Lamina Sankoh
Lamina Sankoh (28 June 1884 – 1964), wey dem born as Etheldred Nathaniel Jones,[1] be Sierra Leone Creole politician wey dey pre-independence era, educator, banker plus cleric. Sankoh be known well-well for helping to form de Peoples Party insyd 1948, one of de first political parties for Sierra Leone. He later turn to de Sierra Leone People's Party.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Lamina Sankoh, wey dem born as Etheldred Nathaniel Jones, come from Gloucester insyd British Sierra Leone, insyd de Mountain District insyd de city of Freetown on 28 June 1884 to ethnic Creole poppie plus mommie. He go village school insyd Gloucester, den go The Cathedral School, Albert Academy den CMS Grammar School. Later, he graduate from Fourah Bay College, wey he get ein Bachelor of Arts degree. After dat, he travel go study theology plus philosophy insyd Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford insyd United Kingdom, wey he start insyd 1921.[2] From insyd de 1920s, he change ein name to Lamina Sankoh.
Professional career
[edit | edit source]Sankoh return go Gloucester insyd 1924 den get position as priest, wey dem appoint am as curate of Holy Trinity Church. He preach progressive thinking insyd de church, wey make he lef dat post insyd 1927. As he dey do curate work, Sankoh sana lecture insyd Fourah Bay. After he comot from de church, Sankoh travel go U.K. to study education insyd Oxford. One year later, he travel go United States, wey he teach insyd different historically black colleges, including Tuskegee University insyd Tuskegee, Alabama, Lincoln University insyd Chester County, Pennsylvania den South Carolina State University insyd Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Back to Britain
[edit | edit source]Insyd 1930, Sankoh lef de U.S. go back insyd Britain, wey he begin dey active plus West African Students' Union (WASU), wey be London-based activist organization wey dey campaign for self-government of demma colonies insyd Africa. He later turn de editor of WASU ein journal, wey he be regular contributor.[3]
Back to Sierra Leone
[edit | edit source]Insyd de 1940s, Sankoh return go Sierra Leone. He involve well-well insyd municipal den local affairs, including restructuring of city government insyd Freetown. He turn city councillor for 1948. He sana resume teaching insyd Fourah Bay, dis time for adult education. At one point, Sankoh be de president of Freetown adult education society. He create "penny-savings" bank, plus start newspaper wey dem call The African Vanguard. He sana create independent church for Sierra Leoneans wey be "relatively free of western influence". Sankoh fight strong for unification of Sierra Leone make e be one nation. He start "People's Forum" plus de "Peoples Party" insyd 1948, wey later turn de party wey people know today as Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).
Sankoh die insyd 1964. Dem name a prominent street insyd downtown Freetown after am.[4]
Sources
[edit | edit source]- "Heroes of Sierra Leone", 1984, Sierra-Leone.org.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Magbaily C. Fyle (2006). Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone. Scarecrow Press. pp. 169–171. ISBN 978-0-8108-6504-4.
- ↑ Pamela Roberts (2014). Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University's Black Scholars. Andrews UK Limited. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-909930-14-8.
- ↑ Ezekiel Alfred Coker (2016). Reflections on Sierra Leone by a Former Senior Police Officer: The History of the Waning of a Once Progressive West African Country. iUniverse. p. 255. ISBN 978-1-4917-9103-5.
- ↑ "sierraleone365.com". ww38.sierraleone365.com. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
External links
[edit | edit source]- "Sierra Leone – Political parties", Nations Encyclopedia.
- 1884 births
- 1964 deaths
- Human
- Sierra Leonean people
- Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) alumni
- Sierra Leonean Christian clergy
- Sierra Leonean bankers
- Sierra Leonean writers
- Sierra Leonean Anglicans
- South Carolina State University faculty
- Sierra Leone Creole people
- Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
- Sierra Leone People's Party politicians
- People educated at de Sierra Leone Grammar School
- 20th-century Sierra Leonean writers
- 20th-century Sierra Leonean politicians
- Fourah Bay College alumni
- Academic staff of Fourah Bay College
- People wey komot Western Area Rural District