Thomas Sankara was dubbed “Africa’s Che Guevara” after leading a successful coup d’état against the corrupt government of Burkina Faso in 1983.
Formerly known as “Upper Volta,” Sankara renamed the country Burkina Faso, meaning “Land of Upright People.”
Sankara was a Pan-Africanist who aimed to create a self- and economically-sufficient population by driving out rampant government corruption.
He also helped to relieve his nation from dependence on its former French colonizers and other foreign aid.
Sankara’s foreign policies were centered around “anti-imperialism, with his government eschewing all foreign aid [and] pushing for odious debt reduction,” according to his biography.
Meanwhile, his domestic policies focused on preventing famine with agrarian self-sufficiency and land reform, promoting public health and prioritizing education.
Sankara fought for environmental protections and worked to bring an end to female genital mutilation, commonly referred to as FGM.
As a promoter of women’s rights, he also worked to appoint women to high positions within Burkina Faso’s government.
Sankara was assassinated, along with 13 other officials, on Oct. 15, 1987. All were fatally wounded by a barrage of bullets.
His killing was masterminded by his former close ally, Blaise Compaoré, who had the support of the French.
Thomas Sankara is part of our Black Rebel series for Black History Month.
Democracy needs journalism it can trust.
This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.
For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.
Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.
We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.
If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.
Thomas Sankara (Dec. 21, 1949 – Oct. 15, 1987)
