20th century – 20th century
Lincoln University and Harlem, United States
The African Students Association was an organization formed by African students in the United States during the late 1930s and early 1940s. First proposed at Lincoln University in 1939, it held its first general meeting in Harlem in 1941 and connected future West African political leaders through student activism, Pan-African discussion, and affiliation with the West African Students’ Union in Britain.
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The Story
African students in the United States encountered a renewed Black American interest in Africa during the Second World War and used that environment to assess their political positions. They also studied in a country that, despite being an ally of wartime Britain, remained hostile to British imperialism. These circumstances encouraged African students to organize beyond the boundaries of their individual institutions.
The African Students Association was first mooted as an idea at Lincoln University in 1939. Its first general meeting took place in Harlem in 1941, giving the organization a wider setting than the university where the proposal originated. Although its membership was not large, it brought together students who would later become influential in West African political life.
The association included K. O. Mbadiwe, A. A. N. Orizu, Mbonu Ojike, K. A. B. Jones-Quartey, and Kwame Nkrumah. The extract qualifies Nkrumah’s later account of his role, stating that he appears to have been the second president and held the office only during 1942–43. The organization subsequently affiliated with the West African Students’ Union in Britain, helping Nkrumah gain access to British Pan-African leadership when he arrived in London in 1945.
20th century – 20th century
Lincoln University and Harlem, United States
The African Students Association was an organization formed by African students in the United States during the late 1930s and early 1940s. First proposed at Lincoln University in 1939, it held its first general meeting in Harlem in 1941 and connected future West African political leaders through student activism, Pan-African discussion, and affiliation with the West African Students’ Union in Britain.
Continue exploring
The Story
African students in the United States encountered a renewed Black American interest in Africa during the Second World War and used that environment to assess their political positions. They also studied in a country that, despite being an ally of wartime Britain, remained hostile to British imperialism. These circumstances encouraged African students to organize beyond the boundaries of their individual institutions.
The African Students Association was first mooted as an idea at Lincoln University in 1939. Its first general meeting took place in Harlem in 1941, giving the organization a wider setting than the university where the proposal originated. Although its membership was not large, it brought together students who would later become influential in West African political life.
The association included K. O. Mbadiwe, A. A. N. Orizu, Mbonu Ojike, K. A. B. Jones-Quartey, and Kwame Nkrumah. The extract qualifies Nkrumah’s later account of his role, stating that he appears to have been the second president and held the office only during 1942–43. The organization subsequently affiliated with the West African Students’ Union in Britain, helping Nkrumah gain access to British Pan-African leadership when he arrived in London in 1945.
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