1961 - Patrice Lumumba's Final Letter Smuggled from Captivity – A Global Wake-Up Call (1961)

On May 22, 1961, the world began to learn the full scope of Belgian and Western complicity in African neo-colonialism when excerpts from Patrice Lumumba’s final letter, written in captivity before his assassination, were smuggled out and published internationally. Lumumba, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Congo, had been deposed and later executed in January 1961 by a coalition of Belgian operatives, Congolese rivals, and covert Western support. But it was this heartfelt letter—released globally around May 22—that galvanized Pan-Africanist movements, denouncing imperialism and declaring his unwavering belief that Congo’s struggle would not be in vain. While Lumumba is widely honored, this specific letter, and the power it wielded posthumously, remains under-taught. It became a moral blueprint for Black liberation movements across the Global South. His prophetic words endure: “History will one day have its say… Africa will write its own history.”