The True Size of Africa and the History of Pan-Africanism

Definition: Pan-Africanism is both a political and cultural movement based on the belief that people of African descent share common interests and should be unified.
The Concept of the "United States of Africa": Proponents envision a unified state where all members of the African Diaspora can live.
Shared Destiny: The movement asserts that African people, both on the continent and in the diaspora, share not merely a common history, but a common future and destiny.
The Symbolism of Blood: References the sacrifices made ("The Blood My Black People Shed For Their Land") in the quest for sovereignty.

Role: Primary advocate for the academic study of African history and culture.
Double-Consciousness: Defined as a "peculiar sensation… this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity."
Foundational Work:
- Key founder of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in 1909.
- Instrumental in securing anti-lynching legislation.
- Editor of The Crisis.
- Author of 17 books and editor of four journals.
Ideological Shift: He left the NAACP in 1934 due to a disagreement over strategy; while the NAACP sought integration, Du Bois believed in the necessity of Black-controlled institutions and schools.
Later Life: He became increasingly alienated from the United States and emigrated to Ghana, where he lived until his death.

Prophetic Vision: "Look to Africa when a Black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is near."
The Black Star Line:
- The Black Star Line, Inc. was a steamship corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware.
- Financials: Capital Stock of $10,000,000$ divided into shares of $5$ each.
- Purpose: To guide the destiny of Black people through economic independence and to provide an "advantageous investment" for posterity.
Philosophy on Knowledge:
- "Intelligence rules the world and ignorance carries the burden."
- "A people without knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots."
Organization: Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Background: Born in Trinidad, he moved to the United States in 1924 to study, later living in the Soviet Union, Germany, France, and London before settling in Accra, Ghana.
Political Influence: He served as an advisor to Kwame Nkrumah.
Organizations Founded:
- 1937: Founded the International African Service Bureau.
- 1944: Founded the Pan-African Federation.
Manchester Conference: He was one of the primary organizers of the historic 1945 Manchester Conference.

World War Two: African participation in the war ("I was proud to wear the khaki") increased demands for self-determination.
The Atlantic Charter (August 14, 1941): A joint declaration by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston S. Churchill.
- Key Principle (Clause 3): "They respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live; and they wish to see sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them."
- Implication: While originally intended for nations under Nazi tyranny, Pan-Africanists applied these principles to African colonies.

Date: 15th–21st October 1945.
Significance: Decisions taken at this conference directly led to the liberation movements of African countries.
Notable Participants:
- Ras Makonnen
- Kwame Nkrumah
- Jomo Kenyatta
- Amy Garvey
- W.E.B. Du Bois
- George Padmore
Post-Conference Leadership: Leaders like Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana) returned to the continent to lead their respective nations to independence.