Liberate Your Mind: Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah’s Influence on Contemporary Pan-African Consciousness in the USA

Abstract

This article interrogates the influence of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah on the development of contemporary Pan-African consciousness in the USA. The research occurred between December 2018 and January 2020 in Accra Ghana, Washington, DC, and the San-Francisco Bay Area. The study included in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory observation at Pan-African events such as Kwanzaa, PANAFEST, and African Liberation Day. The findings suggest the development of Pan-African consciousness is obtained through engagement and interaction with historical and contemporary Pan-African leaders. Two main themes emerged they are (1) Linkages exist between the development of Pan-African consciousness among the Diaspora and Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana’s historical role in the Pan-African Movement, and (2) Pan-African institutions that engage in political education contribute to exposing the Diaspora to Pan-African consciousness.