“Gotta be this or that”

There was one particular resplendent moment in the early years of decolonization. It occurred on March 6, 1957, when Ghana obtained its independence. At one minute after midnight the Union Jack was lowered and the red, green, and gold flag of Ghana raised. Later, at the official ceremonies during the bright light of day, the Duchess of Kent, representing Queen Elizabeth, declared: “My government in the United Kingdom have ceased from today to have any authority in Ghana.” Kwame Nkrumah, new prime minister, responded: “We part from the former imperial power.” Two thousand official representatives from all over the world attended the lavish independence day celebrations. In the evening, on the marbled floor of the new State House, the Duchess and the Prime Minister briefly danced together to the song, “Gotta Be This or That.”