Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah* - Ghana's First President and Founder:
- Full Name: Francis Nwia-Kofi Kwame Nkrumah
- Born: September 21, 1909 in Nkroful, Western Region, Gold Coast
- Died: April 27, 1972 in Bucharest, Romania (aged 62)
- Parents: Father Kofi Ngonloma (goldsmith), Mother Elizabeth Nyanibah
- Wife: Fathia Ritzk (Egyptian, married 1957)
- Children: Gamal, Samia, Sekou Nkrumah
- Title: Osagyefo means "Redeemer" in Akan
*EDUCATION*
- Roman Catholic school in Half Assini, then Achimota College, Accra - trained as teacher
- Taught in Elmina and Axim
- 1935 - Went to USA: Lincoln University (BA 1939), University of Pennsylvania (MSc Education 1942, MA Philosophy 1943)
- President of African Students Organization in America
- 1945 - Went to London: London School of Economics, organized the 5th Pan-African Congress in Manchester with George Padmore
*POLITICAL JOURNEY*
1. 1947: Returned to Gold Coast as General Secretary of UGCC under Dr. J.B. Danquah
2. 1948: Arrested after Accra riots with Big Six
3. 1949: Broke away and formed Convention People's Party (CPP) - motto: "Self-Government NOW"
4. 1950: Started Positive Action - strikes and boycotts, imprisoned by British for sedition
5. 1951: While in prison, CPP won election - British released him and made him Leader of Government Business, then Prime Minister in 1952
6. March 6, 1957: Led Gold Coast to independence as Ghana - first black African country to gain independence south of Sahara. Famous words: "Ghana, your beloved country is free forever!"
7. 1960: Ghana became Republic, Nkrumah became first President
*ACHIEVEMENTS*
- Built Akosombo Dam (Volta River) - still powers Ghana
- Built Tema Motorway, Tema Harbour, schools, hospitals
- Free education, Africanization policy
- Founded OAU (now AU) in 1963 - leading Pan-Africanist
- Union with Guinea (1959) and Mali (1960) to form union of African states
- Won Lenin Peace Prize 1962
*DOWNFALL*
- Became more authoritarian after several assassination attempts
- Made Ghana one-party state in 1964 - President for life
- Economy worsened, personality cult grew
- Feb 24, 1966: Overthrown by military/police coup while on trip to Beijing. Went to exile in Guinea under Sekou Toure.
*LEGACY*
He died in 1972 but remains the symbol of African liberation. His books: Africa Must Unite, Autobiography, Consciencism.
Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kwame Nkrumah University, his Mausoleum in Accra are named after him.
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