GHANA's Independence, what's that all about??!

‘There is no use screaming about how independent you are by driving away the colonialists if you do not make independence meaningful.’ -- Ama Ata Aidoo

March is an important month for The GB. First of all, there nine birthdays to cater to – including my parents (that’s a lot of presents people!). Secondly March 6 is Ghanaian Independence day. Yup, on March 6, 1957, my family’s country of origin, Ghana, became the first black African country to gain independence.

But despite the significance of this event (Ghana’s independence signaled the start of the post colonial era – and was a hopeful time for many people across the world), I feel that not enough time is spent thinking about the meaning of this event. Going to an independence day party - sorry, I mean function (LOL) - might help me meet some nice people (and that is always good), but it won’t help me understand the significance of what the day means, beyond gaining political freedom from the British Colonialists and being free (in theory) to determine what the nations future would be. Did colonialism improve the lives of all Ghanaians? And how? Also, what does independence mean for the generations that have, and will follow - and how are Ghanaians succeeding to forge a national identity, given the wealth of diverse cultures within the nation itself? How is Ghana’s economy and culture(s) are surviving with the effects of globalization?

After years of talking to elders, reading and discussing, I STILL don’t feel like I have a real sense of what Ghanaian independence means to Ghanaians all over the world. And I have met some people doing some good work, like the guys at the African Development Institute in NYC. I know we have achieved a lot – Ama Ata Aidoo; Ozwald Boateng, the clothing designer and Kofi Annan (or uncle Kofi, as I like to call him – btw - the way my spell check STILL doesn’t recognize the man’s name, after all this time…come on Bill!!). Likewise, Ghanaians have contributed to science, education, law to name just three industries. And watch out this year, I think we might have a nice win over the US at the World Cup… But how does all of this impact on our national cultural identity – and impact on the daily lives of Ghanaians, if at all? Who benefits the most from the work of Ghanaian doctors who are doing great work on sickle cell?

And to those who have no relationship with Ghana, but are passionate about human rights and equality - does anyone really SEE the global significance of the FIRST sub-Saharan country gaining independence? Should this be a period of reflection on global race relations, trade, for example?

Last year, I tried to do something different to commemorate Independence Day; I decided I wanted to spread the word. I was working, so I prepped a few Hi Life and Hip Life songs to play during our radio show. We asked our (progressive and smart) audience why we were playing these songs. We got a few excited calls from our West African listeners – and our non West African listeners had fun doing their research too…

This year, I want to find out from you, what you think Ghanaian independence means – and hear your reflections on Ghana’s achievements and challenges. It doesn’t matter if you are from the region or not, if you are interested, or curious, let me know.