The W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Basis, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Tradition and the J.J. Rawlings Basis, marked a momentous event with the fortieth Anniversary celebration of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Tradition.
The commemorative occasion drew dignitaries, diplomats, cultural leaders, students, and members of the Pan-African group from world wide to honour the enduring legacy of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois.
This 12 months’s anniversary held added significance, coinciding with the birthday of H.E. J.J. Rawlings, the late former President of Ghana beneath whose visionary management the Centre was initially commissioned in 1985.
His foundational function in establishing the Du Bois Centre was remembered with deep reverence all through the day’s actions.
The celebration started with a heat welcome delivered by Dr. Kofi Boateng, Chief Monetary Officer of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Basis, who learn the welcome tackle on behalf of Mr. Daniel Rose, Chairman of the Basis’s Board.
His remarks set the tone for the day, reaffirming the Basis’s dedication to preserving and increasing Dr. Du Bois’s legacy for generations to return.
The programme continued with a strong keynote by Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, daughter of the late President Jerry John Rawlings, who commissioned the Centre on June 22, 1985—his thirty eighth birthday.
In her tackle, she paid a stirring tribute to each Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and her father’s Pan-African imaginative and prescient.
She mirrored on Ghana’s place within the world Black freedom wrestle, recalling how figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Muhammad Ali discovered inspiration in Ghana throughout its post-independence years.
Her tribute honoured the Du Bois Centre as each a monument of reminiscence and a rallying level for Pan-African engagement.
One of the crucial anticipated moments was the official public introduction of Jeffrey Alan Peck, great-grandson of Dr. Du Bois and a Board Member of the Basis.
Peck spoke passionately about his household’s connection to Ghana and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Rawlings and Nkrumah households, in addition to the folks of Ghana, for honouring his great-grandfather’s legacy.
In his tackle, Mr. Japhet Aryiku, Government Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Basis, acknowledged the thousands and thousands of {dollars} already invested into the Centre’s restoration—because of the generosity of the Basis’s Board members.
He introduced {that a} world fundraising initiative will quickly be launched to help the subsequent part of growth.Mr. Aryiku additionally made a public enchantment for the restoration of genuine Du Bois belongings:
“We’re actively looking for unique furnishings, private gadgets, and archival supplies as soon as owned by Dr. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois throughout their time in Ghana. If you already know the whereabouts of any such gadgets, we invite you to hitch us in restoring the Du Boises’ house with authenticity and dignity.”
The occasion introduced collectively previous administrators and thought leaders who mirrored on the Centre’s founding function and its evolving function in Pan-African scholarship and cultural preservation. It featured audio system together with, Prof. Anne V. Adams, Professor Emerita, Cornell College and former Director of the Centre,Senator Conmany B. Wesseh, Liberian statesman and former Director of the Centre,
Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and former Government Director of the Centre, Dr. William N.T. Evans-Anfom, famend doctor, statesman, and architect of the Du Bois tomb, Maame Efua Honadjeto, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, representing the Minister of Tourism.
Their remarks provided reflections on the Centre’s unique imaginative and prescient and aspirations for its continued relevance in Pan-African and world Black thought.
A transferring tribute was paid to President Jerry John Rawlings for his instrumental function in commissioning the Centre 40 years in the past. In recognition of his contributions, a particular birthday celebration and cake-cutting ceremony was held in his honour, marking not only a private milestone however a nationwide legacy deeply intertwined with the historical past of the Centre.
Company had been handled to a preview of an unique exhibition showcasing uncommon supplies from the lives of Dr. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois throughout their years in Ghana. From private letters to never-before-seen pictures and political artifacts, the exhibition provided an intimate look into the couple’s ultimate chapter on the African continent.
The celebration was additional enriched by the presence of a number of high-profile dignitaries and diplomats, together with:Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Former First Woman of Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Ambassador of Japan to Ghana, Kyrre Holm, Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Jonathan Wiesner, Deputy Government Director, Serving to Africa Basis, Fritz Baffour, former Minister of Info and Basis Board Member; Madam Maame Efua Honadjeto, CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority.
Their participation underscored the worldwide attain and affect of Dr. Du Bois’s legacy.
In regards to the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Basis
The W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Basis has been entrusted by the Authorities of Ghana to handle and oversee the operations of the Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Tradition.
Its imaginative and prescient is to advertise and protect the legacy of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois whereas constructing bridges between Africa and the worldwide Black diaspora.
Its mission is to remodel the Centre right into a world-class museum complicated and analysis institute, providing a vibrant area for scholarship, cultural alternate, and historic reminiscence.
By means of strategic partnerships, restoration tasks, and daring cultural diplomacy, the Basis is guaranteeing that the imaginative and prescient and beliefs of Dr. Du Bois proceed to coach, encourage, and join generations worldwide.
