At the Eternal Flame of African Liberation, Independence Square

13 days ago

I already talked about the independence square in my previous blog but for this one, I'll share a special part of the place.

The Eternal flame

This bowl art you're looking at usually gets lit up by the sitting president of the country or people they appointment to commemorate anniversaries in the nation.

I haven't made a video of it happening before but for this short from YouTube for you to see how it's done, and it was done by the current or sitting president, John Mahama.

https://youtube.com/shorts/iSWLth3b7xY?si=YmoEn3LKPyPmlYQn

The Black‍‌‍‍‌ Star Square or Independence Square is a well known area in Accra, which for those unaware is the capital city of Ghana. This area a major element of the story of Ghana's liberation. The square was constructed after Ghana had been liberated from the British in 1957 and we gained our independence on the 6th of March that year.

It was a project that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, initiated. They had the square completed in 1961. Every part of the square is a reflection of the country's past. There's a ton of videos of vloggers, shooting videos in that area so you can learn more about that on YouTube, mostly.

The Black Star Gate which is what I blogged about a couple of days ago is the most prominent feature of the square. The one main storey arch has a large black star on top denoting African unity and Ghana’s independence. Besides this, the words "AD 1957" and "Freedom and Justice" are on the monument.

The square is surrounded by huge stands that are painted with red, gold, and green colors. The square is a great place where large national events are held. The Independence Day Parade is the main event and takes place here every year on March 6.

I don't know if you have the time for such a long video but I'll go ahead and share the full parade video.

https://www.youtube.com/live/TFioERq8Xfc?si=_9mmuEeHApsvbpE5

Among the participants in the march, are soldiers, students, workers, the chorus of the country’s liberation who express their joy and pride by this peaceful event.

But the main thing I wanted to share is one of the most remarkable things at the square, the Eternal Flame of African Liberation. The picture I shared above.

It is a huge black and gold metal and it is a bowl that was first lit by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on March 6, 1961. The flame is a symbol of freedom, hope and unity for all African states. The gold signs around the bowl represent Ghana’s culture and wisdom.
The square is near Accra Sports Stadium and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. There are a lot of tourists and also citizens and usually students who come to learn about the past of Ghana and acknowledge the events that led to freedom in the nation.