1958 – African Freedom Charter Announced in Accra

On May 15, 1958, in Accra, Ghana, African leaders gathered for the All-African Peoples’ Conference where they adopted principles later reflected in the African Freedom Charter. Hosted by Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, the conference brought together leaders from over 20 liberation movements across the continent. The charter called for the end of colonialism, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation, and promoted unity and socialism. This marked a shift from national to continental consciousness in the struggle against imperialism. It also reinforced Ghana’s role as a hub for African liberation. The charter inspired future leaders and set the ideological groundwork for the formation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. May 15 became a symbolic date for asserting a unified African voice against Western control.