1940 – Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois Delivers “The Future of Africa” Address

On June 18, 1940, W.E.B. Du Bois delivered a powerful address titled “The Future of Africa” at the Second Pan-African Congress in New York City. With Europe engulfed in war and African colonies still under foreign domination, Du Bois called for an end to imperial rule and the recognition of Africa’s role in global development. He emphasized the importance of education, unity, and political sovereignty for the continent\’s future. The speech was one of the earliest articulations of post-war African independence as a global imperative, foreshadowing the wave of decolonization that would unfold in the 1950s and 1960s. Du Bois’s vision merged intellectual rigor with passionate advocacy, and his June 18 address remains a foundational text in the Pan-African tradition. It demonstrated the power of diaspora voices in shaping political consciousness about Africa’s destiny.