Jump to content

Joe Appiah

From Wikipedia
Joe Appiah
human
Ein sex anaa gendermale Edit
Ein country of citizenshipGhana Edit
Name wey dem give amJoe, Joseph Edit
Ein date of birth16 November 1918 Edit
Place dem born amKumasi Edit
Date wey edie8 July 1990, 6 July 1990 Edit
Place wey edieKumasi Edit
Manner of deathnatural causes Edit
Ein poppieJ.W. K. Appiah Edit
MummieAdwoa Akyaa Edit
SpousePeggy Cripps Edit
Languages edey speak, rep anaa signEnglish Edit
Ein occupationdiplomat, politician, lawyer, minister Edit
Position eholdMember of the Parliament of Ghana, Member of the 1st Parliament of the 1st Republic of Ghana Edit
Educate forMfantsipim School, Wesley College of Education Edit
Political party ein memberNational Liberation Movement Edit
Religion anaa worldviewChristian Edit

Joseph Emmanuel Appiah, MP (16 November 1918 – 8 July 1990)[1] be Ghanaian lawyer, politician den statesman.

Biography

[edit | edit source]

Dem born am for Kumasi, Gold Coast (wey now be Ghana), on 26 November 1918, to Nana James W.K. Appiah den Nana Adwoa Akyaa, wey be members of de Ashanti imperial aristocracy. Ein poppie be schoolmaster, Methodist leader, traditional nobleman, den finally Chief Secretary of Asanteman — position wey give am strong influence inside Ashanti affairs. Appiah get ein education for Wesley College, Mfantsipim, den Middle Temple.[2][3]

During de time wey he dey UK, he join de West African Students' Union (WASU) seriously, den he later turn president of de union. Through staying for London den ein work plus WASU, he meet many key people wey dey fight against imperial rule for Ghana den Africa inside. One of dem be Kwame Nkrumah, wey he become very close to. For 1945, Joe Appiah go attend de Fifth Pan-African Congress for Manchester, as representative of de West African Students’ Union. Plenty future Ghanaian politicians too dey there.[4]

Nkrumah be Appiah ein first choice to be ein best man when he marry Peggy Cripps for 1953 ("but de role go to who people fit say be even more influential — George Padmore, Trinidadian wey be political mentor to African nationalist leaders like Nkrumah den Jomo Kenyatta"). Demma first pikin, Kwame, dem born am for London for 1954, den demma daughters: Ama (Isobel) (born 1955), Adwoa (born 1960), den Abena (born 1962).

De Appiah family return Ghana for late 1954. Not long after dat, Joe Appiah ein close friendship plus Kwame Nkrumah spoil, as people start dey like Appiah pass Nkrumah. Later, Nkrumah put Appiah for prison for many years to block am from entering national politics. Appiah join de National Liberation Movement (NLM) party wey he win de Atwima-Amansie seat for 1957. Later on, NLM merge plus other opposition parties form de United Party. After de General Afrifa-led coup wey overthrow Nkrumah for 1966, dem ask Appiah make he go explain de new regime ein motives to Ghana ein friends den neighbours. From dat time till he retire for 1978, Appiah dey enter public life from time to time as diplomat den government minister.

He go back Kumasi, where he continue ein duties as tribal elder. After ein grand-uncle Yao Antony die, he become head of demma branch of de Ashanti nobility. Before he himself die, he serve as kingmaker den titular overlord of Nyaduom, one town wey ein ancestor, Nana Akroma-Ampim I, found centuries ago.[5]

Ein autobiography Joe Appiah: The Autobiography of an African Patriot come out for 1990. Kwame Anthony Appiah ein book In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture get inspiration from ein poppie ein relaxed cosmopolitan way of life.

People talk say ein relationship plus Peggy Cripps inspire de film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, wey win two Academy Awards den two British Academy Film Awards.[6]

Joe Appiah die for Accra on 8 July 1990 after some sickness, den dem bury am for Tafo cemetery for Kumasi insyd Ashanti Region. After ein wifey die for 2006, she buy den occupy de plot wey dey next to am. For 2008, some unknown people vandalise Appiah ein tomb.[7]

Books

[edit | edit source]
  • Appiah, Joe (1990). Autobiography of an African Patriot. New York: Greenwood Press. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-275-93672-3. ASIN 0275936724.
  • Appiah, Kwame Anthony (1993). In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-19-506852-8. ASIN 0195068521.

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. "Joe Appiah Is Dead; Ghanaian Politician And Ex-Envoy, 71 (Published 1990)" (in English). 1990-07-12. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  2. Williams, Susan (2007-06-07). Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation (in English). Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-190092-6.
  3. Cameron Duodu (6 March 2006), "Obituary | Peggy Appiah", The Guardian.
  4. Sherwood, Marika (1995). Manchester and the 1945 Pan-African Congress. London: Savannah Press. ISBN 0951972022.
  5. Kwame Anthony Appiah (March 18, 2007). "A Slow Emancipation". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  6. "Peggy Appiah, 84, Author Who Bridged Two Cultures, Dies (Published 2006)" (in English). 2006-02-16. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  7. Enoch Darfah Frimpong (2008-06-09). "Paa Joe Appiah's tomb vandalised". Retrieved 2010-07-24.
[edit | edit source]