The 62nd Anniversary Of The Passing Of DR. W.E.B. DU BOIS Commemorated In Accra

Written by Christabel Newman

The 62nd Anniversary of the passing of Pan-Africanist icon Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois was solemnly observed on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture, Cantonments, Accra. The event, held under the theme “Du Bois Lives On: The Journey Ahead”, brought together distinguished personalities, scholars, diplomats, and admirers of Du Bois’ enduring legacy from across the globe.

Dignitaries in attendance included former First Lady of Ghana - Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Samia Nkrumah - daughter of Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Minister for Public Sector Reforms, board members of the Du Bois Foundation, members of the Divine Nine and other invited guests.

The commemoration was structured into three main parts: the Symposium and Wreath-Laying Ceremony, the Opening of the Exhibition - THE DU BOISES IN GHANA and a Commemorative Dinner in honour of the life and works of W.E.B Du Bois.

At the symposium, five esteemed Du Bois scholars shared reflections on his intellectual, political, and cultural impact: Dr. Shawki Kojo Haffar, Dr. David Levering Lewis, Dr. Jonathan Holloway, Dr. Phil Sinitiere, and Nikole Hannah. Their contributions highlighted Du Bois’ global influence as a thinker, activist and advocate for justice, while also recalling his final years spent in Ghana.

Delivering the keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture recounted Du Bois’ historical significance and his bond with Ghana, while announcing ongoing efforts to rebuild and revitalize the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre as a living monument of his vision of Pan-Africanism.

The highlight of the evening was the powerful reminder of Du Bois’ last message. He wrote these words in 1957, the same year Ghana gained independence. He left them to his wife Shirley and they were sealed to be opened only upon his death. 

“It is much more difficult in theory than actually to say the last goodbye to one’s loved ones and friends, and to all the familiar things of this life. I am going to take a long, deep and endless sleep. This is not a punishment but a privilege to which I have looked forward for years…One thing alone I charge you as you live, believe in life. Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth… Goodbye.”

The occasion concluded on a joyful note with a commemorative dinner. Guests not only celebrated Du Bois’ life but also discovered lesser-known aspects of his personal journey, work and time in Ghana. The evening was filled with exchanges of knowledge, inspiring conversations and renewed commitments to keep his vision alive.

As Ghana and the global community reflected on his life and works, the 62nd anniversary underscored the continued relevance of Du Bois’ ideas, unity, liberation and the relentless pursuit of justice for all people of African descent. His legacy, as the theme emphasized, indeed lives on, lighting the journey ahead.