Nkrumah’s Political Writings, 1958–1966

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is to critically analyze the evolution of Nkrumah’s ideas during the period from 1958 to 1966. He had robust and bold views on a number of subjects, including history, the “African Personality,” culture, peace, imperialism, colonialism, socialism, neocolonialism, and African unity. Together these composed his overall ideological outlook. Therefore, Nkrumah’s political, social, economic, and cultural views cannot be examined discretely for they are part of a holistic nationalist and Pan-African perspective based on fundamental principles. Before examining his political writings, it is important to emphasize that a great deal of the misinterpretations of Nkrumah’s ideological orientation have been inadvertently perpetrated by some of his close associates, such as Kofi Baako, Kofi Batsa, and Rev. Stephen Dzirasa. The former were editors of The Spark and helped propagate the term “Nkrumaism,” and the latter became a personal friend to Nkrumah and called Nkrumah’s ideology “the African Personality.”¹