The Opinions Africa Is Rising. The World Shouldn’t Turn Its Back.
14 snips
Nov 12, 2025 
Howard French, a former New York Times foreign correspondent and author, dives into Africa's future and its waning global significance. He highlights the continent's anticipated population boom and warns of the risks if global powers pull back in aid and investment. French discusses Kwame Nkrumah's vision for Black self-reliance and the importance of diaspora solidarity. He emphasizes migration's potential to reshape perceptions of Africa in the U.S. and urges for enhanced regional cooperation among African leaders for a prosperous future.
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U.S. Engagement Has Narrowed
- U.S. engagement with Africa has shifted from broad humanitarian and security involvement to narrow, extractive economic ties.
- Howard French warns this trend accelerated under recent U.S. administrations and weakens transformative impact on ordinary Africans.
Nkrumah Emerged At A Historical Moment
- Kwame Nkrumah rose from obscurity to lead Ghana because he arrived at a historical turning point after World War II.
- His ideas were shaped by Pan-African thinkers and Black intellectual networks in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Nkrumah's U.S. Education Shaped His Vision
- Nkrumah studied in Harlem and at Lincoln University, encountering leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois and C.L.R. James.
- Those interactions plugged him into a global Black intellectual and Pan-Africanist tradition.
