Selections from Global African History Speeches
Black Past
Speeches delivered by people of African ancestry around the world which have contributed to the shaping of Global African history. These speeches serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources.
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Black Past · 24 May 1963
A speech by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa on the occasion of the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) at Addis Abba, Ethiopia, on May 24, 1963.
Black Past · 23 May 1963
On May 25, 1963 the Organization for African Unity (OAU) was established with a permanent headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, was selected as the first …
Black Past · 1 January 1962
In January 1962, Nelson Mandela, the emerging leader of the South African campaign against apartheid, spoke at a convention of Pan African advocates meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In that …
Black Past · 11 December 1961
In December 1960, Albert Luthuli, President of the African National Congress of South Africa, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the struggle against apartheid. The South …
Black Past · 1 October 1960
On Saturday, October 1, 1960, Nigeria became an independent nation. What follows is Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s speech delivered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos at the Independence Ceremony.
Black Past · 19 July 1960
The political situation in the Congo deteriorated rapidly after it gained independence on June 30, 1960. By July Belgian paratroopers had arrived in Stanleyville, the capital of Katanga province, attacking …
Black Past · 1 October 1959
On October 2, 1958 Sekou Touré, proclaimed Guinea’s independence from France and became its first president. One year later he gave a speech in Conakry, the capital in which he …
Black Past · 31 July 1959
On July 31, 1959, Nigeria was slightly more than a year away from full independence from Great Britain. On that day Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Premier of Eastern Nigeria and National …
Black Past · 22 March 1959
By 1959 Patrice Lumumba was the most prominent nationalist and independence leader in the Congo. His fame was also spreading beyond the nation’s boundaries as reflected in this speech given …
Black Past · 3 February 1959
In 1957 Ghana became the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa to win its independence from a colonial power (Great Britain). The independence struggle was led by Kwame Nkrumah who became …