Organizations:All-African People's Revolutionary Party
All-African People's Revolutionary Party
 | |
| Caption | A-APRP Logo |
|---|---|
| Name | All-African People's Revolutionary Party |
| Abbreviation | A-APRP |
| Formation | 1968 |
| Founder(s) | Kwame Nkrumah |
| Founded at | Conakry, Guinea |
Summary
The All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) is a socialist political party founded by Kwame Nkrumah[1][2][4] and organized in Conakry, Guinea in 1968. The party expanded to the United States in 1972 and claims to have recruited members from 33 countries.[5][1][2][6] According to the party, global membership in the party is "in the hundreds".[7] Nkrumah's goal in founding the party was to create and manage the political economic conditions necessary for the emergence of an All-African People's Revolutionary Army that would lead the military struggle against "settler colonialism, Zionism, neo-colonialism, imperialism and all other forms of capitalist oppression and exploitation."[8][1][2][6]
| |
| Caption | A-APRP Logo |
|---|---|
| Name | All-African People's Revolutionary Party |
| Abbreviation | A-APRP |
| Formation | 1968 |
| Founder(s) | Kwame Nkrumah |
| Founded at | Conakry, Guinea |
History
The All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) was founded in 1968 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and a prominent advocate for Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah envisioned the A-APRP as a global political organization aimed at achieving Pan-African unity and socialism. Its founding principles are rooted in Nkrumah's belief that the liberation of African people worldwide could only be realized through the unity and socialism of African nations.
The A-APRP's mission is to support and organize African people, especially those in the diaspora, to combat colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism, which it views as barriers to true independence. It focuses on developing politically educated cadres who are dedicated to the struggle for African unity and socialism. Members study ideologies such as Nkrumahism, Marxism, and Leninism to deepen their understanding of global systems of oppression and strategies for liberation.
The organization has chapters across Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe, and it aligns itself with other socialist and liberation movements worldwide. The A-APRP actively supports anti-imperialist struggles and has maintained solidarity with liberation movements like those in South Africa, Palestine, and other areas experiencing oppression.
Since its founding, the A-APRP has continued to advocate for African unity, liberation, and self-determination, holding events, providing educational resources, and collaborating with other organizations that share its vision of a unified, socialist Africa.
Activities
Pan-African Political Education and Mobilization: The A-APRP organizes workshops, study groups, and educational sessions focused on teaching African history, socialist theory, anti-imperialism, and Pan-African philosophy. It has built a curriculum around the works of Kwame Nkrumah, Amilcar Cabral, and other Pan-African thinkers to foster a revolutionary mindset among members.
Support for Anti-Colonial and Liberation Movements: The A-APRP has historically supported liberation movements across the African diaspora, especially during the 1960s-80s, providing political and material support to groups like the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) during their struggles for independence.
Organizing Events to Promote African Unity and Socialism: The A-APRP holds annual events such as African Liberation Day, celebrated globally to promote solidarity and educate the public on issues affecting African people. These gatherings serve as platforms for discussing strategies to combat neo-colonialism, capitalism, and oppression.
Collaboration with Diaspora Communities and Activist Networks: The A-APRP has worked to bridge African communities and Black organizations across the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean. It fosters solidarity among African-descended people and collaborates with various activist organizations to address social justice, police brutality, poverty, and inequality affecting Black communities worldwide.
Youth and Student Organizing: In partnership with student organizations like the Pan-African Student Youth Movement (PASYM), the A-APRP aims to engage young people in Pan-Africanist political thought and activism. These efforts focus on educating youth about their African heritage, history, and the importance of resistance to neo-colonial systems.
Community Development and Self-Sufficiency Projects: The A-APRP supports initiatives that encourage self-reliance within African and African-descended communities. This has included establishing cooperatives, encouraging local economic development, and supporting agricultural initiatives to build self-sustaining communities.
Advocacy Against Global Imperialism and Militarization: The A-APRP campaigns against the influence of Western imperialism in Africa and the African diaspora. It opposes the establishment of military bases, foreign interference, and economic exploitation, advocating instead for African control over African resources and affairs.
Cultural Programs and Language Preservation: Recognizing the importance of culture in liberation, the A-APRP has organized cultural events, promoted African languages, and encouraged the preservation and celebration of African culture as a means of strengthening identity and resistance against assimilation and cultural erasure.
Promoting Women’s Liberation within the Pan-African Context: The A-APRP works to advance gender equality within the Pan-Africanist movement, promoting the involvement of African women in leadership and advocating for policies that address issues affecting African women specifically.
The A-APRP remains active in various countries, continuing to build a network of Africans and African-descended people committed to the goal of a unified, socialist Africa and to countering the enduring effects of colonialism, racism, and capitalism on African people globally.
Influence
The All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) has left a lasting influence on both the global Pan-African movement and the broader struggle for social justice. Its legacy and impact are evident in the following areas:
Continued Pan-Africanist Ideals and Global African Solidarity: The A-APRP has sustained the principles of Pan-Africanism, keeping the idea of a united African continent and diaspora alive. It has consistently reinforced the concept of African unity as essential for achieving political, economic, and social liberation for African people worldwide. These ideals continue to inspire African-descended people across the globe and inform many contemporary movements advocating for Black liberation, anti-racism, and anti-imperialism.
Institutionalizing Political Education and Consciousness-Raising: Through decades of organizing political education programs, the A-APRP has institutionalized the idea of political consciousness-raising as a fundamental step toward liberation. The study groups, workshops, and educational events it pioneered are now widely used by Pan-African and other Black liberation organizations as a method to cultivate a politically conscious membership base.
Support for Anti-Colonial and Anti-Imperial Struggles: The A-APRP’s support for anti-colonial movements across Africa left a legacy of solidarity with liberation struggles, creating longstanding bonds with groups in South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Mozambique, among others. These relationships fostered a culture of internationalism, which is still present in activism that addresses global injustice and supports self-determination for oppressed people.
Influence on Black Liberation and Social Justice Movements: The A-APRP’s emphasis on socialism, self-reliance, and resistance to capitalism has influenced numerous Black liberation movements and social justice organizations. It laid the groundwork for examining capitalism's role in Black oppression and promoted socialism as a path to collective liberation, inspiring organizations such as the Black Panther Party, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other groups focused on intersectional justice.
Youth Engagement and Leadership Development: By focusing on youth and student organizing, the A-APRP has created a generation of leaders rooted in Pan-Africanist thought. The principles instilled in these young activists continue to influence the leadership of both African and African-descended youth in various movements globally, perpetuating a commitment to political engagement and liberation-focused education.
Advocacy for Women’s Role in Liberation Movements: The A-APRP’s acknowledgment of women’s essential role in liberation work has contributed to a lasting legacy of advocating for gender equality within Pan-African and liberation movements. It emphasized the importance of including African women’s voices and leadership, which remains a priority in many activist spaces focused on African and Black liberation.
Promotion of African Identity and Cultural Pride: By celebrating African culture, history, and identity, the A-APRP has encouraged a sense of pride among African-descended people. This cultural pride helps counteract the effects of colonialism and slavery, and the organization’s focus on language preservation, African traditions, and heritage has influenced cultural movements globally.
Lasting Commitment to Self-Sufficiency and Community Resilience: The A-APRP’s emphasis on self-sufficiency and building autonomous African communities has inspired a range of community-led projects and economic empowerment initiatives within African and diaspora communities. The legacy of fostering cooperative economics and self-reliance continues to be a model for community-based solutions to address poverty, unemployment, and economic exploitation.
A Model for Internationalism and Global Solidarity: The A-APRP’s steadfast commitment to internationalism has contributed to a broader understanding of solidarity as essential in addressing global oppression. Its model of cross-border collaboration and support for oppressed groups worldwide resonates with current movements that connect struggles across racial, ethnic, and national boundaries.
Concepts & Philosophy
As described by Dave Blevins and other scholars like Carole Boyce Davies, "the ideology of the A-APRP is Nkrumahism—Toureism, which takes its name from the founder, and his primary colleague in arms, President Ahmed Sekou Toure."[2][6]
Kwame Nkrumah, the founder, introduced the party's concept and philosophy in his book, Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare - released in 1968 by Panaf Books, ISBN 9780317280678
Some of the key concepts include:
promotion of African unity[2] embracing the need and characteristics of African civilization and ideology[2] working for economical and technological advancement[2] The party supports:
Pan-Africanism — "a total liberation and unification of Africa under Scientific Socialism"[2][6] Black Power — "the belief that real black freedom will only come when Africa is politically united"[2] Scientific Socialism — "the idea that modern technology can be reconciled with human values, in which an advanced technological society is realized without the social upheaval and deep schisms that occur in capitalist industrial societies"[2][6] In an attempt to articulate effectively the issues facing African people and the African woman, the A-APRP also infused gender politics into its ideology and organisational structure. This resulted in the formation of the All-African Women's Revolutionary Union in 1980. This women's wing of the party emerged specifically to address issues surrounding gender oppression with racism and classism.[3]
Legacy
Legacy of the A-APRP has inspired contemporary organizations to adopt a Pan-Africanist framework and structure, creating a network of activists and organizations rooted in African solidarity and liberation principles. This influence extends to educational programs, annual events, and coalition-building efforts, which continue to carry forward the A-APRP’s vision of a liberated Africa.