© African History Archive

When Nkrumah entered the United States of America to begin his studies at Lincoln University in 1935, he had not enough money to pay his fees for the first semester nor enough money to take care of his living expenses.

Due to this financial difficulty, Nkrumah began to buy and sell fish in the street of Harlem. Unfortunately, he discovered soon, that his investment in the f.ish business far exceeded the returns and he was not making any profit.

Nkrumah left his f.ish business and he now has no job, no money, no accommodation, and no one to resort to for assistance. A devastated Nkrumah walked in the streets of Harlem wondering where he could turn next.

As nature always looks after those it has destined to change destinies, Nkrumah suddenly met a fellow student from Lincoln who originally comes from Demerara in British Guinea. He told him his story and this student said: Do not worry my African brother I will do everything possible to help you. ~I think I can solve the- accommodation problem as a start.’

He explained that he knew a West Indian family who were extremely kind and sympathetic and that if he went along and put Nkrumah’s case before them, he felt they might help him out.

Sure enough, by the time Nkrumah had told his story tears were in the eyes of the women. She offered Nkrumah a small spare room and added that he shouldn’t worry about the payment until he managed to find a job and become financially stable.

The single support that the students and the family offered Nkrumah helped him to complete his studies and move to Africa to present the key of political independence to continental Africa. Yes, UBUNTU is our way and it is the only way that can bring us the African we want!

We love Africa

Comment

Aggrey Evayo

Kwame Nkrumah was a true champion in the agitation for the noble cause of the acquisition of civil liberties and individual freedoms on the African continent! The doyen and principal front line patron of the phenomenal unifying ideological concept for Pan Africanism and a living legend and monumental contributor on the fleeting conversation for the emancipation and pacification of the holistic freedoms and passions of the entire native African descent! How many Kwame Nkrumahs do we have in Africa today? Only history shall have to tell! May his fallen soul rest in eternal peace!

Comment

Nefertari A. Ahmose

Joseph Nkang yes Harlem is in New York and Lincoln University is in Pennsylvania. You tell me if Kwame Nkrumah could come from Ghana to America  what made it impossible for him to be in Pennsylvania and Harlem? This story did not take place in Demerara but came from a man who was from British Guiana.

Comment

Einstein Rutherford

Every great man suffers , but he sacrifice it for his people , the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan saw that Nkrumah sacrifice ended up not being appreciated by his learned fellows he worked with ,so he after his education decided to offer himself working for the world not his country, Nkrumah should have worked for USA and gradually for the world at large through UN, BUT he sacrifice all for Ghana , to the point that when he was overthrown if not his friend who was the guinea president at that time Nkrumah would have found it difficult to survive. A tragedy we ponder upon in such a great leaders life, Ghana fought a 10yrs battle legally before getting Nkrumahs corpse from GUINEA , WHAT A SHAME ON US Ghanaians , we dont care about where a person is but care about the whereabouts of his corpse.

Comment

Mlegi Chibuga

All the efforts of great African leaders have become nothing today because the current African leaders have become selfish and corrupt leaving their people in poverty by embracing the investments of white people and not their fellow Africans!

It will take us a long way to return to our brotherhood as Africans!