African Liberation Day was founded in 1958 when Kwame Nkrumah convened the First Conference of Independent States held in Accra, Ghana, which was attended by eight independent African states.

THREAD:

The 15th of April was declared "African Freedom Day," to each year mark the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. (2/9)

Between 1958 and 1963 the national/class struggle intensified across Africa and the world. During this time period, seventeen countries in Africa won their independence. (3/9)

1960 was proclaimed the “Year of Africa.” Further advances were made with the defeat of U.S. imperialism in Asia and the Caribbean. Imperialism responded to this tide of victories by assassinating revolutionary leaders and sending U.S. troops to Vietnam (4/9)

On the 25th of May 1963, thirty-one African Heads of state convened a summit meeting to found the Organization of African Unity (OAU). They renamed African Freedom Day "African Liberation Day" and changed its date to May 25th (5/9)

Since then, the world has witnessed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah, the US invasion of Cuba, the US move to crush liberation movements in Asia, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan... (6/9)

... the overthrow of the Democratic Party of Guinea, the US invasion of Grenada, the US bombing of Libya, and the overthrow of Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso, as well as countless state-sanctioned assassinations of Black freedom fighters across the globe (7/9)

Nkrumah taught us, "The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All-African Socialist Government must be the primary objective of all Black revolutionaries throughout the world. (8/9)

It is an objective which, when achieved, will bring about the fulfillment of the aspirations of Africans and people of African descent everywhere. It will at the same time advance the triumph of the international socialist revolution." (9/9)