Black History Month launched in Accra

Accra, Feb 8, GNA - The African-American Association of Ghana (AAAG) in partnership with the Du Bois Centre and the US Embassy on Wednesday launched in Accra this year's celebration of the African-American Heritage and History Month, February 2006. Activities being run for the celebration, which is focusing on the contributions of Black Americans to the advancement of the world community, includes an evening with Dr Robert Lee, an African pioneer in Ghana, contributor and patron in the arts, Pan African Youth Day, both at the DuBois Centre.

The celebration would also feature an African-American Jazz Series, a Lecture and African-American Heritage Month Fundraiser for the AAAG, and a birthday celebration for Dr William Edward Burghart Dubois, the African-American Pan Africanist and civil rights leader. Us Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater, who launched the month, eulogised Dr Du Bois as tireless advocate for civil rights and the African American community.

"He explored the awful racial tension between the black and the white worlds, and the psychological harm of unjust laws", Ms Bridgewater said, and drew attention to the colour bar and the problems of diversity rather than unity that plagued religion, culture and race that still plagued many regions of the world.

Known as the 'Father of Pan Africanism", Ms Bridgewater said Dr Dubois founded the Niagara Movement in 1905, which strove to communicate a message of equality, opportunity and hope for a generation of African-Americans facing prejudice and marginalisation, and inspired a generation of African leaders to attain independence and fight to make better the lives of their people.

Ms Bridgewater said it was still important to observe the Black History Month to become enlightened and learn about the accomplishments of the past, understand what "our ancestors went through to achieve the progress we enjoy" and to get empowered, overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds and rise above petty disputes, misunderstandings and maximise the potential of every individual.

She paid tribute to civil rights pioneers Rosa Parks, who refused to be relegated to the back of an American bus because of the colour of her skin; the Mrs Coretta Scott King, wife of the civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jnr., who worked ceaselessly in her own right to advance, not just her husband's legacy after his tragic assassination in 1968 but she pursued other activities to advance the cause of Blacks. The Ambassador praised modern heroes and heroines in today's society, stressing they must be recognised, appreciated, so that other might be encouraged to follow their positive examples.

Prof George Hagan, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture, said history helped people to trace their cultural identity, adding that the Black History Month was to generate a sense of community among Black people everywhere.

Prof Hagan, who traced the loss of a lot of African values to Christianisation, described the loss of culture as worse than genocide, and announced that a Diasporan Centre, which would house a Black Heritage Museum, was under construction at the DuBois Centre. He said a centre of excellence for African Culture was also being considered to create a focal point for the celebration of the Black History Month celebration. 08 Feb 06