Through the Black Star Gate

When I left the bustling market, I headed to the Black Star Gate on 28th February Road. This road derived its name from the date of the tragic Christiansborg Castle crossroads shooting.

On February 28, 1948, three Ghanaian WWII ex-servicemen were shot dead by the British police Superintendent, namely Colin Imray. This happened during their peaceful march to the Christiansborg Castle. The plan was to present their petition to the colonial administrator, Sir Gerald Hallen Creasy. The shooting incident, that took the lives of Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, sparked widespread riots and added fuel to the struggle for independence.

In 1957, Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. Under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, the newly independent nation inspired freedom fighters in other African colonies and spearheaded the independence struggles all over the continent.

Mr. Nkrumah, a passionate pan-African activist, extended a helping hand to comrades across Africa. His contribution to the decolonization efforts elsewhere in the continent is undeniable.

In his Independence Day speech, Nkrumah said, "Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent." Julius Nyerere, the Tanzanian anti-colonial theoretician, who would ultimately lead his country to independence in 1961, described that historic day in Accra as "the beginning of the end of colonialism in Africa."

When I set foot on 28th February Road, I walked through the Black Star Gate. One step at a time, I revisited the past and put history into perspective. Then I crossed the road and entered the Black Star Square.