J. B. Danquah
Encyclopedia
Nana
Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah (December 1895 – 4 February 1965) was a Ghana
ian statesman
, pan-Africanist, scholar and historian
. He played a significant role in pre and post colonial Ghana. In fact, he is credited with giving Ghana its name. During his political career, he was one of the primary opposition leaders to Ghanaian president and independence leader Kwame Nkrumah
.
Akan people
. He was descended from the royal family
of Ofori Panyin Fie, once the rulers of the Akyem states, and still then one of the most influential families in Ghanaian politics. He is the father of actor Paul Danquah. Danquah entered the University of London
immediately after completing secondary school and was educated in law
and philosophy
. He was the first continental African to receive a doctorate
in law from the University of London. He also became the first president of the West African Students' Union
.
He set up a private law practice when he returned to Ghana (then the Gold Coast
) in 1927. He had strong nationalist
feelings on his return to Ghana and developed an acquaintance with a prominent figure in the politics of the Gold Coast and African independence
, J. E. Casely Hayford
, who founded the pro-independence National Congress of British West Africa
. At his death in 1930, Casely Hayford is said to have called Danquah to him at his deathbed and urged him to carry the mantle of Africa's emancipation. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=7688 Danquah, however, was not as impressed with Casely Hayford's vision of a single state formed out of Britain's African colonies in West Africa
, which were divided geographically by a number of French colonies; nor was Danquah interested in a political union with French West Africa
, whose elites, Danquah believed, were more Eurocentric
than the Afrocentric
elites in Ghana. Danquah then elected to support a nationalist path in support of an independent Ghana.
He founded a newspaper, the Times of West Africa, which ran from 1930 to 1935. Danquah's newspaper was the first daily newspaper in Ghana.
He was involved in various capacities in Gold Coast politics in the 1930s, serving on a delegation to the Colonial Office
in 1934, and as secretary-general of the Gold Coast Youth Conference from 1934-1937.
. When Kwame Nkrumah
returned from abroad in 1947, he was appointed as chief organizer of the UGCC and transformed it from a grassroots movement into a political party. Following the 1948 Gold Coast riots, Danquah was arrested together with Kwame Nkrumah
, Obetsebi Lamptey
, Ako Adjei
, Edward Akufo-Addo
and William Ofori Atta
, who collectively became national heroes known as the "Big Six
." In 1949, following a suspension and growing rift with the Danquah and the UGCC leadership, Nkrumah resigned his position and left to form his own Convention People's Party
(CPP).
Elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1951, Danquah promoted the formation of a bicameral parliament for the Gold Coast that included a "House of Representatives" and a "House of Elders." Failing this, Danquah's political prestige declined; he failed in his subsequent election bids for that assembly in 1954 and 1956.
Ghana
gained independence in 1957. Danquah ran for the Presidency
against Nkrumah in 1960, but garnered only 10% of the vote . He was imprisoned the following year under the Preventive Detention Act, but only held for a year. On his release, he was elected President of the Ghana Bar Association. He was imprisoned again in 1964. J.B. Danquah died in prison, and any public celebration of Danquah's life was suppressed by the state.
Danquah wrote two commentaries on the life and politics of the Akan people
: Gold Coast: Akan Laws and Customs and the Akim Abuakwa Constitution (1928) and Akan Doctrine of God (1944). This latter book demonstrated the compatibility of African religion with Christianity, and was a "milestone" for African Protestants looking for ways to reclaim their African heritage.
Nana (title)
Nana is a Ghanaian title.Amongst the Akan clans of Ghana, the word Nana generally denotes social eminence derived from either nobility or advanced age. It is most often used as a pre-nominal honorific by individuals who are entitled to it due to the former of the two ....
Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah (December 1895 – 4 February 1965) was a Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, pan-Africanist, scholar and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. He played a significant role in pre and post colonial Ghana. In fact, he is credited with giving Ghana its name. During his political career, he was one of the primary opposition leaders to Ghanaian president and independence leader Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
.
Early life
Danquah was born in the Ghanaian town of Bempong from the AkyemAkyem
The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem is used to describe a group of three states: Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern regions of modern-day Ghana. The term is also used to describe the general area where the Akyem ethnic group...
Akan people
Akan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
. He was descended from the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
of Ofori Panyin Fie, once the rulers of the Akyem states, and still then one of the most influential families in Ghanaian politics. He is the father of actor Paul Danquah. Danquah entered the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
immediately after completing secondary school and was educated in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He was the first continental African to receive a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in law from the University of London. He also became the first president of the West African Students' Union
West African Students' Union
The West African Students' Union was an association of students from various West African countries who were studying in the United Kingdom.-Origins:...
.
He set up a private law practice when he returned to Ghana (then the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
) in 1927. He had strong nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
feelings on his return to Ghana and developed an acquaintance with a prominent figure in the politics of the Gold Coast and African independence
Decolonization of Africa
The decolonization of Africa followed World War II as colonized peoples agitated for independence and colonial powers withdrew their administrators from Africa.-Background:...
, J. E. Casely Hayford
J. E. Casely Hayford
Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford or Ekra-Agiman was a Fante journalist, author, lawyer, educator, and politician who supported pan-African nationalism...
, who founded the pro-independence National Congress of British West Africa
National Congress of British West Africa
The National Congress of British West Africa , founded in 1920, was the earliest nationalist organization in West Africa, and one of the earliest formal organizations working toward African emancipation...
. At his death in 1930, Casely Hayford is said to have called Danquah to him at his deathbed and urged him to carry the mantle of Africa's emancipation. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=7688 Danquah, however, was not as impressed with Casely Hayford's vision of a single state formed out of Britain's African colonies in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, which were divided geographically by a number of French colonies; nor was Danquah interested in a political union with French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
, whose elites, Danquah believed, were more Eurocentric
Eurocentrism
Eurocentrism is the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective and with an implied belief, either consciously or subconsciously, in the preeminence of European culture...
than the Afrocentric
Afrocentrism
Afrocentrism is cultural ideology mostly limited to the United States, dedicated to the history of Black people a response to global racist attitudes about African people and their historical contributions by revisiting this history with an African cultural and ideological center...
elites in Ghana. Danquah then elected to support a nationalist path in support of an independent Ghana.
He founded a newspaper, the Times of West Africa, which ran from 1930 to 1935. Danquah's newspaper was the first daily newspaper in Ghana.
He was involved in various capacities in Gold Coast politics in the 1930s, serving on a delegation to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
in 1934, and as secretary-general of the Gold Coast Youth Conference from 1934-1937.
Path to Independence
Danquah became a member of the Legislative Council in 1946 and actively pursued independence legislation for his country. He helped to found the pro-independence United Gold Coast ConventionUnited Gold Coast Convention
The United Gold Coast Convention was a political party whose aim was to bring about Ghanaian independence from British rule after the Second World War....
. When Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
returned from abroad in 1947, he was appointed as chief organizer of the UGCC and transformed it from a grassroots movement into a political party. Following the 1948 Gold Coast riots, Danquah was arrested together with Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, Obetsebi Lamptey
Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey
Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey was a politician in the British colony of the Gold Coast. He was one of the founders and leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention known as "The Big Six"....
, Ako Adjei
Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
Dr. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei was a nationalist politician from Ghana. Ako-Adjei is considered to be one of the Big Six in the history of Ghanaian independence. The Big Six are arguably some of the most famous people in Ghana's fight for independence from British rule...
, Edward Akufo-Addo
Edward Akufo-Addo
Edward Akufo-Addo was a politician and lawyer in Ghana. He was one of the Big Six in the fight for Ghana's independence. He also became the Chief Justice and later President of the Republic of Ghana.-Education:...
and William Ofori Atta
William Ofori Atta
Nana William Ofori Atta was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention and was one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in Ghana...
, who collectively became national heroes known as the "Big Six
The Big Six (Ghana)
The Big Six were six leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention , the leading political party in the British colony of the Gold Coast. They were detained by the colonial authorities in 1948 following disturbances leading to the killing of three World War II veterans...
." In 1949, following a suspension and growing rift with the Danquah and the UGCC leadership, Nkrumah resigned his position and left to form his own Convention People's Party
Convention People's Party
The Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
(CPP).
Elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1951, Danquah promoted the formation of a bicameral parliament for the Gold Coast that included a "House of Representatives" and a "House of Elders." Failing this, Danquah's political prestige declined; he failed in his subsequent election bids for that assembly in 1954 and 1956.
Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
gained independence in 1957. Danquah ran for the Presidency
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
against Nkrumah in 1960, but garnered only 10% of the vote . He was imprisoned the following year under the Preventive Detention Act, but only held for a year. On his release, he was elected President of the Ghana Bar Association. He was imprisoned again in 1964. J.B. Danquah died in prison, and any public celebration of Danquah's life was suppressed by the state.
Danquah wrote two commentaries on the life and politics of the Akan people
Akan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
: Gold Coast: Akan Laws and Customs and the Akim Abuakwa Constitution (1928) and Akan Doctrine of God (1944). This latter book demonstrated the compatibility of African religion with Christianity, and was a "milestone" for African Protestants looking for ways to reclaim their African heritage.