2025 News - DuBois Centre

Accra, Ghana — June 22, 2025
The W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the J.J. Rawlings Foundation, commemorated the 40th anniversary of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture—an event that gathered diplomats, cultural leaders, and Pan-African voices from around the world.

This year’s celebration carried deep symbolism. Held on June 22, it also marked the birthday of H.E. Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s former president, under whose leadership the Centre was originally commissioned in 1985. A moving tribute was paid to his Pan-African vision, including a cake-cutting in his honour.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Kofi Boateng on behalf of Daniel Rose, Chairman of the Foundation, reaffirming the Centre’s evolving role as a global hub for Black scholarship and heritage.

Keynote speaker Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, daughter of President Rawlings, paid tribute to both Du Bois and her father. She reflected on Ghana’s unique role in global Black liberation and recalled how iconic figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Muhammad Ali once looked to Ghana for inspiration.

In a highlight moment, Jeffrey Alan Peck, great-grandson of Dr. Du Bois and Board Member of the Foundation, gave a heartfelt speech celebrating his family’s connection to Ghana and thanking the Rawlings and Nkrumah families.

The event featured reflections from prominent past directors and intellectuals, including:

• Prof. Anne V. Adams, Cornell University

• Senator Conmany B. Wesseh, Liberia

• Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

• Dr. William N.T. Evans-Anfom, designer of Du Bois’s tomb

• Maame Efua Honadjeto, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority

Guests viewed a special exhibition of rare materials and personal artifacts from the lives of Dr. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois, offering an intimate glimpse into their final years in Ghana.

Dignitaries in attendance included H.E. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Ambassador Hiroshi Yoshimoto of Japan, and representatives from Norway, the Helping Africa Foundation, and Ghana’s Ministry of Information.

Mr. Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the Foundation, announced upcoming global fundraising efforts to support the Centre’s next phase. He appealed for the return of original Du Bois belongings, including furniture, personal items, and documents, to help restore the Centre with historical authenticity.

“We invite all those who may hold original items to support this restoration with dignity,” said Aryiku.

About the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation

Founded in 2019, the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation was entrusted by the Government of Ghana to manage the Du Bois Memorial Centre. Its mission is to transform the site into a world-class museum complex, research institute, and cultural bridge between Africa and the global Black diaspora. Through restoration, partnerships, and historical preservation, the Foundation aims to carry forward Du Bois’s vision and legacy for generations to come.

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