"African Visionaries: 10 Inspiring Leaders Who Defied Western Manipulation and Exploitation"
1. Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) - Ghanaian politician and revolutionary who led Ghana to independence from British colonial rule in 1957. He was an advocate for pan-Africanism and the unification of African states.
2. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) - South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, statesman and the first black president of South Africa. He fought tirelessly against the racist, oppressive policies of the then white minority government of South Africa.
3. Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) - Congolese nationalist and the first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His leadership in Congo was cut short by a CIA-backed coup that led to his assassination, but his legacy as an African nationalist endures.
4. Julius Nyerere (1922-1999) - Tanzanian politician and activist who led Tanzania to independence from British rule in 1961. He advocated for socialism, African nationalism and the creation of an inclusive, united Africa.
5. Jomo Kenyatta (c. 1891 – 1978) - Kenyan nationalist and the first president of Kenya, who played a key role in the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule in the 1950s.
6. Thomas Sankara (1949-1987) - Burkinabe military captain and leader of Burkina Faso from 1983 until his assassination in 1987. He was a committed Marxist revolutionary who sought to transform Burkina Faso into a self-sufficient, socialist economy.
7. Samora Machel (1933-1986) - Mozambican revolutionary and statesman who led Mozambique to independence from Portuguese colonialism in 1975. He advocated for the development of a non-racial, socialist society in his country.
8. Amilcar Cabral (1924-1973) - Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean nationalist and independence leader who advocated for the liberation of Africa from colonial rule. He was a proponent of pan-Africanism and self-determination.
9. Robert Mugabe (1924-2019) - Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who led Zimbabwe to independence from British colonial rule in 1980. Despite his controversial later years in office, he was a key figure in the fight against colonialism in Africa.
10. Ahmed Ben Bella (1916-2012) - Algerian nationalist and anti-colonial leader who spearheaded the Algerian revolution against French colonial rule. He was the first president of Algeria after its independence in 1962 and was an advocate for pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism.