African socialism is a strand of socialism that originated in Africa, promoting social development guided by a large public sector, avoiding the development of social classes in post-colonial Africa, and promoting African nationalism. African socialism differs from classical socialism in that it advocates the treatment of all citizens as an "extended family", typical in African clans and tribes, as well as advocating the sharing of resources in a traditional African way. African socialism has no solid definition, as its many leaders have implemented it in varying ways, but the combination of African nationalism and classical socialism is generally termed "African socialism". Men such as Julius Nyere of Tanzania, Modibo Keita of Mali, Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Sekou Toure of Guinea were the most important leaders of the African socialist movement during the mid-20th century, leading their countries to independence and experimenting on their countries with their new ideology.
Advertisement