The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary - Lisa Janae Bacon
-
0:09 - 0:13In 1972, Thomas Sankara
was swept into a revolution -
0:13 - 0:15for a country not his own.
-
0:15 - 0:18Hailing from the West African nation
of Burkina Faso— -
0:18 - 0:20then known as Upper Volta—
-
0:20 - 0:23the 22-year-old soldier
had travelled to Madagascar -
0:23 - 0:26to study at their military academy.
-
0:26 - 0:29But upon arriving,
he found a nation in conflict. -
0:29 - 0:33Local revolutionaries
sought to wrest control of Madagascar -
0:33 - 0:35from France’s lingering colonial rule.
-
0:35 - 0:37These protestors
inspired Sankara -
0:37 - 0:40to read works by socialist leaders
like Karl Marx -
0:40 - 0:43and seek wisdom from military strategy.
-
0:43 - 0:46When he returned to Upper Volta in 1973,
-
0:46 - 0:51Sankara was determined to free
his country from its colonial legacy. -
0:51 - 0:53Born in 1949,
-
0:53 - 0:56Sankara was raised
in a relatively privileged household -
0:56 - 0:58as the third of ten children.
-
0:58 - 1:02His parents wanted him to be a priest,
but like many of his peers, -
1:02 - 1:05Sankara saw the military
as the perfect institution -
1:05 - 1:08to rid Upper Volta of corruption.
-
1:08 - 1:10After returning from Madagascar,
-
1:10 - 1:14he became famous for his charisma
and transparent oratorial style— -
1:14 - 1:17but he was less popular
with the reigning government. -
1:17 - 1:20Led by President Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo,
-
1:20 - 1:24this administration came to power
in the 3rd consecutive coup d’état -
1:24 - 1:26in Upper Volta’s recent history.
-
1:26 - 1:28The administration’s policies
were a far cry -
1:28 - 1:31from the sweeping changes
Sankara proposed, -
1:31 - 1:35but, by 1981,
Sankara’s popularity won out, -
1:35 - 1:38earning him a role
in Ouédraogo’s government. -
1:38 - 1:42Nicknamed “Africa’s Che Guevara,"
Sankara rapidly rose through the ranks, -
1:42 - 1:45and within two years,
he was appointed Prime Minister. -
1:45 - 1:48In his new role,
he delivered rallying speeches -
1:48 - 1:52to impoverished communities,
women, and young people. -
1:52 - 1:55He even tried to persuade
other governments to form alliances -
1:55 - 1:58based on their shared colonial legacy.
-
1:58 - 2:02But Ouédraogo and his advisors
felt threatened by Sankara’s new position. -
2:02 - 2:06They thought his communist beliefs would
harm alliances with capitalist countries, -
2:06 - 2:09and just months
after becoming Prime Minister, -
2:09 - 2:12Ouédraogo’s administration
forced Sankara from the job -
2:12 - 2:15and placed him on house arrest.
-
2:15 - 2:16Little did the President know
-
2:16 - 2:21this act would fuel Upper Volta’s
4th coup d’état in 17 years. -
2:21 - 2:24Civilian protests
ensued around the capital, -
2:24 - 2:26and the government ground to a halt
-
2:26 - 2:30while Sankara tried to negotiate
a peaceful transition. -
2:30 - 2:32During this time, Blaise Compaoré,
-
2:32 - 2:35Sankara’s friend
and fellow former soldier, -
2:35 - 2:39foiled another coup that included
an attempt on Sankara’s life. -
2:39 - 2:42Eventually, Ouédraogo resigned
without further violence, -
2:42 - 2:49and on August 4, 1983, Thomas Sankara
became the new President of Upper Volta. -
2:49 - 2:53Finally in charge,
Sankara launched an ambitious program -
2:53 - 2:55for social and economic change.
-
2:55 - 2:59As one of his first agenda items,
he renamed the country -
2:59 - 3:03from its French colonial title
"Upper Volta" to "Burkina Faso," -
3:03 - 3:07which translates
to “Land of Upright Men." -
3:07 - 3:12Over the next four years he established
a nation-wide literacy campaign, -
3:12 - 3:15ordered the planting
of over 10 million trees, -
3:15 - 3:18and composed a new national anthem—
-
3:18 - 3:21all while cutting down
inflated government employee salaries. -
3:21 - 3:25But perhaps the most unique element
of Sankara’s revolution -
3:25 - 3:28was his dedication to gender equality.
-
3:28 - 3:30He cultivated a movement
for women’s liberation, -
3:30 - 3:35outlawing forced marriages,
polygamy and genital mutilation. -
3:35 - 3:39He was the first African leader to appoint
women to key political positions -
3:39 - 3:43and actively recruit them to the military.
-
3:43 - 3:47However, Sankara’s socialist policies
were met with much resistance. -
3:47 - 3:51Many students and elites
believed his economic plans -
3:51 - 3:54would alienate Burkina Faso
from its capitalist peers. -
3:54 - 3:57His crackdown
on the misuse of public funds -
3:57 - 3:59turned government officials
against him as well. -
3:59 - 4:03After four years,
what began as an empowering revolution -
4:03 - 4:05had isolated many influential Burkinabes.
-
4:05 - 4:09But Sankara was not ready
to yield his power. -
4:09 - 4:12He executed
increasingly authoritarian actions, -
4:12 - 4:15including banning trade unions
and the free press. -
4:15 - 4:18Eventually, his autocratic tendencies
-
4:18 - 4:21turned even his closest friends
against him. -
4:21 - 4:24On October 15, 1987,
-
4:24 - 4:27Sankara was conducting a meeting
when a group of assailants -
4:27 - 4:29swarmed his headquarters.
-
4:29 - 4:31Sankara was assassinated in the attack,
-
4:31 - 4:36and many believe the raid was ordered
by his friend Blaise Compaoré. -
4:36 - 4:38Though his legacy is complicated,
-
4:38 - 4:42many of Sankara’s policies have proven
themselves to be ahead of their time. -
4:42 - 4:43In the past decade,
-
4:43 - 4:47Burkinabe youth have celebrated
Sankara’s political philosophy, -
4:47 - 4:53and nearby countries like Ghana have even
adopted Sankara’s economic models. -
4:53 - 4:59On March 2, 2019 a statue of Sankara
was erected in Burkina Faso’s capital, -
4:59 - 5:03establishing his place
as an icon of revolution for his country -
5:03 - 5:05and throughout the world.
- Title:
- The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary - Lisa Janae Bacon
- Speaker:
- Lisa Janae Bacon
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-life-legacy-assassination-of-an-african-revolutionary-lisa-janae-bacon
In 1972, Thomas Sankara was swept into the revolution seeking to wrest control of Madagascar from France's lingering colonial rule. The protests inspired the West African native to read works by socialist leaders and seek wisdom from military strategy. Leaving Madagascar in 1973, he was determined to free his country from its colonial legacy. Lisa Bacon details the life of the revolutionary icon.
Lesson by Lisa Janae Bacon, directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:07
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary | ||
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Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for The life, legacy & assassination of an African revolutionary |