This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Laura Onyeneho
As the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we sometimes forget that the struggle for justice and equality isn’t just happening on American soil, it is also impacting Black people all over the world. Dr. King’s fight for civil rights was birthed during Africa’s decolonization era, and his transnational support and advocacy helped elevate the international human rights movement in numerous African countries.
He connected with several African leaders in the struggle to exchange ideas. He boldly embraced his African roots. Pan-Africanism existed to empower Black people worldwide to dismantle the institutions of white supremacy. Some of his sermons connected the common struggles between Africans and African Americans.
Here is a list of some African leaders whose fight for their countries’ liberation against colonialism was influenced by Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.