W.E.B. DuBois – He Rests Where We Gather

The imminent scholar W.E.B. Dubois left giant shoes to fill all over the world. Whether in his birthplace of Massachusetts where he was the first African American to earn a PhD from Harvard, Berlin, Germany, London, U.K., Atlanta, Ga or New York City where he was a founding member of the NAACP, forefront in his mind and spirit was the uplift of Black people around the globe.

Eventually DuBois made Accra his home and place to live out his dreams for a Pan African unity among people of the Diaspora. Invited by Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah to assist in writing the Encyclopedia Africana, DuBois brought his “double-consciousness” striving to a place where he could be one, be whole. Dubois died here the year after I was born on the eve of the Civil Rights March in Washington D.C. at the age of 95. I guess he wanted a cat bird seat. He and his second wife are buried together in a small Mausoleum on the grounds surrounded by a musician and a water bearer.

The home in which he lived is now a library containing his personal effects and many of his books. Also on the grounds are the Marcus Garvey Guest Center and offices of the African American Association of Ghana.

Joining hands with Sankofa – looking back so that we may go forward.

I also found several non-scholarly delights at the Centre – a sweet shop where Prince Harry and Duchess Meaghan are on display. Also a lovely restaurant, super retro phone from way back in the day (yup, That Traveling Black Girl tried to phone home) and a small gift shop tucked off in the corner. The find though was a garbage collection with some beautiful, slightly damaged works. Although I left them there, just being able to touch them and see their imperfections reminded me that we too are imperfect beings, but yet a beauty shines through.