Howard W. French’s The Second Emancipation revisits the life and legacy of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first prime minister and a pioneer of Pan-Africanism. French traces Nkrumah’s journey from his village childhood to his rise as a global leader, shaped by his years in the United States, where he forged ties with Black intellectuals and activists. The book highlights his dream of a united Africa, his push for economic and political self-determination, and the transatlantic solidarity he inspired. Yet it also explores the contradictions of his leadership—visionary but flawed, celebrated abroad yet contested at home. French’s account makes clear that Nkrumah’s struggles still echo in Africa’s quest for unity and independence today.
the Washington Post
