W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre Marks 40th Anniversary with Historic Gathering and Renewed Vision for Pan-African Legacy

Aimee Cherry Quartey
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W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre Marks 40th Anniversary with Historic Gathering and Renewed Vision for Pan-African Legacy
W.E.B Dubois 40th Anniversary
The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a deeply reflective and forward-looking ceremony, organized by the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the J.J. Rawlings Foundation.
The event brought together scholars, family members, former directors, and national dignitaries to honour the towering legacy of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and recommit to the Centre’s future.

Held on the Centre’s historic grounds in Cantonments, Accra, the event drew a diverse audience of guests and featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah who recounted his time as Executive Director of the Centre in 2003. Dr. Nkrumah shared heartfelt memories, including how his commitment to the Centre led to the end of his marriage in 2004 when he chose to remain in Ghana rather than relocate to the United States with his African-American wife. He also shared his personal encounter with Du Bois in Manchester in 1975, highlighting the powerful legacy that influenced his own Pan-African convictions.

Professor Emerita Anne V. Adams, who directed the Centre from 2005 to 2010, emphasized the need to harness both human and financial resources to expand the Centre’s global impact. Drawing from her experience as a scholar of African and figurative literature at Cornell University, she spoke passionately about her vision for transforming the Centre into a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange across the African diaspora.

Former Director of the Centre and current Executive Director of the Ghana Folklore Board, Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, shared her reflections from her tenure between 2009 and 2011. Her remarks reinforced the importance of heritage preservation and the evolving role of the Centre in Ghana’s cultural diplomacy.

Representing the Ministry of Tourism, Maame Efua Houadjeto delivered a speech on behalf of Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, emphasizing the Ministry’s support for heritage and cultural tourism development.

The keynote address came from Jeffery Alan Peck, great-grandson of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and board member of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation. Representing his mother, Yolanda Du Bois Williams, Mr. Peck delivered a stirring message urging all stakeholders to go beyond mere preservation:

“We must ask ourselves: What are we building now to add to the Du Bois legacy of dying for Pan-Africanism? Walk with me not as the great-grandson of Du Bois, but as your brother in vision. Let us not just build this as a tourist site, but as a space for thinkers, teachers, and activists.”

Mr. Japhet Ayiku, Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, outlined the genesis of the Foundation and its long-term vision of constructing a world-class museum that elevates Du Bois’ Pan-African philosophy and scholarship on a global scale.

Distinguished guests in attendance included Mrs. Judy Nkansah, sister of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, as well as Mr. Isaac Tetteh of TT Brothers. The event also welcomed the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who led the ceremonial cake cutting in celebration of both the 40th Anniversary and what would have been President Rawlings’ 78th birthday. President Rawlings was acknowledged for his significant contributions to the Centre’s early development.

Guests were treated to food and drinks, and an exhibition highlighting Dr. Du Bois’ life in Ghana offered a visual journey into his final years and enduring legacy.

The event was not only a celebration of a historic milestone but a powerful call to action—to envision and build a future where the Centre serves as a living institution for education, advocacy, and cultural unity across the African world.

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