10 Most Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Patrice Lumumba
Atlanta Black Star - 1 hour ago
Patrice Lumumba: Poet, Revolutionary, and Freedom Fighter

Patrice Lumumba (July 2, 1925 –Jan. 17, 1961) was the first elected
prime minister of the Republic of Congo. He ascended to power on June
30, 1960, the date of Congo's independence from Belgium. Lumumba had a
a vision of a united Congo with complete control over its economy and
resources.

In December 1958, revolutionaries such as Lumumba, Shirley Graham
DuBois, George Padmore and Kwame Nkrumah came together at the
All-African Peoples Conference to plan a strategy for the total
liberation of Africans and people of African descent worldwide. It was
at the AAPC in Ghana that Lumumba became a known figure within
liberation movement circles in Africa and the United States.
He wrote poems and essays such as May Our People Triumph and Dawn in
the Heart of Africa for publication in Congolese journals, earning him
acclaim nationally.

In a 2001 report by the Belgian Commission, there had been previous
U.S. and Belgian plots to kill Lumumba. Among them was a Central
Intelligence Agency-sponsored attempt to poison him, which may have
come on orders from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Lumumba's
dream, however, was not accomplished. After his assassination on Jan.
17, 1961, Mobutu Sese Seko, a pro-Westerner, was installed and
supported in office, primarily by Belgium and the United States.
During his 30-plus-year reign, Congo amassed large debts, massive
currency devaluations and civil unrest.
Lumumba's legacy lives on. Countless streets, statues and buildings in
countries such as Mali, Russia, Hungary and Cuba have been named in
his honor. In 2003, the BBC reported that naming your child "Lumumba"
in Africa was likely to give the child a head start in life.
After Lumumba's assassination, protesters clashed with Belgian
embassies and local police in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and at Trafalgar
Square in London. Protestors in London shouted and cheered as the
speakers criticized the new Congo regime, and then began shouting
"Down with Belgium" and "Down with the United Nations".
Lumumba's political philosophy remains relevant and is embraced as a
symbol of African independence efforts. In the 2006 elections, a
number of the running parties affiliated themselves with Lumumba's
political philosophy.

On June 28, 1964, U.S. human rights activist Malcolm X gave a speech
at a rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (a movement he
founded) at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. During this speech,
Malcolm X proclaimed "Lumumba [is] the greatest black man who ever
walked the African continent. He didn't fear anybody. He had those
people so scared they had to kill him. They couldn't buy him; they
couldn't frighten him; they couldn't reach him."
His life and works have been celebrated through books and films.
Lumumba is a 2000 film directed by Raoul Peck that focused on Lumumba
in the months before and after the Republic of the Congo achieved
independence. Africa's Lost Leader (Life and Times) and The
Assassination of Lumumba are perhaps the most popular books
celebrating his life.
Lumumba's last letter to his wife is written as if he knew he was
going to die fighting for his country. He ends the letter with the
phrase "Long live the Congo! Long live Africa."
http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/07/02/10-facts-congos-first-prime-minister-patrice-lumumba/&source=s&q=10+Most+Interesting+Facts+You+May+Not+Know+About+Patrice+Lumumba
--
SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110493390983174363421/posts
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9B4024D0AE764F3D
http://www.youtube.com/user/sibomanaxyz999
***Online Time:15H30-20H30, heure de Montréal.***Fuseau horaire domestique:
heure normale de la côte Est des Etats-Unis et Canada (GMT-05:00)***
Posted by: Jean Bosco Sibomana <sibomanaxyz999@gmail.com>
Reply via web post | • | Reply to sender | • | Reply to group | • | Start a New Topic | • | Messages in this topic (1) |
.To post a message: RwandaLibre@yahoogroups.com; .To join: RwandaLibre-subscribe@yahoogroups.com; .To unsubscribe from this group,send an email to:
RwandaLibre-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
_____________________________________________________
More news: http://www.amakurunamateka.com ; http://www.ikangurambaga.com ; http://rwandalibre.blogspot.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-SVP, considérer environnement avant toute impression de cet e-mail ou les pièces jointes.
======
-Please consider the environment before printing this email or any attachments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------