Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (22 October 1924 – 2 April 2011) commonly known as Cham Joof or

Alhaji Hajji (; sometimes spelled Hajjeh, Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. Etymology ''Hajji'' is derived from the Arabic ' (), which i ...

Cham Joof, (pen name: Alh. A.E. Cham Joof) was a Gambian historian, politician, author, trade unionist, broadcaster, radio programme director, scout master, Pan-Africanist, lecturer, columnist, activist and an

African nationalist African nationalism is an umbrella term which refers to a group of political ideologies in sub-Saharan Africa, which are based on the idea of national self-determination and the creation of nation states.Joof, Alh. A. E. Cham. ''Gambia, the land of our heritage'', p. 2.

Early life

Cham Joof was born on 22 October 1924 at 7 Griffith Street (Half-Die) in ''Bathurst'' now

Banjul Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...

, the capital of

the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

. He came from a Serer and Wolof background. He was the third child and the eldest son of Ebrima Joof (1887–1949) and Aji Anna Samba (1896 – 9 April 1977). On his father's side (the

Joof family The Joof family is one of the old Senegambian royal families of Serer people, Serer ethnicity. The surname Joof, also spelt Juuf or ''Juf'' (in Serer language, Serer and Cangin languages, Cangin), ''Joof'' (Gambian English, English spelling in ...

), he was a descendant of the Joof Dynasty of

Sine In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite th ...

and

Saloum The Kingdom of Saloum ( Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarch ...

, and the Njie Dynasty of Jolof. On his mother's side, he was the great grand-nephew of Tafsir Sa Lolly Jabou Samba — a 19th-century Senegambian jihadist, military strategists and advisor to Maba Diakhou Bâ and one of the commanders of his army. Cham Joof was the elder brother of Gambian barrister Alhaji Bai Modi Joof.

Education

Cham Joof started his schooling just before his 12th birthday. He attended the St. Mary's Personage at the Priest's Residence in 1935. Having completed his first key stage, he proceeded to St. Mary's Kings School (St Mary's Anglican School) under the guidance of Reverend John Colley Faye (commonly known as Rev. J. C. Faye). He was there until 1940. Having passed his Standard Four Examination, he progressed to St. Augustine's High School (now St Augustine's Secondary School) with prominent Gambian political personalities like Alhaji Kebba Conteh, M. L Drammeh and Michael Baldeh. Cham Joof was a passionate

football player A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

. While at St. Augustine's High School, he was selected as the School's

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

. His favourite subjects included history and

religious studies Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the study of religion from a historical or scientific perspective. There is no consensus on what qualifies as ''religion'' and definition of religion, its definition is h ...

. He completed his schooling in 1945 which coincided with the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After his schooling, he got a job with CFAO (Compagnie Française de l'Afrique Occidentale) where he had worked as a Commercial Clerk until 1962.

Scouting movement

Cham Joof is termed the "doyen of

scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

in the Gambia". He grew up from the Wolf Cub Scout and served the movement from 1938 to 2005 when he retired as the President of the Gambia National Scout Council. Cham Joof wrote extensively about the history of Scouting in the Gambia. In 1943 he was appointed leader of the Gambian Contingent of Boys Scout travelling to

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

.The Point Newspape
"Tribute to Late Alhagie A. E. Cham Joof" Wednesday, May 11, 2011
by Mr Momodou Jammeh (Retrieved 2 January 2013) From 1946 to 1952, Cham Joof was appointed Assistant Scout Master. He was the founder and first Group Scout Master of 5th ''Bathurst'' (now

). In the late 1940s, Cham Joof represented the Gambia's Scout movement and delivered a speech in front of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

in London. Cham Joof was the first Gambian Scout to be awarded the

Wood Badge Wood Badge is a Scout leader training program, first implemented by The Scout Association, The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1919 and subsequently adopted, with variations, by some other Scout organizations. Wood Badge Course ...

by the Chief Scout, which was held in 1954 at the International Scout Leader training centre at

Gilwell Park Gilwell Park is The Scout Association's principal camp site and Scout Activity Centre, activity centre in the United Kingdom. It is a site, located in Essex in the Sewardstonebury area of Waltham Abbey within Epping Forest near the border with ...

in England. It was during his scouting days that he was appointed by the Gambia Scouts Council to represent the youth at the Coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. In 1957, Cham Joof was selected as the Leader of the Gambia Contingent at the

World Scout Jamboree The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting Jamboree (Scouting), jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17. At the jamboree, many scouts sw ...

which was held at

Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield ( ), is a town and civil parish in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands County, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south of L ...

in Birmingham (England). From growing up as a Wolf Cub Scout to becoming a Scout Master, Commissioner in Charge of Training and President of the Gambia Scout Council, Cham Joof gave a rare interview with Foroyaa Panorama in which he stated: :''"Scouting, which is a supplementary to education, was dear in my heart and I served the movement from 1938 up to date."''

Party politics and activism (colonial period)

Under the guidance of Rev. J. C Faye and I.M. Garba-Jahumpa, Cham Joof entered politics and in 1954 defeated his opponent Paul Njie and was elected as a Town Councillor for the Soldier Town Ward in Banjul Central. At the end of his first term in office, Cham Joof stood again in 1958 unopposed. While at the Council, Cham Joof held several positions including: Chairman of the Colony Team (equivalent of the Physical Planning Unit of the Ministry for Local Government); Chairman of the Parks, Open Space and Cemetery Committee. By 1961 he was appointed as a Member of the Royal Visit Committee of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

’s visit to the Gambia. By 1962, his second term as Councillor came to an end. Though a prominent Councillor, Cham Joof's major break in politics came in 1960 when he was elected Social Secretary of The Gambia Democratic Party (The GDP). The GDP (previously the Gambia Congress Party) was the first political party in the Gambia formed by Rev. J. C Faye in February 1951 at the then Information Bureau at Allen Street in Banjul. Cham Joof's appointment as Social Secretary, a party he had been a member of since its conception propelled his political career, making him a prominent public figure in the Gambia.

Nationalism

While in politics, Cham Joof held a series of campaigns against the British colonial administration in the Gambia. Such campaigns were to acquire independence for the Gambia from colonial rule. This became a mission after

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

was granted independence in 1957. In 1958, Cham Joof and his political associates formed an All Party Committee which included political leaders and chiefs. The purpose of which was for self-governance and to determine the political direction of the country. It took 18 months for the Committee to draw up a comprehensive Constitution with the slogan "Self-government now." When they finally submitted their Constitution to the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Allan Lennox Boyd) through the British Governor, almost 75% of their proposals were rejected. The rejection of their Constitution spearheaded the "Bread and Butter Demonstration" of 1959.Cham Joof, ''"The root cause of the bread and butter demonstration"''. s.n. (1959).

The Bread and Butter Demonstration (1959)

Following the British administration's refusal to grant the Gambia independence, Cham Joof organised a pre-demonstration meeting outside his family residence in Albion Place (now Freedom Lane in Banjul). He and his colleagues had previously learned that the Secretary of State for the colonies (Allan Lennox Boyd) was on a day visit to the Gambia (2 June 1959) but had refused to see them to address their demands, citing "tight schedule." As such, they organised the meeting to coincide with this visit. In addressing the people and his colleagues, Cham Joof informed them that the colonial authorities have rejected their proposal and the Secretary of State is refusing to see them, and those who want can join them in the march to Government House to demand

self-governance Self-governance, self-government, self-sovereignty or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority (sociology), authority. It may refer to pers ...

. When the demonstrators entered the vicinity of Government House, they started chanting: "We want rights and justice." A member of the public started to chant "we want bread and butter", which was then copied by everyone and this is how the "Bread and Butter" came about. This incident is commonly known as "the Bread and Butter Demonstration" in the Gambia. Cham Joof and his associates were refused an audience with the Secretary of State for the Colony, and a British

field force A field force in British, Indian Army and Tanzanian military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances, usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but c ...

was ordered to beat the unarmed demonstrators and used

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...

against them to stop them from entering Government House in Banjul. The demonstrators were defiant and demanded to see the Secretary of State. In the midst of this, the Police Superintendent Mr Ferguson instructed his Secretary Miss Clark to type a Rights Act with the content: "Anybody seen at the vicinity of the Governor's house will be tried and imprisoned for 5 years." Cham Joof and some of his colleagues were indicted as "inciting the public to disobey the laws of the land." He and his colleagues like Crispin Grey Johnson (not to be confused with Crispin Grey-Johnson – Secretary of State for Higher Education as of 2008) and Mr M. B. Jones (both members of the Aku ethnic group) were arrested and taken to court and termed

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...

s. In spite of their protestation to the presiding magistrate, the case went on for three months. Their Gambian lawyer Bamba Saho challenged the colonial authorities and cited the

Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal D ...

and "

Freedom of assembly Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of individuals to peaceably assemble and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas. The right to free ...

" which led to their release by the

Attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Independence

Under the auspices of the Democratic Congress Alliance (DCA), Cham Joof stood against Pierre Sarr Njie (commonly known as P. S. Njie) at the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

Election of 1960, but was defeated. In 1961, the

British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

decided to appoint P. S. Njie, (who was in the minority) as

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

of the Gambia. This decision was contrary to the wishes of many of the Gambian voters because P.S Njie was in the minority and had lower numerical strength in the Council than Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (who would later become the first

president of the Gambia The president of the Republic of the Gambia is the head of state and head of government of the Gambia. The president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the Politics of the Gambia, government of the Gambia and is the comma ...

). As such, the Council was dissolved and a Constitutional Conference was held at

Lancaster House Lancaster House (originally known as York House and then Stafford House) is a mansion on The Mall, London, The Mall in the St James's district in the West End of London. Adjacent to The Green Park, it is next to Clarence House and St James ...

in London, in July 1961. Cham Joof and his party members joined the dominant People's Progressive Party (PPP) in 1962 to form the PPP/DCA Alliance. In this new political alliance, Cham Joof stood once again against P. S. Njie but was defeated. According to Cham Joof, he "knew that he could not defeat P. S. Njie" but upheld his "moral dignity as a defector for P. S. Njie not to penetrate into the provinces". The date for Self-Governance was fixed for 1962 and Dawda Jawara was appointed Prime Minister of the Colony. In 1964, another Constitutional Conference to determine the date for independence was held at Marlborough House in London where all political parties were represented. The date was finally fixed for February 1965. On 18 February 1965, the Gambia became an independent State and Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara who was knighted by the Queen of the United Kingdom became the country's first president. Although Cham Joof was a member of Dawda Jawara's party (the PPP), he was not one of the main political figures of this party, neither before nor after independence.

Trade Unionism

Cham Joof's involvement in the

trade union movement The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...

was inspired by Edward Francis Small – a member of the Aku group who formed the first trade union in the Gambia in 1929 – The Bathurst Trade Union and in 1935 the Gambia Labour Union. During the colonial era, there was no Wage Control Board. Gambian workers were required to either accept the low wages paid to them or leave their employment. To oppose this, Edward Francis organized a national strike which lasted for 82 days. The strike however did not achieve its overall objective as low wages and forced taxation continued right up to 1961. In the 1961 groundnut trade season, Cham Joof (a member of the Select Committee) and his associates at the Gambia Workers' Union organized a national strike on behalf of the daily paid workers. The strike went on for five days. Momodou Ebrima Jallow (commonly known as M. E. Jallow), who was then leader of the Gambia Workers' Union, was left with the task to negotiate wage terms with the Chambers of Commerce. The Chambers of Commerce told Jallow to persuade the workers to return to work and their wages will be paid. The workers gathered at the KGV (King George V) playing ground at "Half-Die" in Banjul to await Jallow's report. Jallow reported to the workers the successful negotiation and asked them to return to work. Cham Joof was suspicious of the British administration and strongly believed that Jallow was being fooled. To express his disapproval, Cham Joof went on the stage and told all the workers not to return to work until their wage demands were met. In Wolof, Jallow told Cham Joof: "You are setting the nation on fire," to which Cham Joof replied: "I will burn it until it turns to ashes... positive action is the order of the day, nobody is going to work for them." Cham Joof spearheaded a demonstration in Banjul and after their meeting, Jallow was arrested. Cham Joof moved the crowd of demonstrators near his house and set up a Strike Committee which drafted letters of protest and petitions and sent out to international organizations including the United Nations. When he heard of Jallow's arrest, Cham Joof led his followers to the Police Station at Buckle Street and demanded for his immediate release. He galvanized the support of commercial workers, civil servants and the World Assembly of Youth. Jallow was released from prison. The British administration seeing that Gambian workers were in support of the demonstration, requested assistance from the British administration in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

to send some officers to the Gambia to assist the Gambia's police force. Instead of a huge force, two Commissioners were sent to the Gambia to draft a report to amend The Trade Union Act and to institute a Joint Industrial Council. Cham Joof was appointed Chairman of the Joint Industrial Council in the early 1960s.

Pan-Africanism

From the 1960s, Cham Joof stood out as one of the leading Pan-Africanist in the Gambia. He attended the first Pan-African Youth Movement Conference that was held in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

in 1960 and the second conference in 1961 at

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

. In these conferences, he got to meet

Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere (; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) was a Tanzanian politician, anti-colonial activist, and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika (1961–1964), Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as presid ...

and

Kenneth Kaunda Kenneth Kaunda (28 April 1924 – 17 June 2021), also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the struggle for independence from Northern Rhodesia, British ...

(who later became first presidents of

and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

respectively) and held political discussions with Kenneth Kaunda (whom he shared a plane with) about gaining independence for Africa. In the first ever

Organization of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; , OUA) was an African intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 33 signatory governments. Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and ec ...

Conference held on 1 May 1963 at

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

, Cham Joof delivered a speech to the Members in which he said: :''"It is barely 75 years when the European Powers sat round the table in Germany each holding a dagger to carve up Africa for its own benefit.… Your success will inspire and speed up the freedom and total independence of the African continent and eradicate imperialism and colonialism from the continent and eventually neo-colonialism from the globe… Your failure, which no true African in Africa is praying for, will prolong our struggle with bitterness and disappointment. I therefore adjure that you ignore any suggestion outside Africa and holding that the present civilization, which some of the big powered are boasting of, sprang up from Africa, and realising that the entire world has something earthly to learn from Africa, you would endeavour your utmost to come to agreement, save Africa from the clutches of neo-colonialism and resurrect African dignity, manhood and national stability."''

Alex Haley and ''Roots''

In 1967, while he was the

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

of the Gambia Farmers Poultry and Fishermen Union, Cham Joof went to the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul to meet his fellow trade union colleague Irving Brown from the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

. A former

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

of Cham Joof who was with Alex Haley and his party including George Sim saw Cham Joof and introduced him to Alex Haley who went to the Gambia in search of his roots based on an old story told to him by his family. They requested the assistance of Cham Joof to carry out the research. Cham Joof asked for a grace period to prepare himself for this challenging appointment. He enlisted three of his friends: M. E. Jallow, A. B. Sallah and K. O. Janneh. The four of them set up a research committee and then went on the trail in search of Alex Haley's ancestor, and communicated with Alex constantly after he returned to the United States. Cham Joof and his team expressed some doubt about Kebba Kanji Fofana (the

griot A griot (; ; Manding languages, Manding: or (in N'Ko script, N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or / ; ) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicatin ...

at Jufureh) and decided to interview certain Gambians including reputable oral historians who may be knowledgeable on the subject. When Alex visited the Gambia, he set several conditions, some of which included the changing of the title from the originally decided title and the dramatization of the work. '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' would be fictional. Alex Haley's roots and TV shows based on his own family history have been a topic of controversy for several years and challenged by some

genealogists Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

such as Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Politics (post-colonial period)

Jammeh's government

After president

Yahya Jammeh Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017. He was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 ...

(president of the Gambia) seized power in 1994 in a military coup d'état, some Gambian statesmen and personalities such as Dr Lenrie Peters; Deyda Hydara; Bishop Solomon Tilewa Johnson; etc. were appointed and made members of the National Consultative Committee, whose brief was to ensure a quick and smooth transition back to democratic rule. Cham Joof was elected as one these statesmen. Published by Freedom Newspaper (also an online radio station) Although he devoted a lot of his time on his books and manuscripts, Cham Joof served as a valuable source of information for the younger generation of Gambian politicians. Some Gambian journalists have criticized president Yahya Jammeh for failing to adhere to the report and recommendations of this Committee, and it is reported that president Jammeh set up this Committee merely to bring respectability, legitimacy and confidence to his regime. In 2002, Cham helped in the creation of the Hansard Unit at the National Assembly. In that same year, he was appointed as a member of the International Committee of Dispute Resolution.

History and academia

Radio Gambia

Cham Joof joined the Radio Gambia as a

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

broadcaster in 1968. During his time at Radio Gambia, he was appointed Director of Programme, and spearheaded a radio programme called '' Chossani Senegambia'' (the history of

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

) with veteran presenters like Alhaji Assan Njie, Alhaji Mansour Njie, etc. The pre-recorded programme was a collaboration effort between Radio Gambia and Radio Senegal. Both radio stations planned for the programme to go live at the same time and date so that Gambian and Senegalese listeners can listen to it at the same time. Cham Joof and his team of journalists travelled throughout the Gambia and Senegal interviewing the elders to narrate the history of Senegambia. In many cases, Senegalese historians made live appearances to Radio Gambia studio and vice versa. Cham Joof was an advocate for the revival of Senegambian culture and local languages, and by 1974 was appointed head of local languages. He retired from broadcasting in 1982.

Street names in Banjul

Before the street names in

were changed on 22 August 1998 in an attempt to distant the City from its colonial pastHudgens, Jim & Trillo, Richard, ''The Rough Guide to West Africa.'' Rough Guides (2003), p. 274. . Cham Joof was consulted to give the history of the streets in Banjul, the prominent families that dwelled in the relevant streets, their historical accounts and their importance on Senegambian history.

University lectures

In his later years, Cham Joof became a part-time history lecturer at the University of the Gambia. Later on the university students went to his home to receive their lectures. He has also authored several books and manuscripts relating to the history of Gambia and Senegambia.

Selection of books and manuscripts authored by Cham Joof

Many of Cham Joof's manuscripts were unpublished but quoted by scholars who interacted with him, including African, European and American scholars on Senegambian history. Some of Cham Joof's works include: *''Gambia, Land of our heritage'' *''The history of the Banjul Mosque'' *''Senegambia, The land of our heritage'' *''The history of the Bushell. Origin of The Gambia Chamber of Commerce & Industries'' *''Getting to know The Gambia'' *''Reviving a culture that had refused to die'' (1995) *''The calendar of historical events in The Gambia, 1455–1995'' (1995) *''The Research Committee of Mbootaayi Xamxami Wolof'' *''The Centenary of Muhammedan School, 1903–2003''. The First School Built by Muslim Community in Bathurst. A Memory Lane. *''The lives of the Great Islamic Scholars and Religious leaders of Senegambia.'' (November 1998) *''Banjul, The Gambia'' *''From: Freedom. To: Slavery. The evil that men do. Lives after them. Alex Haley’s "Roots"'' *''The century of historic events in The Gambia''. Third Edition, 1900–1999. *''Ethnic groups of The Gambia''. 1990 *''The history of Fanal'' (January 1991) *''Party politics in The Gambia, 1945–1970'' *''The visit of the venerable Sheikh Alhaji Sekou Umar (Futi) Taal, Njol Futa to The Gambia''. A visit which illuminates a whole nation. *''Know your country, General knowledge, Questions'' *''Know your country, General knowledge, Answers'' *''The Adventurer'' *''The traditional way of life in Gambian society'' *''The root cause of the bread and butter demonstration'', s.n. (1959) *''Banjul Daemba 1816–1999 Tagator'' (1999)

Newspaper columns

Cham Joof was a regular columnist and contributor to '' The Point Newspaper'' as well as the ''Weekend Observer''’s "History Corner" ('' The Daily Observer''′s weekend paper). He "pioneered" this column (History Corner) in 1993 and later asked Hassoum Ceesay of the ''Daily Observer'' to take over it. Ceesay took over the column in 1996. Some of Cham Joof's columns include: *''The Point Newspaper'', Friday, 9 May 2003 (Gambia): :Alhaji. A. E. Cham Joof, M.R.G "The Genesis of The Half-Die Mosque." *Weekend Observer, 19–21 July 1996, p. 11: :Alhajie. A. E. Cham Joof, ''"Chossani Senegambia"'', (History of

) *''Weekend Observer''. 29–31 March 1995. P. 9 (Gambia ): :History Corner with Alhaji A. E Cham Joof. "Diamond Jubilee of Scouting in The Gambia, Senegambian Scouting Joint Committee Senegalo/Gambian Katibougou old Scouts." *''Weekend Observer''. May 1995 :History Corner with Alhaji A. E Cham Joof. "The History of the Banjul Mosque", ''Weekend Observer'', 5–7 May 1995: 5, 10.

Organisations founded or co-founded by Cham Joof

*In 1957, Cham Joof founded the first Gambian Youth Movement called the Central Council of Youths in the Gambia. He was the

Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

of this Council and assisted in building the Council's headquarters in Banjul. *Cham Joof was founder-member and Secretary of the Gambia Development Company. This company was founded in 1964 and is reported to have introduced tourism in the Gambia. *In 1965, Cham Joof founded the Bathurst Studios. The purpose of this studio was to train young men on practical skills such as art and craft. This studio designed and produced the Banjul City Council

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

. *The Gambia Farmers Poultry and Fishermen Union was founded by Cham Joof in 1966. He was also a member and Secretary General of this Union. It was during his term in office as Secretary General that he received Alex Haley when he visited the

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

in 1967. *Mbootaayi Xamxami Wolof (The Wolof Wisdom's Association) was founded in 1978. Cham Joof was a founder-member and Secretary of this Association. *Cham Joof co-founded "ECCO" the Gambia (Education Through Culture and Communication Organisation). He was the serving Chairman of this Organisation. ECCO is a "Non-governmental organisation interested in the promotion and preservation of local cultures."

Other positions held by Cham Joof

*Member of the Dispute Tribunal Unit of the Magistrates Court in Banjul (2003–2007) *Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Business Training Centre (BTC)Cham Joof, ''The Adventurer'', p. 2. *Chairman of the Gambian Planning Committee *Vice President of the Gambia Football Association *Secretary of the Central Council of Youth Clubs of the Gambia *Financial Secretary of the Gambia Democratic Party... etc.

Death

Cham Joof died on 2 April 2011, just before his 87th birthday, at his home in

Bakau Bakau is a town on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Gambia, Gambia, west of Gambia's capital city of Banjul. It is known for its botanical gardens, its crocodile pool ''Bakau Kachikally'' and for the beaches at Cape Point (Gambia), Cap ...

(a town in the Gambia). In tribute to Cham Joof, Hassoum Ceesay of the ''Daily Observer'' newspaper said: :''"The demise... of Alhaji A.E. Cham Joof has cost The Gambia its foremost historian."'' Professor Sulayman S. Nyang of

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

said: :''"Known to me since my youthful days as a Boy's Scout in the Gambia, I now write to testify that he was a community leader and activists who tried very hard to capture our memories and stories in the pages of history."'' Mr Momodou Jammeh of ''The Point Newspaper'' paid tribute in the following terms: :''"He was prominent among the organizers of the Bread and Butter demonstration, which spearheaded constitutional development in the Gambia.... He was a dynamic and soft spoken person, who kept a very low profile. His door was always open to anyone in need of his service."''

Legacy

Cham Joof left a legacy of several books and manuscripts about the history of the

and

in general (

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

and Gambia), as well as a cultural development within the Gambia. During his lifetime he donated several documents to the Gambia's National Archive (the National Record Services) – where he served as chairman. He was also a philosophical person and had left several proverbs rooted in "social consciousness" and history. Cham Joof is seen as one of the leading Gambian nationalists of the colonial era who worked diligently to achieve independence for the Gambia.''The Eye Magazine''
"The Rocky road to nationhood"
by Baboucarr Joof, p. 4. He was one of the leading Gambian political figures who fought for the introduction of the franchise to all Gambians, and forced the British Government to concede to the idea with the amendment of the Constitution.Edie, Carlene J. "Democracy in The Gambia: Past, Present and Prospects for the Future". ''Africa Development''. Vol. XXV. nos. 3 & 4. (2000). pp. 2–4. Although Cham Joof was not one of the main personalities of the People's Progressive Party before or after independence, his long political, historical and cultural contribution to the country is well acknowledged.

Notes and references

External links

* Foroyaa
Exclusive interview with Foroyaa Panorama
*'' The Point Newspaper''
(The Point – Cham Joof pictured with the author)
*

*'' The Daily Observer''
(The Daily Observer – A Great Gambian historian)''The Eye Magazine''. ''"The Rocky road to nationhood"'' by Baboucarr Joof. p 4
*Edie, Carlene J. ''Democracy in The Gambia: Past, Present and Prospects for the Future''. Africa Development. Vol. XXV. nos. 3 & 4. (2000). pp 1–
ECCO Website
*"Message to the Founding Fathers of the OAU at their First Conference at Addis Ababa – 1st May 1963 – Alhaji A E Cham-Joof", (Cham Joof's speech to the first Organisation of African Unity, OAU conference on 1 May 1963) nThe Point Newspaper, (Thursday 29 June 2006

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joof, Alieu Ebrima Cham 1924 births 2011 deaths Alieu Ebrima Cham Gambian pan-Africanists Gambian nationalists People from Banjul People's Progressive Party (Gambia) politicians The Gambia Democratic Party politicians Democratic Congress Alliance (Gambia) politicians Gambian trade unionists Scouting pioneers Scouting and Guiding in the Gambia People associated with Scouting African pan-Africanists Gambian radio presenters 20th-century Gambian politicians Serer historians Gambian journalists Gambian writers Academic staff of the University of the Gambia Gambian activists Serer politicians Serer journalists Scholars of Serer history Serer writers African and Black nationalists African revolutionaries Anti-imperialists