Lamina Sankoh
Encyclopedia
Lamina Sankoh born as Etheldred Jones, was a prominent Sierra Leone
an pre-independence politician, educator, banker and cleric. Sankoh is known most prominently for helping to found the People's Party
in 1948, which was one of the first political parties in Sierra Leone. It eventually became the Sierra Leone People's Party
.
on 28 June 1884. He attended a village school in Gloucester, The Cathedral School, Albert Academy and C.M.S. Grammar school. He eventually graduated from Fourah Bay College
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went to study theology and philosophy at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford
in the United Kingdom
.
where he taught at various historically black colleges, including Tuskegee University
in Tuskegee, Alabama
, Lincoln University
in Chester County, Pennsylvania
and South Carolina State University
in Orangeburg, South Carolina
.
, where he became actively involved with the West African Students Union, a London
-based activist organization campaigning for self-government of their colonies in Africa
. He eventually became the editor of the organizations journal as well as regular contributor.
. Sankoh died in 1964. He has a prominent street named after him in downtown Freetown.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
an pre-independence politician, educator, banker and cleric. Sankoh is known most prominently for helping to found the People's Party
Peoples Party (Sierra Leone)
The Peoples Party of Sierra Leone was a political party formed by Lamina Sankoh in 1948. The party sought to unite the British Crown Colony of Freetown with the protectorate of Sierra Leone, which were governed separately until independence in 1961...
in 1948, which was one of the first political parties in Sierra Leone. It eventually became the Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...
.
Early life
Sankoh was born at Gloucester in the Mountain District in the city of FreetownFreetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
on 28 June 1884. He attended a village school in Gloucester, The Cathedral School, Albert Academy and C.M.S. Grammar school. He eventually graduated from Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went to study theology and philosophy at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Professional career
Sankoh returned to Gloucester in 1924 and received a position as priest and was appointed curate of Holy Trinity Church. He preached for progressive thinking within the church, because of which he also left the post in 1927. While a curate, Sankoh also lectured at Fourah Bay. After leaving the church, Sankoh travelled to the U.K. in order to study education at Oxford. A year later, he travelled to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he taught at various historically black colleges, including Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
in Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....
, Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
and South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
in Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City," is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city is also the fifth oldest city in the state of South Carolina. The city population was 12,765 at the 2000 census, within a Greater Orangeburg...
.
Back to Britain
In 1930, Sankoh left the U.S. to go back to BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he became actively involved with the West African Students Union, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based activist organization campaigning for self-government of their colonies in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. He eventually became the editor of the organizations journal as well as regular contributor.
Back to Sierra Leone
In the 1940s, Sankoh returned to Sierra Leone. He became closely involved in municipal and local affairs, including the restructing of city government in Freetown. He became a city councilor in 1948. He also resumed teaching at Fourah Bay, this time adult education. At one point, Sankoh was the president of the Freetown adult education society. He established a "penny-savings" bank as well as a newspaper called the "The African Vanguard". He also established an independent church for Sierra Leoneans that was "relatively free of western influence". Sankoh fought hard for the unification of Sierra Leone into one nation. He founded the "People's forum" and the "People's party" in 1948, which eventually became the party known today as the Sierra Leone People's PartySierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...
. Sankoh died in 1964. He has a prominent street named after him in downtown Freetown.