January 15 – John Chilembwe Day in Malawi

nPostednon January 15, 2016

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JohnnChilembwe may or may not have been born in June of 1871. (Somensources give other months or years.) He probably was born in annAfrican land that was later called Nyasaland, and later still Malawi.nHis name may have been Nkologo (some sources give other names) –nbut we definitely was baptized and renamed John.

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nWendo know that Chilembwe became a house servant of a radical missionarynnamed Joseph Booth—“radical” because Booth wanted independencenfor Nyasaland, “radical” because he wanted people of all races tonbe treated as equals by the law—and we know that Chilembwe leftnAfrica with Booth to go to the United States. There Chilembwenattended college and seminary school, and there he became acquaintednwith the ideas of Americans such as John Brown, Booker T. Washington,nand Frederick Douglas.

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Chilembwe became ordained as a Baptistnminister in Virginia in 1899.

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nThennhe returned to Africa—to Nyasaland. He worked to resistncolonialism; he worked to fight against bad treatment of Africansnworking on European-owned plantations; he protested the colonialngovernment’s failure to better the lives of African people.

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nSoonnafter World War I began, in January of 1915, John Chilembwe organizednan uprising against British rule and against the European estatesnthat dominated Nyasaland. However, the uprising failed, and Chilembwenwas tracked down and killed.

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Eventually…likenhalf a century later!…Nyasaland did gain independence from Britain,nand the new country changed its name to Malawi. Ever since then John Chilembwe, dead for nearly fifty years, was celebrated as a hero. Hisnlikeness appeared on the nation’s money, and January 15 became JohnnChilembwe Day.

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n(Bynthe way, I have no idea why January 15! Historians’ best guess isnthat Chilembwe was born in June, and we know for sure that he died innFebruary. The uprising he led was in January, but it began on then23rd, not the 15th.)

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