Director of Du Bois Centre urge Africans to cherish their culture to develop the continent

Mrs Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, Acting Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture, has called on Ghanaians and Africans in the Diaspora to cherish the African culture and heritage for the development of the continent.

She noted that there were valuable collections of materials on Pan-Africanism, which could be used to shape the minds of the people to be proud of themselves as Africans.

Mrs Deh-Kumah was speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on the importance of the Centre on Tuesday and its contribution to the progress of Ghanaians and Africans as a whole.

She said the mission of the Centre was to promote the ideals of Pan-Africanism to pursue the enlightenment of the people of African descent, adding that as an intellectual institute established in 1985, it did not only showcase the legacy of Dr Du Bois but also other astute African leaders who contributed to the liberation of Africans.

Mrs Deh-Kumah said the Centre has materials on West African tourist sites as well as a research facility, a museum with valuable collections of Dr Du Bois personal effects and over 1,000 volumes of reading materials on Pan Africanism.

She said it would be appropriate that Africans take a cue from the advice of the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensah that African fabric designers should introduce new innovations to their products to achieve the desired goal globally.

“African fabrics in terms of quality and design are very attractive and are cherished all over the world but needed to be improved upon to compete with others out there.”

Mrs Deh-Kumah expressed gratitude to some foreign missions in Ghana, the Ghana Textiles Printing Limited and Shanbrad Limited for supporting the recently held “African Fashion Night.”

Source: GNA