Thomas Sankara Luminary Son of AFRICA. ‘Homeland or death, we will triumph’
Born Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara on 21 Dec 1949, in what was then called Upper Volta, Sankara was the 3rd of 10 children. He is remembered as a Pan-African, a revolutionary, a president, a musician and an upright man. His parents wanted him to be a priest, he wanted to be a doctor, but when corruption prevented him from getting into medical school, he became a soldier. He was a very talented musician, who believed the power of music as a force for building community. Sankara’s position in the army and his natural charisma made him a good choice for political appointments, but his personal convictions also meant that he was often arrested. In May 1983, Sankara was removed as prime minister of then President Ouédraogo’s government and arrested once again. On August 4, 1983, Compaoré, led a group that freed Sankara, overthrew the Ouédraogo regime, and formed the National Council of the Revolution (Conseil National de la Révolution) and Sankara became its president. Pr...