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Black Power, Raw Soul, and Race in Ghana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2023

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Abstract

In the late 1960s, Ghanaians joined the global conversation about Black Power. Despite the absence of President Nkrumah and attempts to dampen local interest in radical political movements, young Ghanaian students, musicians, and audience members were well informed of the global implications of white supremacy. Okuda examines how Ghanaians expanded the legacy of Black Power into an African context, seizing opportunities to connect with African Americans via popular media, exchange programs, and soul music to show their solidarity with the fight against racist policies and practices abroad and to stay vigilant against neo-imperialism at home.

Résumé

Résumé

À la fin des années 1960, les Ghanéens se sont joints à la conversation mondiale sur le Black Power. Malgré l’absence du président Nkrumah et les tentatives d’atténuer l’intérêt local des mouvements politiques radicaux, des jeunes étudiants, musiciens et membres du public ghanéens étaient bien informés des implications mondiales de la suprématie blanche. Okuda examine comment les Ghanéens ont étendu l’héritage du Black Power au contexte africain, en saisissant les occasions d’entrer en contact avec les Afro-Américains par le biais des médias populaires, des programmes d’échange et de la musique soul afin de montrer leur solidarité avec la lutte contre les politiques et pratiques racistes à l’étranger et de rester vigilants contre le néo-impérialisme chez eux.

Resumo

Resumo

No final da década de 1960, os Ganianos juntaram-se ao debate mundial em torno do movimento Black Power. Apesar da ausência do presidente Nkrumah e das tentativas de diluir os interesses locais nos movimentos políticos radicais, no Gana, os jovens estudantes, músicos e público em geral estavam bem informados das implicações mundiais da supremacia branca. Okuda analisa o modo como os Ganianos se apropriaram da herança do Black Power num contexto africano, aproveitando oportunidades para se ligarem aos Afro-Americanos através dos média, dos programas de intercâmbio e da música soul, demonstrando-se, assim, solidários para com a luta contra as políticas e as práticas racistas no estrangeiro e mantendo-se vigilantes contra o neo-imperialismo no Gana.

Keywords

Black PowerPan-Africanismpopular culturesoul musicexchange programsGhanaAfrican-American/Black Studieshistorymusic/ethnomusicology
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 66 , Issue 4 , December 2023 , pp. 988 - 1012
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the African Studies Association

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