The Positive Action campaign was a series of anti-imperialist and pro-independence protests and strikes during 1950 in the Gold Coast, a British colony that would later become

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 ...

. The campaign was marked by a general strike where workers demanded self-governance from the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

. The Positive Action campaign served as an early step in the Ghanaian independence movement. Several of its lead figures, including Ghanaian politician

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

and senior officials within the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) were jailed by British colonial authorities for their involvement in the campaign.

Launch of Positive Action

At midnight on 6 January 1950 the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared a general strike triggering Kwame Nkrumah to announce the start of the Positive Action campaign at a mass rally on 8 January. Positive Action was launched to fight imperialism and demand "self government now" and independence from colonial rule by the British. through a campaign of

nonviolence Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

and political education of the people. However, when Nkrumah launched the campaign, riots erupted throughout the capital,

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

. The response of the British colonialists was to declare a state of emergency banning newspapers, including two published by Nkrumah. and making sweeping arrests.

Imprisonment

The response of the British colonialists was to declare a state of emergency banning newspapers, including two published by Nkrumah. and making sweeping arrests. As well as Kwame Nkrumah, others were arrested and jailed including: * Pobee Biney, Vice President of the TUC * Anthony Woode, General Secretary of the TUC However, when Nkrumah launched the campaign, riots erupted throughout the capital,

.Biography of Kwame Nkrumah
on Africa WithinGhana
on

Answers Answer commonly refers to a response to a question. Answer may also refer to: Music * Answer, an element of a fugue Albums * ''Answer'' (Angela Aki album), 2009 * ''Answer'' (Supercar album), 2004 * ''Answers'' (album), 1994 * '' The Answers ...

The architect of Ghana's independence
on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Nkrumah and Ghana’s independence struggle
on Workers World

Impact of Positive Action

The Positive Action campaign accelerated the march towards independence. Nkrumah was elected leader of Government Business in the Legislative Assembly in February 1951 and released from prison to take up this role.

Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC ...

, Secretary General of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

sent a letter of congratulations which was published in the Accra Evening News, a newspaper founded by Nkrumah on 28 February 1951. The transformation of the Gold Coast from a British colony to an independent nation was underway. The Gold Coast officially became independent Ghana on 6 March 1957.

References

{{reflist Nkrumaism Political campaigns General strikes in Africa Politics of Ghana Labor disputes in Africa Labour in Ghana