The Problem of the Colour-Line Still Haunts Us,” Ghana Remembers Du Bois with Call for Pan-African Unity.
The problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the colour-line.” That struggle, Hon. Yussif Issaka Jajah noted today, continues to resonate as African nations confront ongoing challenges of equity and representation in a globalized world.
Speaking at a commemorative event marking the 62nd anniversary of the passing of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to Du Bois’ enduring vision of Pan-Africanism and cultural self-determination. The ceremony took place at the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture in Accra, where Du Bois spent his final years.
Under the theme “Du Bois Lives On: The Journey Ahead,” the occasion drew leading voices from government, the diaspora, academia, and the creative arts, all united in honoring Du Bois’ contributions to the global Black liberation struggle.
“Du Bois equipped people of African descent with intellectual weapons against colonialism, racism, and inequality,” Hon. Jajah said. “The resilience of Africa’s creative spirit, the vibrancy of our cultural heritage, and the richness of our shared history are our enduring hope.”
Speakers included Dr. David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Du Bois; Nikole Hannah-Jones, journalist and creator of The 1619 Project; Dr. Jonathan Holloway; Dr. Philip Luke Sinitiere of UMass Amherst’s W.E.B. Du Bois Center; Dr. Shawki Kojo Haffar; Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the Du Bois Museum Foundation; and Jeffrey Peck, Du Bois’ grandson. Each reflected on how Du Bois’ legacy continues to inspire Pan-African thought and cultural resistance.
The ceremony also featured a symbolic wreath-laying led by Hon. Jajah, joined by diaspora representatives. The Ministry pledged to deepen Du Bois’ legacy through initiatives in cultural diplomacy, heritage tourism, and Africa-diaspora partnerships.
Du Bois, a pioneering African American sociologist, historian, and Pan-Africanist, was invited to Ghana by President Kwame Nkrumah in the early 1960s. He made Ghana his final home, seeing the continent as central to the liberation of Black people worldwide.
“The road ahead may present challenges,” Hon. Jajah concluded, “but with unity of purpose, guided by the ideals Du Bois so tirelessly upheld, we shall honour his memory in the truest sense
Source: Delassie Mabel Awuku -Publica Relations Unit – MoTCCA
