Happy Africa Day! Honoring a Continent of Diversity, Culture, and Beauty

By Mark-Anthony Johnson

An Africa Day Timeline: 1963 – 2025

Africa Day – formerly known as African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day – marks the annual celebration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963. Observed across the African continent and in communities around the world, this day honors Africa’s rich heritage, cultural diversity, and enduring spirit.

Though the OAU was officially succeeded by the African Union (AU) on July 9, 2002, the significance of May 25 remains undiminished, and the occasion continues to be commemorated with pride and reflection.

As Ghana’s first President and Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah, famously declared during the OAU’s founding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

We must unite now or perish. We recognize that our economic independence resides in our African union and demands the same commitment to political progress.

I am am African

I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa.

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of sound
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognize her gifts as sacred.

Mark-Anthony Johnson is the founder and CEO of JIC Holdings, a global asset and investment management firm founded in 2009. With over 30 years of experience and strong ties to Africa, his investments span mining, infrastructure, power, shipping, commodities, agriculture, and fisheries. He is currently focused on developing farms across Africa, aiming to position the continent as the world’s breadbasket.