Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-05-03
Emerging Africa
From: The New York Times

The current meeting in Accra of representatives
of eight independent African states and delegations from
three other African groups is significant and symbolic
Accra is the capital of the Independent Common
wealth of Ghana. Only short time ago it in the
Gold Coast Colony. generation ago such meeting
would have been regarded as impossible decade ago
it would have been thought highly improbable Today it
is taking place.
This is illustrative of the prodgous changes that
are coming about in an emerging Africa Longhed con-
cepts of what not possible have been thrown
into the scrap heap The dark" continent is not now
dark by any means 1t is changing.
At the outset, however, it should be well to realize
that the problems imposed by these changes
mously complex There is no such thing generic
African. There is difference between an Egyp-
tian and Nigeran than there is between Turk and
Swede. There is generic Africa" except in the most
limited geographical terms
Africa embraces, right now, civilization and be-
navor patterns that stretch from the Stone Age to the
Atomic Age 1t is by span of the imagination any
thing homogeneous. This is we'll illustrated by the fact
that at Accra the independent states comprise five that
are Arab and three that african.
This should be warning against oversmplfication
one formula will not solve all the problems Ghanas
Prime Minister Nkrumah the opening session ATTEMPT
ca TO nd common demoninator when he declared that
liberation of the colonial the prime objective
OF the meeting Hands off Africa" he said: africa
must be Free This is orthodox nationasm as far as it
urges respect for human freedom it entirely praise
worthy. The Prime Minister could we'll have gone one
step further and declared not that africa" but that
Africans must be free
What is involved in the achievement of that free
dom, however is no simple revolt against coloniasm
1t IS rather the development of that Whole group of in
sttutlons and concepts which make real freedom pos
sloe The evolutionary processes involved here will vary
from group to and state to state The pace will not
cannot be the same. The ultimate goal is unchanged:
human freedom and progress toward it. Methods of max
ing that progress may be flexible.
Fortunately for this emerging Africa some great
gains have already been made The very existence of the
independent Ghana where this conference being held
Is conspicuous example of them There is progress to-
ward freedom in the Rhodesias in the Cameroons in the
congo Some Independent states have forth Others
are in the making What is important is that thew he
free as we'll independent
FROM this point of view there have been setbacks
Inc dictatorship OF Nasser in Egypt and the dictator
snip OF race prejudice in South Afrca-ust reconfrmed
evidence of the fact that there is no royal road to
freedom There is long and hard path still to he
.raVeeo Similarly the resort to force in North Africa
Is no mark of progress. Freedom cannot be imposed
from without or from within. Better means of reach
ing the desired goals must be found
. NOT one OF these various cases is can island unto
seH Ihey are all part of changing political and So
clal pattern that is of the most important develop
ments of our lifetime. There have already been nhe
nominal changes in Africa What is to come NAV we'll be
even more astonishing.
, The growth of political and social selfconscousness
tiat is evident is taking place against background of
sne reahzaton OF enormous physical and human re-
sources Africa is the rch' continent not the dark"
one 1t has unimagined sources of productive wealth
more imam that it has human resources whose worth has
been but dmy suggested even by those who have had
reason to know N
FOR these reasons the emerging Africa challenge
W Oh u.s. foHtcal sks needed to shape the growth
ana strength OF new institutions of government Eco
holc sks are needed to make the best use of these
resources Human sks are needed to promote the WAYS
In winch life can be made happier and more serene AZ
ca Is changing and we should try to help to make each
change one for the better ~