Historical Facts

It is believed that as early as 1897 Pan-Africanism gained legitimacy with the founding of the African Association in London.

The organization was founded by Henry Sylvester Williams and his colleagues, whose major focus was uniting the whole of the Afrikan Diaspora and gaining political rights for people of African descent.

Others interested in a similar movement such as Dusé Mohamed Ali, believed that change could only come through economic development.

Marcus Garvey, on the other hand combined the two paths, calling for both economic and political gains as well as a return to Afrika either physically or through a return to an Afrikanized ideology.

Pan-Afrikanism heralds the call for Afrikan unity (both as a continent and as a people), nationalism, independence, political and economic cooperation, historical and cultural awareness.

Pan-Afrikanism heralds the call for Afrikan unity (both as a continent and as a people), nationalism, independence, political and economic cooperation, historical and cultural awareness.

After the Second World War in 1945, the Pan-Afrikanist interest returned to the continent, this time focusing on Afrikan unity and liberation. A number of the leading members of the movement re-affirmed their commitment to the cause by moving to Ghana and becoming Afrikan citizens.

In 1963, the Organization for African Unity was formed to advance cooperation and solidarity between newly independent African countries and to fight against colonialism.

In an attempt to revamp the organization, and move away from it being seen as an alliance of African dictators, it was re-imagined in July 2002 as the African Union.

Today the Pan-Afrikanist movement has lost it’s politically charged past. There are no protests or social disobedience rallies. Instead, the focus has shifted to more of a cultural and social philosophy. Regaining the knowledge of Afrika’s great past is giving us solace and building pride from inside out.