In celebration of this year’s Black History Month, the Ghana Campus partnered with the W.E.B Du Bois Centre, the US Embassy in Ghana, and the African-American Association of Ghana (AAAG).
During Black History Month, special efforts are made to highlight historical figures and events in Africa and the African diaspora.
This year, the focus of the commemoration of Black History month in Ghana was on the legacy and global impact of noted American civil rights activist and Pan-Africanist, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. February 23rd, 2018 marked the 150th anniversary of his birth.
There was a One Day Symposium where Webster Ghana’s Academic Director, Dr. Michael Williams, contributed to a panel discussion on the life of W.E.B Du Bois and his role in the Pan-African movement. Webster Ghana’s Advisory Board Member, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, also spoke on this panel. Prof. Gadzekpo spoke on the contributions of Shirley Graham Du Bois, the wife of Dr. Du Bois, to Pan-Africanism in general and to post-independent developments in Ghana in particular.
Dr. Du Bois’ great-grandson, Arthur McFarlane II, traveled from Denver, Colorado, USA, to lead a wreath-laying ceremony at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre and gave a number of public lectures.
Dr. Du Bois was buried in Ghana after having spent the last few years of his life in the country. Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan African to have gained its independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957. The country has become the destination of choice for African Diasporans in search of an ancestral connection with Africa.