Ghana Celebrates 50th Independence Anniversary

ACCRA, GHANA - Dignitaries from around the world are flocking to Ghana to celebrate the West African country's 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule.

Ghana became the first black African nation to achieve independence on March 6, 1957, inspiring liberation struggles across the continent.

More than 20 heads of state and hundreds of official delegates are expected to attend the week-long festivities in Ghana's capital, Accra.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is in Ghana for the celebration, said the country's independence anniversary holds "special meaning" for African Americans.

"There is a huge symbolic link because of our parallel struggles," he said.

While Ghana fought for its independence from the British Empire in the 1950s, African Americans struggled to end segregation and gain civil rights. Activists on both continents took inspiration from each other, said the Rev. Jackson.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, former Ghanaian president and independence leader Kwame Nkrumah studied in Pennsylvania, earning bachelor's and master's degrees. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Accra when Nkrumah addressed his nation on its inaugural independence day in 1957.

But the Rev. Jackson was critical of the U.S. delegation to Ghana for the anniversary, saying it lacked the high-profile dignitaries the event deserved.

The civil rights leader said President George W. Bush or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, instead of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson, an African American, should have headed the five-person U.S. presidential delegation to Ghana.

"Imagine many heads of state gathering in Europe and sending the secretary of HUD," said Jackson.

The U.S. Embassy in Ghana chose not to comment in response to Jackson's criticism.

"I am honored to be asked by President Bush to lead this delegation," said Alphonso Jackson in a press statement. "The gathering of world leaders in Accra this week underscores the continued importance of Ghana to Africa and the world."

The Rev. Jackson said the West African country has many reasons to be proud, though it still has "unfinished business" in terms of reducing poverty and improving its health care and infrastructure.

Ghana has been seen as a beacon of political stability and economic reform in the region for the past two decades. But in terms of economic productivity it remains one of the world's poorest countries.

"Is Ghana a source of hope for Africa?" Jackson asked rhetorically. "Yes."

Link to Inside Bay Area - Ghana Celebrates 50th Independence Anniversary