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Kwame Nkrumah's Contribution to Pan-Africanism: An Afrocentric Analysis Author: Zizwe Poe University of Sankore Press, 2010 Price: $14.95 ISBN: 978-0-943412-31-3
Reviewer: Suzuko Morikawa, Chicago State University
The revised edition of Kwame Nkrumah s Contribution to Pan-Africanism: An Afrocentric Analysis by Zizwe Poe demonstrates an unprecedented critical and meticulous analysis both of Kwame Nkrumah's political vision and of the idea of Pan-Africanism, which encompasses African/African American history, politics, and sociology. By thoroughly examining extensive primary and secondary sources related to Kwame Nkrumah, especially from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, Poe, an Africology (African American Studies) trained professor of history, argues that Nkrumah's political, social, and cultural views, leadership style, activism, and initiatives not only contributed to existing PanAfrican ideas, but also served as a crucial foundation to the future construct of Africa and the African diaspora.
The volume consists of nine chapters with two or three sections per chapter. Chapters One and Two delineate the framework and foundation of Poe's research including the explanation of key terms and existing scholarship on Kwame Nkrumah's life and work; while this structure may be initially perceived as "dissertation-like," Poe's detailed explanation of the research method and theory using eloquent yet precise prose and a direct manner provides readers with a thorough comprehension of Poe's complex and intricate ideas throughout the volume. This extensive and necessary background, in combination with extensive bibliographic and historical documents and personal details about Kwame Nkrumah, thus underscores Poe's central argument that Kwame Nkrumah's vision serves as...