKRUMAH AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GHANA

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the life and 
contributions of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and to acknowledge the 50th 
anniversary of the independence of Ghana, which is being recognized and 
celebrated this year. Kwame Nkrumah is the father of his nation, Ghana, 
and its anniversary of independence is an appropriate time for us to 
recognition his contribution. I introduce into the Congressional Record 
an article from CaribNews by Michael D. Roberts.
  Dr. Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909 in Ghana, the same country 
he led to liberation from Great Britain and was elected as Prime 
Minister in 1960. He attended college in the United States, studied 
philosophy, and developed an interest in the ideas of Marcus Garvey. 
Realizing the need for self government, he served as General Secretary 
of the United Coast Gold Convention, a political party interested in 
Ghana's independence. Involvement in this movement was unconventional 
and by all means unpopular. Despite, the lack of popularity, Dr. 
Nkrumah, had a vision not only for Ghana, but for all African 
countries. His leadership inspired 23 other African nations to gain 
independence in just 3 years after his election.
  In addition to inspiring African countries to gain independence, Dr. 
Nkrumah envisioned unity. His vision to unite African countries was 
embodied with his influence in founding the Organization of African 
unity, established on May 25, 1963. The organization focused on ways to 
unify African nations and to speak with one continental voice. The 
organization changed over the years and was replaced with the African 
Union in 2001.
  On March 6, 2007, Ghana celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 
independence. Celebrations were held all over the country and attended 
by world leaders. I pay honor and homage to Kwame Nkrumah for 
dedicating his life to Ghana democracy and working towards unifying 
African nations. His legacy and work still lives on with the 
celebration of Ghana's independence 50 years ago.

                            [From CaribNews]

  Kwame Nkrumah: The Man and His Times--Ghanaian Political Visionary, 
              Pan-Africanist and Advocate of African Unity

                        (By Michael D. Roberts)

       The African Antecedent: Setting the Stage for Africa's 
     Independence
       ``Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up 
     with the total liberation of the African continent.'' Kwame 
     Nkrumah, Accra 1957.
       Those words were uttered 6 years before the formation of 
     the Organization of African Unity (OAD) on the 25th May 1963. 
     It was an organization formed with the express purpose of 
     uniting all of Africa but from the onset those leaders who 
     signed this historic document in Ethiopia, were divided by 
     insularity and a profound lack of vision. That is all of them 
     except one.
       Today his vision has been realized and modified, perhaps 
     for better or worse--no one knows--in the development of the 
     African Union (AD) that came into being in 2001. This new 
     organization replaced the OAU that many felt had did its time 
     and served its purpose but was unrealistic and lacked any new 
     mechanism for dealing with the vagaries of modern, emerging 
     Africa and the rest of the world.
       But his vision and steadfast belief in African Glory has 
     made him a legend in his lifetime and clearly one of the 
     great sons of Africa. Today, he stands tall for his 
     contribution to African political consciousness and African 
     unity. He was a man whose ideas were far advanced for the era 
     in which he served. In 2007 Africa needs to revisit his life 
     and times. His name was Kwame Nkrumah. As Ghana's leader he 
     had developed a reputation of total commitment to the 
     improvement of not only the people of Ghana, but all of 
     Africa. In a very real way the building blocks for today's 
     modem Africa is the sacrifice and vision of leaders like 
     Nkrumah. Observe that on the eve of the signing of the 
     document that would formally ratify the OAU this was the 
     warning that Nkrumah gave to African leaders about the 
     powerful forces lined up against the continent:
       ``Our essential bulwark against the sinister threats and 
     other multifarious designs of the neocolonialists is in our 
     political union. If we are to remain free, if we are to enjoy 
     the full benefits of Africa's rich resources, we must unite 
     to plan for total defense and the full exploitation of our 
     material and human means, in the full interests of all our 
     peoples. To go it alone will limit our horizons, curtail our 
     expectations, and threaten our liberty . . . Unless we meet 
     the obvious and very powerful neocolonialists' threats with a 
     unified African front, based upon a common economic and 
     defense policy, the strategy will be to pick us off and 
     destroy us one by one.''
       Nkrumah's prophetic and visionary words were based on his 
     profound study of how Europe colonized Africa and his 
     experiences abroad. His study of Garveyism, the ideology of 
     Marcus Mosiah Garvey, lent his thoughts and actions a sense 
     of African pride and independence. But more than that Nkrumah 
     demonstrated selfless leadership and completely dedicated 
     himself to the emancipation of his people.

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