An Awesome Country Called Ghana turns 63…
“We face neither East nor West; We face forward”
The declaration of the Independence of Ghana on 6th March 1957 by Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah represents an important historical event for all Black People not just in Ghana but all over the world. It represented an important milestone in the struggle to wrestle us from the claws of colonialism and usher us into a new era of Black self-determination. This event was powerful both in what it represented in reality and in its symbolism.
But Nkrumah’s declaration was by no means the end! The imperialist forces became even more resolute and devious in their schemes to maintain control of the country, and it's resources in what Nkrumah termed “Neo-Colonialism- The Last Stage of Imperialism”. Oppression is a hydra-headed monster- you cut off one head and another grows in place. This is evident in America and its racial history. With the Emancipation Proclamation came Jim Crow and all its trickle downs.
As Nkrumah noted in his book, Africa Must Unite “Colonialism and its attitudes die hard, like the attitudes of slavery, whose hangover still dominates behaviour in certain parts of the Western hemisphere. Before slavery was practised in the New World, there was no special denigration of Africans. Travellers to this continent described the inhabitants in their records with natural curiosity and examination to be expected of individuals coming from different environments. It was when slave trade and slavery began to develop ghastly proportions that made them the base of that capital accumulation which assisted the rise of Western industrialism, that a new attitude towards Africans emerged. ‘Slavery in the Caribbean has been too narrowly identified with the man of colour. A racial twist has thereby been given to what is basically an economic phenomenon. Slavery was not born of racism, rather racism was the consequence of slavery.’ With this racial twist was invented the myth of colour inferiority. This myth supported the subsequent rape of our continent with its despoliation and continuing exploitation under the advanced forms of colonialism and imperialism.”
The struggle for independence is far from over! The struggle is every day! The struggle itself has morphed from one against imperialist powers to one against the our own leadership. Alright! I’m done ranting for now :)
Let’s get back to why I am writing this!
I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about the future of the Black Star! As Ghana turns 63 today, our collective triumphs, trials, and milestones narrate a history- an evolving tale- that is beautiful, intricate and inspiring. This year, 2020, we mark the year #BeyondTheReturn after 2019, the #YearOfReturn that welcomed our sisters and brothers in the diaspora to sit with us again by the fireside, sharing stories and tales, drinking palm wine and musing to the memory of our ancestors.
Ghana has come a long way and the future that beckons is even brighter! I am proudly Ghanaian; the sum total of the ingenuity of Okomfo Anokye, the intellect of Kwegyir Aggrey, the vision of Kwame Nkrumah, the valor of Yaa Asantewaa, the strength of Tohazhie the “Red Hunter”, the leadership of Togbui Tsali, the wisdom of my own grandmother, Waige Eugenia Asimenu. As we celebrate Ghana today, I want to share with you all a few facts about the “awesome country called Ghana”- as I usually introduced myself- “Kwame Botchway, from an awesome country called Ghana.”
1. Before the invasion of the Europeans, the region was dominated by powerful kingdoms and empires: the Ashanti Empire, the Ghana Empire and many other prominent kingdoms like the Dagbon Kingdom and the Dahomey Kingdom. The country formerly known as the Gold Coast was rechristened Ghana meaning the “Warrior King”.
2. Ghana is a country of rich ethnic and linguistic diversity: More than 250 languages and dialects are spoken in Ghana. The main languages are Akan, Ewe, Dagbani, Ga. English was adopted as the language of government and business affairs.
3. Ghana has the best food in the world. Ghanaian food remains the envy of Nigerians- try the Ghana Jollof. Also, have you tasted, fufu and Abenkwan [peanut butter soup] or Akple and Fetridetsi [Okro Stew] or Ampesi and Nkontonmire[Green vegetable stew]? or Tuo Zaafi? Sorry, words won’t do justice describing these so I won’t even attempt it. You will have to visit and taste the goodness for yourself.
4. Ghana is ranked Africa’s most peaceful country according to the Global Peace Index: Since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992 under the leadership of Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, the country’s democracy has thrived and flourished.
5. We love football. I mean the ‘real’ football or what Americans will distinguish as soccer. Matter of fact, we have one of the best teams in Africa having beat America TWICE at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.
6. Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain its independence. Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah who led the independence revolution in Ghana went on to help many other African countries gain their independence and became one of the leading figures in the formation of the Organization for African Unity [OAU] which later became the African Union [AU]. Kwame Nkrumah is perhaps the most notable Pan-Africanist of his time.
“Nkrumah never dies”.
7. Ghana is home to the uniquely beautiful fabric, the Kente!
8. Ghana has the largest man-made lake in the world- The Lake Volta.
9. Ghana’s economy is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. Google’s first Africa Artificial Intelligence Lab is in Accra Ghana. The civic tech space in Ghana is growing rapidly.
10. We are always singing and dancing! Ghana is a beautiful country with a beautiful culture and very beautiful people. You can see some pictures here
This is by no means an exhaustive list, in fact, I could not attempt to exhaust it! The best way to experience the awesomeness is to go see it for yourself!
