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FREEDOMWAYS             THIRD QUARTER 1972 

Nkrumah came to be regarded by friends and foes alike as the theoretician and strategist of the African Revolution.
His public life-with its tribulations and triumphs, its successes and failures, its pageantry and color-when seen in historical perspective becomes a chronicle of the new Africa, continental in scale, socialist in content, slowly but surely rising out of the smoldering ruins of colonialism and the crumbling ramparts of neo-colonialism. 
One may review his ideological approach to the African Revolution under three categories:
1. The struggle against colonialism in one country.
2. The promotion of continental revolution against imperialism. 
3. The welding of many states into one society as the condition for securing full development within the context of national independence.
The ten years, 1947-1957, from his return to the Gold Coast to the attainment of independence by the newly named Ghana, saw Nkrumah immersed in leading a colonial revolution in his own country. His theory of colonial revolution is embodied in Towards Colonial Freedom, with valuable personal sidelights in Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah, in I Speak of Freedom and in numerous newspaper articles and public speeches.
At this time he projected the slogan: "Seek ye first the political kingdom and everything shall be added unto it."
The cardinal principle of Nkrumah's theory of colonial revolution is reliance on the common people. Their best interests are secured only when the revolt against colonial oppression and exploitation is carried to its logical climax.
The attainment of political independence is not the end of the road. Economic independence must be attained. This requires complete national reconstruction. And the untying of all links that subordinate the economy of the liberated territory to that of the ousted rulers.
Nkrumah worked towards three goals: self-reliance, a socialist path of development, a continental approach to the problems of economic development, defense and diplomacy.
He saw Africa as part of the world and declared that the twentieth century is "a century of continuing revolution." Therefore the African revolution must seek external conditions favorable for its development and final victory. He urged the solidarity of the African peoples with the anti-imperialist forces in other parts of the world. 
I visited President Nkrumah several times during his exile. I always 

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NKRUMAH: AFRICAN LIBERATOR            S. DU BOIS

found him cheerful and busy. He lived in a comfortable villa, on the waterfront, surrounded by loyal Ghanaians, cared for and honored by the Guinean people. He planned, worked, hoped and lived only to return to Ghana. He refused invitations from distant countries, refused lucrative offers to occupy chairs in various universities; he would consider nothing which would take him farther away from Ghana.
He wrote constantly: His Challenge of the Congo appeared the year after his exile. This was followed by Dark Days in Ghana, a frank discussion of what had happened in Ghana; then came his Handbook for Freedom Fighters; last year his Class Struggle in Africa, a brilliant Marxist analysis of the situation on the continent of Africa. Even when his health failed and his Brother Sekou Touré wanted to send him to Europe for the best possible medical care-he continued to write. Now, finished and soon to be published are his The Revolutionary Path and Rhodesia and the White Minority Settlers.
Kwame Nkrumah, Teacher, Pathbreaker, Leader-faithful and loving disciple of that other Great Teacher! When, in 1960, the newly inaugurated President of the Republic of Ghana invited Du Bois to join him in his tremendous efforts to make Ghana a mighty pilot light for all Africa, my husband willingly agreed. He was happy and proud to undertake the planning and constructing of an Encyclopaedia Africana, believing as he did that "this will be the crowning work of my life." And that year W. E. B. wrote and dedicated a poem to Kwame Nkrumah which he entitled "Ghana Calls." I offer here a few verses:

I lifted up mine eyes to Ghana
And swept the Hills with high Hosanna; 
Above the sun my sight took flight 
Till from that pinnacle of light
I saw dropped down this earth of crimson green and gold,
Roaring with colour, drums and song,

Happy with dreams and deeds worth more 
than doing.
Around me velvet faces loomed 
Burnt by the kiss of everlasting suns; 
Under great stars of midnight glory 
Trees danced and foliage sang;

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Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-19 12:16:32