Amilcar Cabral: The collective liberation

Loading player...
Immersed in the pan-African struggle, Amilcar Cabral led Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde toward independence from the Portuguese colonial authorities, but was assassinated short of achieving this goal.

When did Cabral live? Amilcar Cabral was born in 1924 in Bafata, Guinea-Bissau, to Cape-Verdean parents. He grew up in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, and studied agronomy in Lisbon before returning to Guinea Bissau. On January 20 1973 he was assassinated in Conakry, Guinea.

What was he renowned for? Co-founding the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in 1956 and serving as its secretary-general, uniting both countries in their struggle against Portuguese colonial rule. PAIGC led Guinea Bissau to its independence in 1973. Cabral was a pan-Africanist, an agronomist and a poet.

Was there anything Cabral was both criticized and revered for? Probably the most important was not accepting to import foreign models of struggle to apply in Guinea Bissau.

Who was inspired by him? Cabral was an inspiration for other liberation movements in the Portuguese speaking countries in Africa but also around the world. In Lisbon, he helped found the Centro de Estudos Africanos, an association of Lusophone African students, and was in contact with other independence figures of lusophone Africa such as Agostinho Neto, Mário Pinto de Andrade, Marcelino dos Santos
What are some of Cabral's most famous remarks? "The African people know that the snake may change its skin but it is always a snake." "We never confused 'Portuguese colonialism' with the 'Portuguese people'. Our struggle is against the Portuguese colonialism." "If somebody is going to harm me it is going to be one among us. Nobody can harm the PAIGC but ourselves."

Who killed Amilcar Cabral? Cabral was killed in Conakry by a member of his own party who was believed to have acted under Portuguese orders. But there are many theories regarding who was really responsible for Cabral’s death.
5 Nov 2019 English Germany History · Education

Other recent episodes

Ahmed Baba: Timbuktu's famous scholar

Ahmed Baba was one of the great African intellectuals of the 16th century. A prolific writer and Islamic scholar, his works include a legal opinion on slavery and a number of biographies of famous jurists. When did Ahmed Baba live? Ahmed Baba was born in 1556. Some sources locate his…
5 Nov 2019 4 min

Bayajida: The legend of Hausa land

Historians doubt that Bayajida existed, but the legend of Bayajida remains powerful. It refers to him as the man whose lineage founded the Hausa nation. The legend is re-enacted yearly in Daura, Nigeria. When did Bayajida live? Most of the Bayajida legend was transmitted through oral history. There is no…
5 Nov 2019 3 min

Queen Muhumuza: Fighting colonialism in East Africa

About a hundred years ago in Uganda, Queen Muhumuza stood against patriarchal, colonial and chauvinist forces. She was a spiritual leader, a military leader and a fighter for social justice. When did Muhumuza live? Queen Muhumuza's exact date of birth is not known but her life history spans from the…
5 Nov 2019 4 min

Haile Selassie - Ethiopia's 'Lion of Judah

His Imperial Highness Emperor Haile Selassie represented a dynastic line which stretched back centuries. He was an absolute ruler and yet a modernizer who introduced the very reforms which eventually proved his downfall. When did Haile Selassie live? Haile Selassie was born Tafari Makonnen on July 23, 1892, near Harar,…
5 Nov 2019 4 min

Charlotte Maxeke, ‘Mother of Black Freedom

In segregated South Africa, Charlotte Mannya Maxeke dedicated her life to the struggle for women's rights and education for all. Her pioneering role is only now being rediscovered and more widely reported once again. When did Charlotte Maxeke live? She was born April 7, 1871, or possibly 1874, and given…
5 Nov 2019 4 min