Ghana Independence Day celebrates the Ghanaian declaration of independence by its first Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah on March 6, 1957.
The first sub-Saharan country to achieve independence from colonial rule inspired the independence of many African countries. This was the beginning of decolonization.
Ghana Independence Day Celebrations
In Ghana and the Diaspora, Independence Day is celebrated with parades and carnivals.
Ghana Independence Day 2023
Ghana Independence Day 2023 is Monday, March 6, 2023. 🇬🇭
Ghana now rotates its independence celebrations to promote different regions in the country. The 2023 Independence Day celebration is to be held at the Ho Youth Resources Centre in Ho, the capital of the Volta region. Volta is Ghana’s southeastern corner.
Ghanian Independence Movement
The Ghanian independence movement had some American influences.
Founding father Kwame Nkrumah earned a Bachelors in economics and sociology from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania starting from 1935-1945. He later earned a Bachelor of Theology and Masters degrees in Philosophy and Education.
Nkrumah spent summers in Harlem where he was influenced by Marcus Garvey, the “Back to Africa Movement,” and other Black intellectual ideas from the Harlem Renaissance.
The idea of returning to Africa remains part of Ghana’s national identity today. 2019 was celebrated as the Year of Return.
Ghanian Flag
The Ghanaian flag was adopted on independence. Red represents the blood shed to achieve independence. Gold represents the country’s mineral wealth. Green represents its fertile lands. The Black star represents the people of Ghana and freedom.
Ashanti Heartland
Ghana has many regions and peoples. The Ashanti are a famous people who long fought off colonial domination.
Ashanti culture has a rich tradition of pictograms. The vibrant patterns of Ashanti cloth are beautiful.
Elders in the bomba drum, song and dance traditions of Loíza Aldea, Puerto Rico, say their traditions are Ashanti.
Sankofa
“Sankofa” is a Ghanian term that means “to retrieve.” An associated proverb says, “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.”
New York’s Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute’s 2022 AfriBembé Festival celebrated Sankofa.
For more information, check visitghana.com
Ghanaian festivals