As part of activities marking the 43rd anniversary of the June 4, 1979 Uprising, the J.J. Rawlings Foundation is hosting an exhibition and theatre performance at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science on Saturday June 4, 2022 at 5pm.
The Foundation is hosting the exhibition and theatre performance in order to contribute to the historical chronicle of the uprising and historical moments in Ghana’s history that led us to the Uprising. This offers an opportunity for interaction and discourse, and also serves as an academic exercise particularly in the fields of research, history, politics, and African studies.
The trying political and economic circumstances of the time led to social unrest which culminated in what has come to be known as the Uprising of June 4, 1979. That action had first been preceded by a failed mutiny of May 15, 1979.
In the early hours of June 4 1979 Flt. Lt. Rawlings and six other accused of the May 15 attempt were forcibly released from jail and that served as a catalyst for the June 4 revolt.
May 15 and June 4, 1979 brought the difficulties facing the nation to the fore and challenged the youth, particularly student groups and the junior ranks of the Armed Forces and the country at large, to take their destiny into their hands and change the course of Ghana’s history.
June 4, 1979 was a spontaneous reaction. The theatre performance hopes to relive the circumstances of the uprising and help to better chronicle the occurrences of the period.
