Rawlings’ vision for W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre celebrated on 40th anniversary
The J.J. Rawlings Foundation has hailed the late President Jerry John Rawlings’ establishment of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture in 1985 as a “visionary move” that cemented Ghana’s commitment to Pan-African ideals.
The remarks were made by Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, Executive Director of the Foundation, during a ceremony marking the Centre’s 40th anniversary in Accra on Sunday.
Addressing dignitaries, including former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and W.E.B. Du Bois’ grandson, Jeffrey Peck, Ms. Agyeman-Rawlings described her father’s intervention to preserve Du Bois’ home as “a duty to history.”
She stated, “The establishment of the Du Bois Memorial Centre in 1985 was not merely a gesture of political populism; it represented a significant act of historical reclamation, affirming that Du Bois is not a peripheral figure in our collective memory but rather at the heart of Ghana's identity.”
The Centre, she noted, has become a sanctuary for Pan-African scholarship and inspiration, reflecting Rawlings’ vision of a space where “students, thinkers, and activists could walk the same halls [as Du Bois] and ask the same questions: What does it mean to be African? What does it mean to be free?”
The event also honoured key figures instrumental in the Centre’s creation, including Dr. Mohammed Ben Abdallah, former Culture Minister, and the late Valerie Anne Sackey. Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, and Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, represented by Maame Efua Houadjeto of the Ghana Tourism Authority, also delivered speeches.
A ceremonial cake was cut to commemorate what would have been President Rawlings’ 78th birthday. The occasion also recalled Rawlings’ 1985 decision to relocate Du Bois’ remains from Osu Castle to his Cantonments residence, now the Centre’s site.
Quoting her father’s inaugural speech, Ms. Agyeman-Rawlings reiterated the Centre’s enduring purpose: “No monument will please Du Bois more even in death than that his home becomes a rallying point for those dedicated to justice and the triumph of the human spirit.”
The Foundation pledged to uphold the Centre’s role as a hub for Pan-African education and cultural exchange, ensuring Du Bois’ legacy continues to inspire global movements for unity and freedom.
