Entertainment of Saturday, 13 July 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
It is a well-known fact that the influence of Ghana’s first president and liberator from colonialism, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, extends beyond the shores and borders of Ghana.
Although he led and won Ghana’s independence campaign from British colonial rule, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was also focused on liberating the entire African continent.
This he made clear in the speech he delivered on March 6, 1957, when Ghana officially became independent.
In those famous words, he declared that “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with total liberation of the African continent.”
And Kwame Nkrumah put his words into action, leaving an indelible mark of his huge influence not only in Ghana, but across the African continent.
His vision for a united and self-reliant Africa led to the establishment of the African Union, for instance.
As recognition and appreciation of his achievements, numerous monuments, edifices, and institutions have been named in his honor outside Ghana, as testaments to his profound impact on pan-Africanism and global liberation movements.
This GhanaWeb article explores some of the various landmarks and establishments dedicated to Nkrumah's memory, celebrating his enduring legacy and influence beyond Ghana's borders.
The Dr Kwame Nkrumah statue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
In January 2012, a statue of Nkrumah was unveiled at the forecourt of the new African Union (AU) building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The unveiling of the statue was in recognition by the leaders of the 54-nation continental body of the leading role of Dr Nkrumah in the African liberation struggle.
Kwame Nkrumah Avenue in Harare, Zimbabwe
A community in Harare, Zimbabwe, has been named after Dr Kwame Nkrumah, known as the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
In the same avenue, there is a shopping mall named the Kwame Mall.
Avenida Kwame Nkrumah in Maputo, Mozambique
In Mozambique, another avenue is also named after Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The area is called Avenida Kwame Nkrumah in Maputo, Mozambique.
This also is an acknowledgement of Nkrumah’s influence on the African continent.
Nkrumah Road in Kampala
In Kampala, Uganda, a major road is named after Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
It is in the middle of a commercial area and it is another testament of Africa’s recognition of Nkrumah’s contribution to Pan-Africanism.
Azikiwe-Nkrumah Hall at Lincoln University
One of the oldest buildings on the campus of the Lincoln University, Azikiwe-Nkrumah Hall, was named after Dr. Nkrumah.
The site was the first degree-granting institution in the world to educate former slaves.
The building was in continuous use for nearly a century and a half before it was closed.
Other honorable mentions include a bust of Nkrumah displayed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, and a bust at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.
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