04/08/2022
🇬🇭 On Founders’ Day, celebrated on August 4, Ghana commemorates its struggle for independence. This wasn’t always the case — earlier, the day was spelled ‘Founder’s Day’ and honored one freedom fighter in particular, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who eventually became independent Ghana’s first president. Dr. Nkrumah, along with five other members of a political party against British rule, became the founding fathers of Ghana’s freedom movement. They’re all honored on this day.
📚 History of Founder's Day.
The first European explorers on African soil were amazed at the amount of gold found on these shores. Word spread, various African kingdoms proved amenable to trade, and traders came here from all over the world, including Portugal, England, Sweden, and other European countries. They used the name ‘Gold Coast’ for this region because of its large gold reserves.
Through purchase or direct capture, Britain colonized much of the land in this region, including the Ghana territory, by the 19th century. Being conscripted to fight in their colonial leader’s army in both the first and second World Wars gave the Gold Coast people a broadened worldview and a higher range of skills, which they could unfortunately not put to use in their rigidly controlled homeland. Because of this, Gold Coast nationalists intensified their fight for more autonomy in their own region. In a bid for self-governance, politician and lawyer J. B. Danquah, along with other educated Africans such as G. A. Grant and R. A. Awoonor-Williams, founded the United Gold Coast Convention, one of the most influential political parties on the Gold Coast. They invited an outspoken and revolutionary African, Kwame Nkrumah, to be the U.G.C.C.’s general secretary.
Then, in 1948, during a World War II veteran protest against non-payment of end-of-service benefits, three veterans were killed by the British. The U.G.C.C. got involved, and six major leaders — Dr. Nkrumah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori Atta, and Ebenezer Ako-Adjei — were arrested. This arrest earned the six men immense public fame, and they soon earned the nickname ‘Bix Six.’
Dr. Nkrumah would eventually break away from the U.G.C.C. and form his own political party, which helped him become then-newly independent Ghana’s first prime minister and later the nation’s first president. Ghana first became an independent state in March 1957, and a republic three years later.
Ghana marked this important event on ‘Founder’s Day’ on September 21 each year, which also doubled as a celebration of Dr. Nkrumah’s birthday. The celebration evolved to include the contribution of the other ‘Bix Six’ members as well, and the day was renamed ‘Founders’ Day.’ The date was also shifted to August 4 to commemorate the date the U.G.C.C. was founded. Ghana continues to honor Dr. Nkrumah on September 21 with the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
🤘🏿 5 cool facts about Ghana.
1. First to gain independence
Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to claim its independence, and the other countries followed suit.
2. Still a 'gold coast'
Ghana is the second-largest exporter of gold in Africa and the seventh-largest global producer of this yellow metal.
3. They had an internally famous empire.
Called the 'Ashanti Empire,' they occupied the current Ghana region and were extensively studied by England, earning them incredible global recognition.
4. Afro-jazz was born here.
Apart from highlife and hiplife styles of music, Ghana is also the birthplace of afro-beat music, which evolved in the early 20th century.
5. Snail shells were their early currency.
Ghana's present currency is called 'cedi,' which comes from the African name for those early snail shells, the 'cowry.'
