Defending An Honorable Legacy: The Rise of a Revolutionary
Thomas Sankara was the first president of Burkina Faso. He was born to the Mossi people
As symbolic as their deeds may have been, we have to be able to ask why it is that the western mainstream so heavily propagandizes the same "black heroes" for us to embrace? If we evaluate the direction that these popular black leaders led their followers, we will see that the people were led into submission to a system that was already set. While they mobilized people to fight, the fighting was done in the name of equality - in other words, the fighting was done with the intention of maintaining the same system that was oppressing them, but asking it to grant them more "rights" within it. We are encouraged to say that people who brought the notion of fighting for rights are revolutionaries, but if we are fighting to become equal parts in a system that is designed to oppress us, how can we consider our actions to be revolutionary?
Perhaps his traditional Mossi and Fulani background is what gave Burkinabe Revolutionary, Thomas Sankara, the inspiration to give his life to the protection of the traditional culture and people of Burkina Faso, the oppressed people of Africa, and oppressed people of color around the world. Sankara was truly a threat to colonial imperialism, as he mobilized people to fight against the system that was very clearly uninterested in the prosperity of the people. He encouraged his followers to examine the condition they were in and challenge the ones who put them there. He demanded that colonial domination be halted, and was interested in returning power to the original owners of the land.
After gaining leadership of what was at the time named "The Upper Volta" by the French, Sankara proceeded to protest against the imperialism that was (and is still) exploiting the land and people of Africa. Recognizing the necessity to reclaim the labor, land, and culture of the people, he fought to challenge imperialist rule in his home country, and everywhere else. Knowing that imperialism involved much more than physical domination and aggression, Sankara sought to impede the accumulation of wealth by the small French elite, and to challenge the corrupted behaviors of the blacks who held positions of authority under the French.
When he came to power, he immediately worked to remove all luxuries from the corrupted officials of the colonial government. He restricted government officials to driving only the cheapest model cars available in Burkina Faso. Valuing the importance of self-sufficiency and the need to return the power back to the hands of the people, he even ordered that funds no longer be received from the French. While these actions caused many people in his government to turn on him, he persisted in the work that was needed to free people from imperial enslavement.
Thomas Sankara (left) is known worldwide as having been the champion of the people. He is known as the "Che" Guerra of Merita (Africa) Here he is shown greeting former Cuban President, Fide Castro (right) who is also respected globally for his stance against US and capitalist imperialism
At the start of his term as Prime Minister of the Upper Volta, Sankara delivered a speech that still shakes the columns that bolster imperial power. In 1983, at a rally in Ouagadougou, the capital city, Sankara asked the people a question that remains valid today, "Who are the enemies of the people?". In a fervent and gripping speech, Sankara mobilized and inspired thousands to question the agenda of politicians who claim to be leaders while they usurp funds and properties, impose unjust laws and policies, displace families, and impoverish millions. He stood firmly in opposition to the might of colonial power, and the strength that he displayed and instilled in the people brought him many enemies.
This was just one of many impelling speeches that Sankara delivered together with exacting actions to lift the weight of imperialism from the backs of millions of people around the world. In 1984, sixteen months after his speech in Ouagadougou, the people of the Upper Volta adopted the name Burkina Faso for their land - which translates to "the Land of Upright Men." This return to a traditional ensignia for the people and the land, presented Burkina Faso as nation that would not succumb to colonialism, and did not forget their identity.
Determined to return power to where it was due, Sankara continued to obligate over-privileged government officials to relinquish their corrupted authority. Another change that he demanded was that all of his diplomats always fly coach, never first class, when they traveled. On one occasion, he sent one of his diplomats to Europe for work that needed to be done. Upon his agent's return, Sankara found out that he had flown first class, and requested that after he rested for the night that he come to see him the following morning. By the morning when Sankara's agent rose, he saw on TV that a new man had been elected to his position. When the discharged agent questioned him, Sankara said that he told him not to do what he did. Sankara then pointed out that the people in first class are the first to take off on the plane but when the plane lands it is the people who are sitting in coach who are the first to get to where they are going.
The years following, Sankara led the Revolution in a series of political battles (and unavoidable warfare) that resulted in positive change for the people: organizations of workers, peasants and young people developed to curb the economic power of the wealthy in Burkino Faso, laws were developed to create fair income for farmers, tree-planting and irrigation projects were initiated, basic health care was made available to millions, literacy campaigns spread across the nation.
In a short time, roads, schools, and housing was built and funded by the government. Rights for women were enforced, and the debt imposed on colonial nations by imperial governments and banks were identified and challenged. Sankara even appeared in countries around the world to speak on behalf of oppressed people and to address the issues of imperialism in the public eye. All the while, Sankara fought for the protection and upliftment of traditional culture, but always wearing a soldier's uniform.
Sankara's leadership demonstrated to people around the world that working, common, and traditional people hold the power that colonial politicians feed off of. His zeal and courage mobilized millions to fight for what belongs to them, and to question the system that has gained its riches and influence from mass exploitation. He even appeared to speak in New York City before the United Nations General Assembly, and in Harlem on more than one occasion. Each time that he spoke he never failed to express that "imperialism must be fought relentlessly." He worked to promote solidarity and unity among the oppressed and people of color, and to fight against racism. His endeavors reached as far as the Caribbean, the Americas, and across Africa.
The efforts made by Sankara inspired revolutionary leaders after him, and blatantly reminded the imperial world leaders that the people are aware of what is being done, and that we have the courage to fight against it. In October of 1987, Thomas Sankara was assassinated, while out of uniform, along with 12 of his comrades by military detachment led by Burkinabe politician Blaise' Compaore'. Despite his fall, he was not defeated; the seeds he planted have already taken root and are growing. Leaders with the desire for true revolution follow in his footsteps, and people around the world remember his message and his actions. There are even organizations that run in his name in Burkina Faso, such as the CNA. Sankara left us with a message that speaks to all people who have the courage to honestly examine the dynamics of the colonial empire: "When the people stand up, imperialism trembles. As it watches us, imperialism is worried. It is trembling."