In October 1945, a quiet town hall in Chorlton-upon-Medlock, on the edge of Manchester, became the birthplace of a revolution that changed Africa forever. The Fifth Pan-African Congress, held from 15 to 21 October 1945, brought together visionaries who would later lead their nations to independence. Among them were Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Hastings Banda of Malawi, and Jomo Kenyatta, who would become Kenya’s first president.
It wasn’t the first Pan-African gathering — but it became the most influential. What set Manchester apart was its radical tone, grassroots energy, and bold declaration that the age of colonialism was ending.
Pan-Africanism: A Movement of Unity and Resistance
At its core, Pan-Africanism is the belief that people of African descent worldwide share a common destiny — and must unite to end racism, exploitation, and colonial domination.
The movement began in the 19th century, but its political energy surged in the early 20th century under leaders like Henry Sylvester Williams, who organized the first Pan-African Conference in London in 1900. Later congresses in Paris, Brussels, Lisbon, London, and New York built on the idea that Africans should govern themselves and enjoy the same freedoms as other nations.
But it was the Manchester Congress — shaped by the experiences of war, racism, and global change — that transformed Pan-Africanism from intellectual debate into a call for action.
Why Manchester?
The choice of Manchester was deliberate. The city had a thriving Black and Caribbean community, built around a network of businesses, restaurants, and social clubs that offered both support and solidarity.
One of the movement’s key figures, Ras T. Makonnen, owned restaurants and hotels across the city, providing accommodation for delegates from around the world. Working closely with George Padmore, a radical thinker from Trinidad, Makonnen helped make the event possible — even serving as the congress’s treasurer.
Historians note that Manchester was one of the few British cities where Black intellectuals and workers could meet freely. Oxford Road, near the town hall, had become a hub of activism — complete with bookshops and cafes that doubled as organizing spaces.
The Delegates Who Changed History
The congress drew over 200 delegates from more than 25 countries, representing over 50 organizations, from political parties to trade unions and women’s groups.
Among the leading voices were:
- Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) – nationalist leader and future president.
- Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana) – who would lead the first independent African state in 1957.
- Obafemi Awolowo (Nigeria) – one of Nigeria’s founding fathers.
- Amy Ashwood Garvey (Jamaica) – feminist, Pan-Africanist, and co-founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
- W.E.B. Du Bois (USA) – civil rights scholar and chairman of the congress.
- Peter Abrahams (South Africa) – novelist and journalist.
- Lamina Sankoh (Sierra Leone) – political organizer and founder of the Sierra Leone People’s Party.
The mix of leaders — from intellectuals to activists, from Africa to the Caribbean — gave the congress a rare sense of unity and urgency.
What Made It Revolutionary
Unlike the earlier Pan-African meetings dominated by elites, the Fifth Congress welcomed students, workers, and activists. The tone was fiery, the message clear: colonialism must end.
Speeches denounced racial oppression and economic injustice. Delegates demanded self-determination, fair wages, and political equality for all Africans and people of African descent.
It was in Manchester that Nkrumah and Kenyatta began to coordinate strategies that would later fuel the independence movements of Ghana and Kenya. The congress marked the birth of modern African nationalism.
From Manchester to Independence
Though its impact wasn’t immediate, the 1945 Pan-African Congress became a catalyst for change. Within a decade, colonies across Africa began to demand — and win — their independence.
By the time the Sixth Congress met in Dar es Salaam in 1974, 19 countries represented in Manchester had become independent. Only Bermuda, which also sent a delegation in 1945, remains a British territory today.
The congress’s message — equality, justice, and liberation — had become the foundation of the postcolonial African state.
Manchester’s Forgotten Legacy
Today, the building that once hosted this historic gathering is part of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Grosvenor East Building. A small plaque commemorates the event, but many locals remain unaware that Manchester once stood at the heart of the African liberation struggle.
Activists and scholars like Harry Eyre and Maya Sharma continue to push for greater recognition of the congress’s legacy. They argue that its message of unity and justice remains relevant — not only to Africa’s independence movements but to ongoing struggles against inequality and systemic racism worldwide.
As Sharma puts it, “The Manchester Congress placed this city at the epicentre of global liberation. It showed that solidarity, vision, and courage can change the world.”
