1904 – The First Pan-African Congress Concludes in London

The First Pan-African Congress officially concluded on May 21, 1904, in London, marking a foundational moment in global Black unity. Led by Henry Sylvester Williams, this congress brought together intellectuals and activists from Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States to confront imperial domination and racial oppression. Though modest in size, its significance was monumental—it formalized the global call for African liberation and diaspora solidarity. Delegates emphasized education, political rights, and the end of colonial rule. The congress planted the seeds for future gatherings and became a forerunner to the 1919 Pan-African Congress organized by W.E.B. Du Bois. It also laid ideological groundwork for 20th-century anti-colonial movements across Africa and the Caribbean. The end of the congress on May 21 reminds us how Black internationalism was born not just in struggle but in collaboration across borders—advancing a vision of liberation that connected continents.